Post 7: Mermaids and Metamorphoses

Post 7: Mermaids and Metamorphoses

Richard Schechner’s “6 Axioms for Environmental Theatre” got me thinking about ways in which a play or part of a play could benefit by being removed from its conventionally assigned stagings and brought to life in an “environmentally immersive key.” In riffing, I stumbled on several that may be worth noting but perhaps do not “float” to the top after deliberation. Because I’m full of pun thoughts today, one random “bubble burst” I had was with Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses. It seems like the necessary pool hinders many theatres from wanting to take on the show, even though it might have been of great interest to begin with for a particular season. Conversely, when the show is selected for a season, it often becomes the conversation point for years to come based on how successful (or unsuccessful) the pool was in construction and utilization during the run of the show. So many themes of water, apart from the actual water (woman by the water, all things gold returned to normal by finding a mistic pool, the sea god Poseidon, and Midas finds the pool and is restored, to name a few) give me the sense that a transformative take on this show could be produced near water, instead of having to construct a pool, or a found space being an already constructed pool for a differents purpose..  I remember seeing a TV special about becoming a live mermaid and a team of people that create a haven for people to visit where they can watch mermaids live in a habitat (or, at least, people transformed into mermaids for the sake of spectacle and a show). Yes, there are places where people train to become, and then embody the lives of mermaids.

Weeki Watchee is one of these places, boasting a show both above and below water in their 400 seat auditorium. https://weekiwachee.com/mermaids/  They already advertise online their version of Hans-Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid. One could argue that this example doesn’t fit into the category of “found spaces” but the pool in which the mermaids perform is not like the pool that is normally constructed for this production. Because it was constructed for a different purpose, I would argue it is a found space for this show, because it wasn’t built for Metamorphoses’ purpose. My mind keeps “swimming” with ideas about how to frame the story so that it could possibly fit into all six categories. Instead of fitting a circle peg into a square hole, I’ll entertain my take on how this show may or may not fit into each of Schechner’s Six Axioms.

1) A set of related transactions: Yes. The scenes are all mostly relatable through water.

2) All space is used for audience and performance: No. Audience members are not expected to swim and performers are not expected to sit as spectators. Though could it be possible to invite audiences of people who can swim and were willing to venture to volunteer in order to experience this take at a script any day.

3) Takes place in a “Found space” or totally transformed space: No. It is not a found space for the sake of the show, though it has been found as a supportive environment for actors who swim.

4) Focus is flexible and variable: If I directed this production of the show, I may be determined to understand the water’s function and use more often to showcase the flexibility and variation of many student’s/actors’ choices.

5) All elements speak their own language: Yes, to a point. It seems lighting would be thrilled to reflect and refract light on surfaces to create more art. Sound would be different with the water in that it warps any sound we may get under water, making other senses more tuned in.

6) The text need to be the neither starting point nor the goal of a production: I’m not sure I could answer this one yet. Schechner says, “Each production contains its own possibilities,” and goes further to say, “If the theatrical event is a set of related transactions, then the text-once rehearsal begins- will participate in these transactions.” This mentions text but then also offers that there may be no text at all. If some of the action were done under water by the trained mermaids, the text would be swallowed and the use of movement and light may be more primary in the storytelling of those chosen sections.

One could go deeper into the possibilities of this pairing of space and show, but how many more water references can I come up with before I’m “washed up” or “sunk?” Too many.

Sweet sailing swashbucklers and your merry mermaids.