By Francisco Portillo
The first play of the semester, “Metamorphosis,” takes a look into one of humanity’s deepest fears: being discriminated upon based on physical differences.
White drapery is placed all around the stage, giving the audience the sense that they’re watching a play taking place in a cocoon.
The play is located in P2-205 and the audience is right in front of the action with the actors on the same level as the audience. The play starts off quickly with the main character Gregor Samsa, played by Christopher Magallanes, waking up from sleep transformed as a beetle. The special effects used to display his transformation are simple but effective.
As Gregor awakens in his new body, he is only able to move his head. Magallanes brings the character to life as he frantically jerks his head around, trying to figure out what has happened.
When his family realizes that he has yet to join them, they begin to worry about him and decide to check on him in his bedroom.
Shocked by their discovery, they decide to keep Gregor in his room until he gets better.
His parents, played by, Raffael Chagoya and Ronda Thomas, try to find ways to cope with the new transformation. For the set of Gregor’s bedroom, the bed is raised upwards which gives the audience a view of the top of the bed.
Magallanes, dressed in a white onesie, embodies a bug perfectly as he climbs all over the bed. Throughout the play, Magallanes is in different positions on the bed displaying his physical abilities.
Audience members in the front row will be in for a creepy portrayal as he crawls on the floor. Since the audience is essentially on the stage, it may become difficult for shorter people to see over the audience members in front of them. T
he play examines the struggles of the Samsa family as they try to deal with Gregor’s new appearance.
His loving sister, played by Ariel Ortiz, tries to ensure that her brother stays alive by looking for ways to feed him. The play’s subject matter may seem bleak at times, as it chronicles the tribulations of Gregor as his family tries to come to terms with the situation.
While dark at times, it also manages to provide a good amount of humor. In the most surprising performance: the female Maid, played by Mathew Shioi, almost steals the show.
Every time the Maid would entered the stage, it brought laughter from the audience. Even when Shioi isn’t speaking, his display of uneasiness is comical.
No longer able to put up with the transformation that has taken place, the Maid requests to be excused from servicing the family. Upon approval, the maid lets out a masculine shout of glee causing the audience to erupt in laughter and applaud.
Audience members will certainly enjoy the show that runs an hour. “Metamophosis” will run all weekend until Sunday with matinee and evening showtimes.
Tickets can be purchased from P2-101 or on the campus website. General admission is $10 online and $12 at the door. For Associated Student Union members tickets are $8.
