Made up of a dozen or so tales, Mary Zimmerman's alternately funny and sorrowful adaptation of Ovid's classic poem relays centuries-old myths with a whimsical and contemporary twist. Though some of the legends are famous, like “Orpheus and Eurydice,” and others far more obscure, such as “Vertumnus and Pomona,” love and transformation form the overarching themes. Laced with erotica, the action takes place in and around a pool of water in which the performers often wade, sometimes cavort. Successful businessman Midas (AJ Moorehead) reflects on an up-by-his-bootstraps career while reprimanding his playful daughter (Olivia Harris) — soon to be a statue of gold — for her irrepressible energy. Phaeton (Moorehead), a spoiled rich kid, basks in an inflatable rubber raft while talking to his therapist (Kate Littany) about his all powerful Dad, Apollo (Adam Siladi). Directed and designed by Adam Rigg, the production plays out in a small space with limited resources for an elaborate lighting design – a handicap that Rigg imaginatively compensates for with gauzy fabric, stringed lights and a few colorful slides and props, as well as Tessa Drysdale’s complementing costumes. Nonetheless, the essence of Zimmerman's vision is her coupling of the epic and the everyday as we know it, and Rigg's production misses the panorama. The narration, sometimes delivered in shadow from insufficient lighting, often appears understated. With each performer undertaking multiple roles, the ensemble ranges from capable to vibrant, with Harris and Siladi displaying the greatest range and most consistent capacity for nuance.
Thursdays-Sundays, 8 p.m. Starts: Jan. 10. Continues through Jan. 20, 2008

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