(Posted May 18, 2006)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Actors Bridge Ensemble has created a METAMORPHOSES that transforms artists and audiences alike through its emotional truth and technical clarity.

Mary Zimmerman's adaptation of stories from Ovid is a delicate mix of mirth, mania and mythology which takes full commitment from any troupe that attempts it. Director Bill Feehely and his colleagues have that commitment, and it doesn't hurt that they also have the talent to pull off this challenging piece.

That talent doesn't lie just with the actors, many of whom have studied with Feehely and producer Vali Forrister over the years. The technical elements are top-notch too, and Feehely's experienced hand has brought technical and artistic components together so harmoniously you'd think the Sirens were back in business.

The basic set-up is simple: eight scenes convey Ovid's tales of gods and mortals (such as the stories of Midas, Orpheus and Eurydice, Eros and Psyche and Phaeton) through the modern filter of Zimmerman's playful prose.

What's not so simple is conveying those tales so we care about the characters instead of merely nodding our heads as various points are made about human nature.  That's where ABE's growing company of emotionally accessible actors comes in.

It's almost unfair to single out one or two actors, since the whole ensemble is in service of the work and not themselves. However, like any audience member, I have my favorites: Tom Mason's Midas conveys the soul-searing pain of a man whose foolishness has cost him a daughter; Brian Webb Russell's brief time as Narcissus is a master class in handling comic vanity; David Berry's Phaeton is a delightful study in youthful arrogance; Rebekah Durham's Eurydice makes us long for what we've lost; and Zak Risinger's Vertumnus is a wistful walk on the goofy side of love.

The technical elements are no less engaging. Don Griffiths' set design, complete with a 3,000-gallon pool, magically creates the world of myth inside a factory building; Richard Davis' lighting and Pru Clearwater's sound are clear, strong and compelling.

Feehely mixes the bold with the beautiful in his staging, moving the players on, off and through Griffiths' set with the gait and grace of dancers (in fact, a rather moving dance choreographed and performed by Gabrielle Saliba begins the show). It's as if he's drawing not only on his years of experience, but the experience of theater practitioners from Thespis forward, bringing all the parts of this production into harmonious whole.

Actors Bridge Ensemble may be proud of its 10 years in Nashville, but it's not resting on its laurels. It's building on its firm foundation, and this community is better for it. There's no doubt after seeing METAMORPHOSES that the theater gods are certainly smiling down on this extraordinary group.

To See The Show…

METAMORPHOSES closed on May 21. For more information, visit www.actorsbridge.org.