Berkeley Repertory Theatre has been treated to many of Chicago writer-director Mary Zimmerman’s luminous, ensemble-based and dazzlingly theatrical reimaginings of myth and folklore, such as “Journey to the West,” “The Arabian Nights,” “The Secret in the Wings,” “Argonautika” and “The White Snake.”
As part of its 50th anniversary season, Berkeley Rep now brings back one of Zimmerman’s most acclaimed and well-remembered works, “Metamorphoses,” 20 years after the company first produced it.
A love-themed adaptation of Ovid’s poetic tales of Roman mythology of the same name, with a shallow pool of water as its stage, “Metamorphoses” went on to win Zimmerman a Tony Award for best direction on Broadway.
Although Berkeley Rep gave the play its West Coast premiere in 1999, this will be the first time it’s been performed at Berkeley Rep, in its intimate Peet’s Theatre that 20 years ago was the company’s only theater (the larger Roda Theatre next door was built in 2001). The previous production was staged at Zellerbach Playhouse, where UC Berkeley’s drama department later also performed it in 2017.
The ensemble includes Berkeley Rep favorite Steven Epp (“Tartuffe,” “Figaro”) as well as Bay Area actors Sango Tajima and Benjamin Ismail and former local Alex Moggridge.
Details: In previews through Jan. 30, main run is tonight through March 10; Berkeley Rep’s Peet’s Theatre; $40-$115; 510-647-2949, www.berkeleyrep.org.