Yichen Sheng

The transformations of characters in Metamorphoses are either caused by love or desire. Erysichthon did not undergo a physical transformation in the play, but a man’s desire is turning him into non-human as he decided to sell his mother to fulfil the endless passion of eating. The desire has overcome him and brings him to self-destruction. Eventually, he consumed himself. Therefore, in this design, Hunger is the puppeteer, the one who pulls the string and controlling Erysichthon’s fate, whereas Erysichthon becomes the puppet, the empty vessel fully driven by desire. The mannequins are posed in a dancing gesture so that Hunger is almost embracing Erysichthon as lover, but quite the opposite of lover. Because this Duet dance is only lead by one person, the puppeteer is toying her puppet.