The Aliso Niguel Theatre Company started the year off strong with their fall semester play, “Metamorphoses”, by Mary Zimmerman. The original screenplay was adapted from Ovid’s myths, of both Greek and Roman origin.
The pre-show was held on Nov. 5, the day before opening night. Closing night was Saturday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. The play was chosen during July to give staff time to prepare for the school new year.
“Metamorphoses” is a contemporary play meant to convey change through different experiences. The original play is directed around a pool, in which different scenes involve it to convey the central theme of inevitable change.
Act One consisted of an introduction and of four standalone tales: Midas, Alycone & Ceyx, Erysichthon and Orpheus & Eurydice. After Act One, there was a 15 minute intermission where the audience could either stay in their seats or explore the different booths outside the theater. Act Two included Vertumnus & Pomona, Cinyras & Myrrha, Phaeton, Eros & Psyche and Philemon & Baucis.
This production involved over 80 students, with 21 students a part of the 2026 graduating class. This production’s stage manager was Keilani Meyer (12) and the production manager was Shiley Moeinzadeh (11).
All costume design and set design was created by Aliso’s own, with the whole company working together to get the production up and running.
Mr. Golden, the director, says, “I’m really proud of where they’ve all come because the actors are now clearly telling the story and are invested in the words.”
Mr. Golden also says, “All of the cast and crew have come together to tell a cohesive story that I think is beautiful to watch, to hear, and it can be a very touching thing for everybody individually.”
Moeinzadeh says, “It was super fulfilling, but definitely had its own challenges. I’m really proud of all the hard work everyone put into this production.”
One big obstacle for the ANTC was building the pool on stage. As intended by Mary Zimmerman, the original screenplay included a pool in which actors had scenes in. For the Aliso Niguel Theatre Company, this meant dedicating any and all time into making this happen.
For the show, the pool was stationed on the center of the stage, surrounded by a wooden platform. There was a dedicated team who worked on the pool. The pool foremen were Jackson Cravens (11) and Nolan DeWees (11), and the pool crew were Hudson Cornell (11) and Eli Brown (9).
Joel Shin (11) says, “The play was very good and very interesting. The set was really well put together, and I really liked the pool in the middle.”
Shin also talked about the stories themselves, saying he “really liked them,” and many were ones he had never heard before.
Tickets for next semester’s musical, “9 to 5”, will be available online and at the kiosk in the cafeteria, students are encouraged to go and support the ANTC.
