“I relish a challenge,” says Kathy Pingel of her decision to direct Venice Theatre’s Stage II production of Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses. A series of thematically linked vignettes adapted almost entirely from the works of the classic Roman poet Ovid, Zimmerman’s modern interpretation represents a particular challenge indeed for both local artists and audiences, admits Pingel, but that’s what Stage II is all about.

The first challenge comes from the subject matter. The work of an ancient Roman poet largely taught in classics classrooms doesn’t turn many heads, and those that do are largely lost in a tangle of references to a mythology long extinct. “But Zimmerman wanted to make it more accessible and also have people be able to listen to it as if brand new,” says Pingel. Infusing modern terminology and sensibility into the classical allows an entry point for the newer audience while the changes offer a fresh perspective for the seasoned Ovid fan.

For Pingel, the challenge comes from her first project working in the abstract—directing delivery and movement that isn’t always literal, but is still communicative. “It’s something that I’ve never done,” Pingel says. “This is going to come from a place in me that I haven’t yet explored.” Her greatest resource in the endeavor is her cast—the eleven performers collaborating to bring more than 30 characters to the stage. “I trust actors and their instincts a great deal,” she says.

Many actors, though happy to perform in the regular musicals and comedies, jump at the chance to try something a little different and outside their comfort range and that’s a big part of what Stage II offers. “Venice Theatre serves its volunteer actors by giving them that opportunity to stretch,” says Pingel. But no matter how much Pingel and company stretch, the audience is always there to hop on board. “If they didn’t,” she laughs, “the second stage would never have succeeded.”

Currently on stage at Venice Theatre, Metamorphoses runs until May 15.