The show Metamorphosis is based on a novella written by Franz Kafka first published in 1915. It tells the story of a salesman named Gregor transformed into a huge insect and how he struggled to get used to the new condition. The show was performed at the Parco Theater in Japan, and I watched it through Digital Theatre+ with English subtitles.
Written by Jiaxuan Meng
Gregor is the main character of the play and other main characters are his family members including his parents and sister. He is a traveling salesman and used to be the one who earned money to support the family. But after he transformed into an insect, he became unable to go to the work and he had to confine in the room. The play showed us how he was isolated from society and how he struggled to adjust to the new condition.
What I like most about this play are the performers’ body language and their facial expressions. They used their hands, feet and other body parties to simulate various scenes, such as waking up, eating and getting dressed.
I feel costumes didn’t play a very significant role in this play because the performers did not actually change their costumes through the play to show the change of different scenes. But I found they were wearing unique makeups that represent their roles and personalities. And they were wearing typical Japanese style clothing.
Besides, although I don’t really understand Japanese, the English subtitle helped me understand and follow the flow of the play. But I feel if I were able to understand the language that the performers used through the play, it would definitely help to have a better understanding of the story.
Overall, I enjoy this play and it is an interesting and inspiring story.
I would like to recommend it to my friends. 🙂