This re-imagining of Franz Kafka's famed story -- about an ordinary person who one day awakens as a giant insect -- explores the terribly human struggle for identity, the journey from seeing ourselves as others see us to accepting ourselves as we are. Now set within an American Jewish family in 1959, The Metamorphosis of Barry Schleckman expands on the original novella, adding classic Kafka elements and some surprising twists. Conceived for the stage, the radio play you're about to hear was produced in an effort to prove that -- even in this era of jukebox musicals and commercially-safe spectacle -- audiences still hunger for theatre that asks difficult questions, and for musicals that leave them, in some small and beautiful way, transformed.
The Metamorphosis of Barry Schleckman is a story of survival.
It’s a story for every kid who’s ever had to do it on their own.
It’s for the resilient ones, the ones who make it,
the ones who somehow, finally, find their way.
Maybe it’s for you.
Thank You
Thank you, first of all, to the remarkable actors and singers who gave their time and talents to this production. Very special thanks as well to the fabulous folks at www.playcafe.org, especially Jamie Greenblatt, Loretta Janca, Richard Jennings, Ron Lytle, and Gary Graves. Ellen Callas at sfmt.org. Heartfelt thanks as well to Andi Burns, Joe Christiano, Ed Schneider, Lauren Van Ham, Sami Qreini, Jhene Canody, Tamsen Fynn, Maurice Tani, Gwen Loeb, Tanya Shaffer, Mark Lemaire, Virginia Morris, Sheldon Brown, and Esther Regelson.