"Metamorphoses" and the Role of Myth

"It is said that the myth is a public dream, dreams are private myths. Unfortunately, we give our mythic side scant attention these days. As a result, a great deal escapes us and we no longer understand our own actions." (Excerpt from Mary Zimmerman's "Metamorphoses")

Snapshot of "Orpheus and Eurydice" from our production

The public and private spheres of life are increasingly important, and increasingly at odds, in the modern world. With the advent of the internet, social media, text messaging, and so on—society's "modern" adaptations—the public sphere is creeping into our private lives. However, this is not a new phenomenon. All of our world's modern developments rely heavily on what Joseph Campbell calls an "outward-oriented consciousness".¹ This consciousness addresses the day to day, down to earth issues that we must deal with to survive. This outward-oriented frame of mind, although practical, often has unforeseen consequences.

[If unfamiliar with the basic concept of Zimmerman's "Metamorphoses," click here]

As a performer in this year's production of "Metamorphoses" at GBN, the importance of both our public and private lives has revealed itself to me. Throughout the rehearsal process, our cast has discussed Zimmerman's intentions in her work as well as how we as a cast can help convey those intentions to the audience. Zimmerman argues that a "great deal escapes us" when we do not embrace our mythic side—our inward-oriented self in an outward-oriented world. 

After seeing Zimmerman's vision come to life on stage, I too am intrigued by mythic self. Each vignette in "Metamorphoses" describes a different Greek tale of Ovid, and each tale holds its own overarching meaning. In an interview, Zimmerman claims, "The fact that [the myths] hung around this long is because they are so archetypal and fundamentally revelatory about what we go through in life."² The mythic self is archetypal; it teaches us about morality, society, and relationships. Through change, the driving force of all the tales in "Metamorphoses," these archetypes are revealed to us.

Zimmerman argues the mythic self is a necessity in an increasingly outward-oriented world. Without the mythic self, we no longer have that moral foundation that can only be contained in myth—we "no longer understand our own actions."

As a part of "Metamorphoses," I would also argue that the portrayal of these archetypes is almost as important as the archetypes themselves. Zimmerman takes a centuries-old collection of obscure myths, many of which are unknown to a modern audience, and fits them into a cohesive, ninety-minute play in modern English. This is essential. Although reading translated myth is undoubtably important, placing those myths onto a stage—in a minimalist, watery setting that reflects the archetypal scene—magnifies its impact.


The scene continues, "...So it remains important and salutary to speak not only of the rational and easily understood, but also of enigmatic things: the irrational and the ambiguous. To speak both privately and publicly." If any of you come to see "Metamorphoses" at GBN, I hope that you will leave feeling entranced, fulfilled, but more importantly reflective. Think about the vast impact that the mythic self has on our public lives. Contemplate how myth affects our character in ways that an outward-oriented self simply cannot. When you realize this, in the words of Narrator #4, "How can you deny the existence of the gods?"


1 From Joseph Campbell's "Myths to Live By"
2 http://dctheatrescene.com/2013/03/15/metamorphoses-creator-mary-zimmerman-on-the-power-of-myths/