Youth, adults share connection in Rainbow’s ‘Metamorphoses’

The surprise in Rainbow Company’s "Metamorphoses" is its often low-brow humor. Author Mary Zimmerman’s title sounds like a master’s thesis. It ain’t.

The light-hearted, Tony Award-winning morality tale gives us a series of stories that warn of the dangers of hubris.

There’s King Midas, portrayed hilariously as a self-absorbed businessman by John Jacobson. There’s a crisp, no-nonsense shrink, expertly brought to life by the magnetic Mary Alice Brunod-Burack, who offers some bluntly stated theories about the role of myths in society. There’s a character called Hunger, made real by Leta Marcellus, who transforms herself, with little or no make-up, into a hideous imp. She forces a man (the smile-inducing Gabriel Gentile) to become so obsessed with eating that he consumes his foot.

The 17-member cast (nearly all in multiple roles) has more adults than usual for Rainbow. What catches you off-guard is how well the young and older actors connect.

It’s amusing to watch the wholesome-faced girl Violet Baldwin defy her father by loudly bouncing a ball and skipping rope. She portrays the defiance with a veteran’s skill of subtlety. Young Kori Locke-Wells as Midas’ servant has such an off-the cuff manner that he gets a deserved huge laugh with a simple line like, "I hate this job."

Director Toni Molloy-Tudor respects the dramatic spine of these mostly familiar adventures. She infuses the evening with a sense of childlike magic. The scenes intertwine seamlessly, and the action is often happily busy.

Student designers Michaela Geldmacher and Joshua Stackhouse have come up with a remarkable set: a marble platform hosting what looks like three huge flower pots, a functional waterfall, a shallow pool, lots of foliage, all topped by a brightly-lit cloth. The physical environment, along with Caitlin Cypher’s varied and realistic sound design, put you in the right mood. When the Greek chorus comes down the aisles, we feel as if we’ve been expecting them.

Oliver Kompst and Brittany Srp’s lighting help give the fables a fairy-tale dimension.

Those who know the script will undoubtedly notice that a couple of very adult scenes have been cut. But the heart of the experience remains.

"Metamorphoses" is the last production Rainbow will perform at the soon-to-close Reed Whipple Center. It’s a fitting, fond finale.

Anthony Del Valle can be reached at vegastheaterchat @aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.