Stage, characters undergo watery transformation

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

In "Metamorphoses," Leeward Community College Theatre players put a contemporary spin on Ovid's transformation myths. Photos by Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

Laynee Busse, right (as Psyche, with Michael Angelo as Eros), is a nonswimmer who had to conquer her fears to act in an onstage pool.

Paul Rita, as Poseidon, sinks into the onstage pool created for Leeward Community College Theatre's staging of "Metamorphoses."

'METAMORPHOSES' A drama by Mary Zimmerman, produced by Leeward Community College Theatre Premieres at 8 p.m. today, repeats at 8 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday, and again at 8 p.m. Thursday- Nov. 20 LCC Theatre, 96-045 Ala 'Ike, Pearl City $15 general, $12 students, seniors and military 455-0385

For director Paul Cravath, it was to persuade his techies and actors that the production, inspired by Ovid's transformation myths, was timeless in theme and academically suited for the drama group that had previously done a handful of classic plays with a contemporary twist.

Oh, there was the matter of water, too. A pool — well, two, since the Leeward stage required a two-level area of water action — is the focus of the action.

For set designer Donald J. Ranney Jr., it was how to build the pair of wading pools that could hold as much as 5,000 pounds of water, which would cascade from an on-stage top deck into a secondary pool in the orchestra pit, yet not spill over or give front-row spectators an occasional bath.

For the performers, it was a challenge to move with grace in and around the water, and show some muscle tone in the process. And hide the fact the wetness, coupled with air-conditioning, might lead to a body chill.

"It's a beautiful story, with water, and a modern interpretation of ancient myths, and few theaters like ours will attempt (to do it) because of the challenges," said Cravath, surveying the expanse of wetness at Monday night's rehearsal. A former Leeward faculty member, John Signor, had seen the groundbreaking production in 2002 at the Circle in the Square Theatre on Broadway and sent Cravath a script with a suggestion to stage it.

"It was perfect for Leeward because we had done Greek works, Moliere and other classics with modern interpretation. This one was right down our alley," said Cravath.

But with water?

"I thought it was crazy," Ranney said, when he first heard the proposal to stage "Metamorphoses."

Before the stage show premiered, he inspected his creation, relieved that there were no leaks.

"For every show, we try not to have water around, because of the electricity and potential danger, but here was one that required a pool. I mean, we work at keeping water off the stage, but this one's on stage and actors go into it," said Ranney.

Water was what attracted Bryahn Godson, 20, a Leeward freshman, to the play. As Apollo, the sun god who takes the sun across the sky every day, Godson is enjoying the experience but admits "it gets really slippery and cold; you have to dry off between scenes." During a dry moment, he also gets to sing an aria, a chance for the music major to shine.

Laynee Busse, 20, another Leeward freshman, appears as Psyche in a scene with Eros (Michael Angelo). She has a 20-second descent into 23 inches of water — the deepest spot of the pool — which meant she had to overcome her early trepidation. "I'm not a swimmer, and I was petrified," she said, still dripping wet backstage, her hair a tousled mop. "The water is cold ... and it clings to your costume."

She was a tad embarrassed when her wet garment adhered to her lanky frame at Monday's rehearsal. "I head for the heater (backstage) as soon as I get out," she said. "But so far, no cold."

But Marissa Robello, 20, a Leeward junior, was fighting a cold, caused by a week of water rehearsals. "I really liked the script but I didn't know about the water," she said of her soaking as Myrrha. "And I'm Portuguese, so my hair gets kinky when it's wet."

In the Tony Award-winning original New York outing, a rectangular wading pool — with heated water — was built on the venue's floor, with the audience surrounding the central staging area in horseshoe fashion. That pool was the framework for interaction among mythic gods and characters — Myrrha, Aphrodite, Hermes, Orpheus, Eurydice, Phaeton, Poseidon, Midas and others — proving they have frailties just as humans do.

At Leeward, which has a proscenium configuration, the task was monumental; the pool couldn't be heated, nor could it be erected solely on the confines of the performing platform, because viewers in the first four rows — center and sides — would not be able to see the pool. It functions like a character to cleanse, purify and, well, bring a dash of splash to the mythic characters.

Because the stage is not angled, the only solution was to create a two-level pool scooting about 25 feet from front to rear of the stage and 30 feet across, in depths ranging from 1à inches to nearly 2 feet, said Ranney.

It takes three garden hoses going full blast to fill the pools. Because of the chill with the in-house air-conditioning, the water level is reduced at about 5:30 p.m. (before an evening performance), then refilled with hosed-in hot water to maintain warmer temperatures during performances.

"There's no bathtub-type plug to get the water out, so we use pumps," said Cravath.

Chlorine helps maintain water-safety, said Ranney, overseeing the rehearsal traffic.

Because costumes, as well as actors, are soaked, laundry issues had to be considered.

"If you wet elaborate costumes, you have drying issues," said Cravath. "And with a cast of 24 playing 60 roles, we use well over 50 towels, and that meant we needed a second dryer," he said. "Ross Appliance gave us a good deal on a second dryer; we manage with one washer."

He was somewhat rabid at Monday's rehearsal. "Who locked the door?!" he bellowed, as Eros and Psyche tried to exit via a door that wouldn't budge.

Sami Akuna (also known as Cocoa Chandelier) is movement director and costume designer, and trained the cast to walk in and out of water. He also created about 50 costumes for the actors, plus six of his dancers called Giinko Maraschino, who augment the cast.

"The fabric for the costumes had to be light; but they become see-through and cling when they get wet," Akuna said.

"The water was intimidating," Cravath said about early concerns. "We had to make sure there was no mass spillage or leaks, because the dance studio is below the stage." (So far, there has been no seepage.)

"I told the actors to pretend like they're walking on ice, regarding safety, which, of course, was a little odd since no one walks on ice here," said Cravath.

"Visually, the presence of water is stunning," said Ranney, who used roofing-type sealants and pond-making wizardry to ensure a leak-proof environment. "And water is an extension of the movement by the actors; with sweeping movements, there are water drops in the air; when an actor spins, there's water flying off. For everyone, this is a voyage of discovery."

Fitness was a consideration in casting, said Cravath. Model looks were equally relevant alongside acting skills.

"Our bodies have to be physical, as well as beautiful," Cravath said. Some of the costumes are scanty. Eros (Michael Angelo) in particular, had to look fit and trim, almost statue-like, in a snug outfit; Hermes (William Murray) is clad in revealing and body-hugging gold lamÚ shorts.

He advised his troupers: "Before opening night, get some sun."

While the play dwells on classic figures from mythology, it connects to everyday values. "So much of the play is a reflection of values, and much of our vocabulary has been inherited from the Greeks," Cravath said.

Reach Wayne Harada at 525-8067, wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com or fax 525-8055.