The Metamorphosis

The director’s vision

The libretto of The Metamorfosis, written by Igor Escudero and based on Franz Kafka’s short story, speaks to the brutality of a society obsessed with production, the unstoppable machine that society has become, and the rejection and contempt felt toward those who are unproductive, neither at work nor at home—those from whom we cannot get any kind of benefit. I wanted to capture this harshness in this staging by showing a space that is completely hostile to Gregor (despite it being his room), and I found the figure of the opera’s other character, Greta, Gregor’s sister, key to conveying this metamorphosis, which leads to alienation and loss of empathy.

As Gregor struggles to adapt to his new form, he faces rejection from those around him. Initially, Greta shows compassion and care toward Gregor, but over time, she begins to resent his presence and consider him a burden, undergoing another metamorphosis in parallel. The loss of innocence and the assumption of a dominant role gradually transform her into a person who must shed values ​​such as compassion, empathy, and love in order to support her family. All these values ​​are a burden in a hostile society where what matters is never stopping and moving forward. To continue, progress, continue, advance. Gregor’s transformation triggers a series of events that reveal the fragility of human relationships and the lack of empathy in a world that tends to reject anything different.

The staging explores themes such as lack of communication and the loss of identity, revealing the vulnerability and cruelty of the human condition.