A pool? In Strider Theater?
Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses, which ran for two sold-out weekends in November, showcased nine stories based on Greek and Roman mythology. This ambitious production, including a cast of 23 students and two emeriti faculty members—Dick Sewell and Abbott Meader—included a 12- by 28-foot pool meant to “reflect and complement” the characters’ transformations.
Professor Lynne Conner, who directed the play, staged Metamorphoses to link theater and dance in one production. Conner’s troupe created a remarkable sensory experience with a corps de ballet, original music by Peter de Klerk, video projection, and song.
“There is talent here at Colby,” Conner said, noting that only five cast members were theater-and-dance majors. “I was aware of the inexperience for only a week and then it wasn’t a factor.” Conner’s coaching coupled with choreography by visiting artist Daphne McCoy allowed the company to jell on stage.“Lynne made it easy for us,” said Ahmed Asi ’13J, who played Ceyx and Hades. Asi, a government major with no prior theater experience, was allowed to explore his characters but incorporated Conner’s suggestions into his roles. “She guided me, but she didn’t tell me what to do.”
“This ensemble was a very supportive group all around,” said Adjunct Associate Professor Jim Thurston, “so it just made it a joy to work on every aspect of the project.”
Thurston designed the 2,500-gallon pool, six inches deep in the front and almost four feet in the upstage “well,” through which some characters entered or exited the stage. The well was reinforced to help hold the 20,000 pounds of water.
Myrrha wakes from her fitful sleep ready to confront her inner demons. Photo by Jeff Earickson.
“We worked pretty intently on this project for about a year,” Thurston said. After constructing scale models, the crew built a test pool last summer to see how best to contain the water and build a functional edging. Construction of the final pool began in the shop in September. Sections were moved on stage in October and the liner, a rubber roofing membrane, was installed. It took four hours to fill the pool with a garden hose run from the shop in late October. A few more days were needed to heat it to 85 degrees.
Thurston emphasized the collaboration required. Colby engineers, technicians, plumbers, electricians, and others came together behind the scenes. Costume designer Christine Nilles, in addition to her design work, ensured that the “mountain of towels” used each night were in place. “What it underscores, in the end result,” Thurston said, “is a fantastic definition of what a community is.”
However, watching the student actors and managers grow was most rewarding for Conner. “It’s really about the way in which, over time, they take on confidence as collaborators,” she said, “working to solve the puzzle that a production of this magnitude represents.”
Abby Crocker ’13, who played Myrrha in an incest scene with her father, Cinyras, said the scene was daunting and even disturbing but ultimately rewarding. “It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done,” Crocker said. “But I’m so grateful for the opportunity.”
“Talk about metamorphoses,” Conner concluded. “These students have been transformed by the experience.”
