In a first for its Department of Theatre, Coastal Carolina University has transformed the Edwards Theatre into a "water stage" for its upcoming production of "Metamorphoses." The play by Mary Zimmerman, a contemporary retelling of the mythological stories of the ancient Roman poet Ovid, is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 16, to Saturday, Oct. 18, and from Wednesday, Oct. 22, to Saturday, Oct. 25, at 7:30 p.m. There is also a 3 p.m. show on Oct. 25.

Famous characters of mythology -- King Midas, Poseidon, Narcissus, Orpheus, Psyche and Eros, and others -- act out their stories in and around the full scale water pool constructed in the Edwards Theatre in the Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts on the CCU campus. Designed by technical director Gregg Buck and built mostly by CCU students, the water stage is 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, 36 inches deep and holds 13,000 gallons of water.

Some of the stories in the play have a thematic connection to water, such as the "creation of the world" myth and the tale of Narcissus, who discovered his own reflection in the water and fell in love with it. All the stories have to do with the concept of change, and the water stage is central to this function.

Department of Theatre Chair Ken Martin chose the play to showcase CCU's physical theatre program, the only one of its kind in the nation. The production is directed by Benjamin Sota, who has a background in circus performance and the commedia dell'arte tradition.

Sota says that he encourages the student actors to "treat the water as their scene partner. . . . Our bodies are composed of 60 percent water, and throughout our lives watershed moments will impact us and spark rebirth, redemption and perhaps even revelation."

The cast of "Metamorphoses" is comprised of 11 Coastal Carolina University students, who each play up to seven different parts. The students are Kaleb Brooks Allen, Jessica Bryant, Krista Gierlach, Mikayla Goetz, Michael Golino, Rhett Hanenkratt, Brantley Ivey, Laura Elizabeth Pierpont, Nate Quetel and Peter Seifarth.

General admission is $15; CCU and HGTC personnel, alumni, senior citizens tickets are $10; CCU and HGTC students and children admission is $5. To purchase tickets, visit CCU's cultural arts site (coastal.edu/culturalarts), call the Wheelwright Box Office at 843-349-ARTS (2787) or visit the box office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.