Penn State University: Set in a pool of water on stage, Centre Stage’s ‘Metamorphoses’ mesmerizes

Penn State Centre Stage will present Mary Zimmerman’s “Metamorphoses” — directed by Sam Osheroff and choreographed by A. Kikora Franklin — on Oct. 4–15, at the Pavilion Theatre on the University Park campus.

Based on the “Myths of Ovid,” the play mesmerizes with tales of Midas, Orpheus and Aphrodite, in a whimsical and heartbreaking meditation on the joys and perils of being human. Primal storytelling and modern sensibility collide in a sensual re-envisioning of Greek myths, as gods and mortals alike endure love, loss and transformation — all while immersed in a pool of water on stage.

“The myths in this play are about those two staggering and confounding pillars of human experience: love and grief. Without love, there can be no grief. Indeed, some say that grief is the price of love,” said Osheroff. “But how do we, mere mortals that we are, begin to comprehend such titanic and inexplicable experiences? Sure, science might explain the origins of the universe, but sometimes it takes a story, a myth, to unravel a heartache.”

Evening performances at 7:30 p.m. are $20; preview performance at 7:30 p.m. is $18.50; and tickets for students are $12.50. For additional show information, visit the Penn State Centre Stage website.

“Indeed, some say that grief is the price of love. But how do we, mere mortals that we are, begin to comprehend such titanic and inexplicable experiences? Sure, science might explain the origins of the universe, but sometimes it takes a story, a myth, to unravel a heartache.”

Sam Osheroff, director, “Metamorphoses”