Opening in the Valentine’s Day season of romance, Sweet Briar Theatre will present Ovid’s “Metamorphoses” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 17 and 18 in the Student Theatre of Babcock Auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public.

Sweet Briar College senior Shaheen Moosa directs “ Metamorphoses,” Mary Zimmerman’s stage adaptation made from a compilation of Ovid’s famous stories about love, which were mythologies collected in about 8 A.D. The Broadway hit includes ancient stories such as the golden touch of Midas, the beautiful life of Orpheus, and the love story of Cupid and Psyche.

In this production, a huge pool of water dominates the stage, with each scene constantly moving around and inside the water, giving the show a “ spectacular” dynamic, Moosa said.

“I’m so excited about ‘Metamorphoses,’ ” she said, explaining that in this stage adaptation, “Zimmerman pulls in contemporary elements with the classical, in order to bring Ovid’s tale of love and transformation to life.”

Moosa transferred to Sweet Briar in 2004 with an impressive list of theater credits and awards from Tidewater Community College, including vice president of Phi Theta Kappa, the national theater society.

“Metamorphoses” stars an ensemble cast including Joshua Ryan Carter, Kathryn Ann “Kit” Robertson ’06, David E. Zimmerman, Jared Mason Murray, Emily Olson ’07, Caroline Ann Sapp ’09, Elizabeth Caldwell ’08, Elizabeth Zuckerman ’09, Rosanna Louise Hawkins ’07 and Maureen Maguire ’06.

Free tickets may be reserved by calling the Sweet Briar Box Office at (434) 381-6120.

— By Angelica Guarino '06