Mary Zimmerman's play Metamorphoses is based on Ovid's fifteen-volume work of transformation myths. Positioned in and around a large pool on the stage, the characters enact Zimmerman's adaptations of Ovid's tales, juxtaposing the ancient and the contemporary in both language and image. The tone of the drama likewise echoes the themes of change and contrast, from the humor of Phaeton's therapy session to the tragedy of Midas and his daughter. Various productions of this play have been awarded five Los Angeles Drama Critics Awards, the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Work/Adaptation and several Bay Area Theatre Critics Awards including Best Production. Metamorphoses played around the United States and Off Broadway before moving to Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre in March 2002.
The book contains a production history, the play script, and, because the visual aspect of the play is so important, photographs from some of its past productions. The play's literature-into-drama approach gives the book a dual role in the marketplace, both as literature and as a script for performance.
