(Philadelphia, PA) Arden Theatre Company opens its 28^th season with METAMORPHOSES, from October 1 – November 1, 2015, on the Arden’s F. Otto Haas Stage at 40 N. 2^nd Street in Philadelphia.

From acclaimed playwright Mary Zimmerman (of Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre) comes this dazzling adaptation of Ovid’s classic myths, brought to stunning visual life. Set in and around a rippling, onstage pool, a magical world is conjured, where Gods and mortals co-exist and universal tales of fate, lost love, greed and death are shared. Tony Award-nominated for Best Play, Metamorphoses overflows with gorgeous imagery and visionary theatricality.

Doug Hara, frequently seen on the Arden’s stages, (A Prayer for Owen Meany, Great Expectations, and Dr. Suess’s The Cat in the Hat, for which he was co-director) directs METAMORPHOSES. Hara is a Lookingglass Theatre company member and was seen in the original, Broadway, and regional productions of METAMORPHOSES.

Arden Producing Artistic Director Terrence J. Nolen says of METAMORPHOSES, “I have known Mary Zimmerman and have followed her extraordinary work since our college days at Northwestern University, so perhaps it’s not surprising that I have long wanted to produce METAMORPHOSES. Mary is a gifted storyteller, and in METAMORPHOSES she brings these classic myths to life in ways that are beautiful, sexy, funny, and surprisingly contemporary.  I’m thrilled to have original cast member and Arden favorite, Doug Hara, directing our production, and am excited to share Mary’s magical, imaginative, (and wonderfully wet!) METAMORPHOSES with Philadelphia audiences.”

Director Doug Hara adds, "Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation of METAMORPHOSES has had great influence in my life.  From the first run at Lookingglass in 1998, through its extraordinary journey to Broadway, and then the recent revival production in 2012, my changing relationship with these stories has spanned 14 years. From this grateful and privileged vantage I am eager to share what I know about this play with an extraordinary new team of actors and designers, and from these ancient yet familiar stories, create something unique for Philadelphia audiences to see.”

METAMORPHOSES is set in and around an onstage pool. 2,600 gallons of water will fill the set centerpiece and actors will use the pool in surprising ways throughout the show. Audience members may even find themselves being splashed during the performance. 

Says Nolen, “Past productions at the Arden have featured sets with dirt floors and sets full of sand, but this is our first pool. Our set designer, Brian Sidney Bembridge, and our first-rate production team have been working all summer to build this integral piece of our production.”

The ensemble cast features Sean Bradley, Krista Apple-Hodge, Leigha Kato, Alex Keiper, Sharina Martin, Christopher Patrick Mullen, Claire O’Malley, Steve Pacek, Brandon Pierce and Lindsay Smiling.

Schedule and Events

METAMORPHOSES begins previews on Thursday, October 1, 2015, opens to the press on Wednesday, October 7, 2015, and runs through Sunday, November 1, 2015. Opening Night Sponsors are Harmelin Media, JPM Catering, Wines ‘Til Sold Out and Lagunitas Brewing Co.

Single ticket prices are $36-$50, with discounts available for groups of 15 or more, seniors, students, military, and educators. Three and Five-Show Mainstage Subscriptions are now on sale for the 2015/16 Season and range in price from $84 - $200. Call the Arden Box Office at 215.922.1122, or view details and order online here, or visit the box office at 40 N. 2nd Street in Old City, Philadelphia.

Founded in 1988, Arden Theatre Company is dedicated to bringing to life great stories by great storytellers–on the stage, in the classroom, and in the community. Five productions are staged each season as part of the Mainstage series and two productions through Arden Children’s Theatre, the city’s first resident professional children’s theatre program. New work is produced through the Independence Foundation New Play Showcase. The Arden’s Education Department includes: Arden for All (AFA), a theatre access and education program for underserved young people; Arden Drama School, the after-school, Saturday, and summer camp classes for students in grades pre K-12; Teen Arden, an immersive after-school access program for Philadelphia-area based teenagers; and the Arden Professional Apprentice Program, a nationally renowned comprehensive theatre management training program. The Hamilton Family Arts Center is the new facility dedicated to education programs and new play development.

The Arden has received numerous honors including 62 awards and 307 nominations from the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre. The Arden is a winner of four “Theatre Company of the Year” designations (Philadelphia Inquirer), six Philadelphia Magazine “Best of Philly” awards and three “Best of Philly Kids” awards, the City Paper’s Reader’s Choice Award and the prestigious “Great Friend to Kids Award” from the Please Touch Museum for Arden Children’s Theatre work. For accessibility efforts, the Arden was named a “Keystone of Accessibility” by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Arden Theatre Company is a professional, nonprofit 501(c)(3) theatre company and a member of the Theatre Communications Group, the League of Resident Theatres, Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Old City Arts Association. The Arden also participates in The Barrymore Awards, a program of Theatre Philadelphia.