Alliance Theatre Reviewers Blog

Review by Jada Genter – In the Red and Brown Water

     Kianne Muschett—she of the radiant smile—leads the gifted ensemble cast of Tina Landau’s beautiful Alliance Theatre production of “In the Red and Brown Water”. Brechtian in its starkness, this powerful play is a glimpse into the ordinary/extraordinary life of one woman and the people who inhabit her world.

     The production is minimalist, stripping away all obvious sets, costumes, and sound, the effect being that what remains takes on hyper-realized power and symbolism, painting a picture on the canvas of the actors. If I seem to be waxing poetic, it is most likely in response to the poetic presentation of the play, bleak and powerful.

     The talented and versatile cast slip in and out of a multitude of characters, circling the life of Oya, a talented young runner who consistently chooses the path of family. The only character who leaves the stage for any length of time is Shango, played as both an emotional and physical presence by Rodrick Covington, perhaps because Shango is too powerful to ever fade into the background. The only way for him to not be at Oya’s immediate focus is for him to be offstage, or in the Army as the case may be.

     In light of the stark costumes, such things as shoes take on heightened importance. In the first act, always clinging to the dream of running through college, Oya wears track shoes. Come the second act, having given up her running dreams, she has slipped on flip-flops, those which only protect from the ground and do not further our dreams. Tennis shoes have passed on to those neighbors who need them to run after their children, the dream of family which Oya cannot catch.

     It was difficult to tell if the silver pipes on the wall were already there, or if they were purposeful set pieces. I would guess the latter given how clean and shiny they were. The bearers of water, an ongoing symbol of life in Oya’s life, are the one constant overseers of her existence, reminding her that life and children are passing her by.

     Each of us has a life both ordinary and extraordinary. Tarell Alvin McCraney’s script does a beautiful job of showing us this through powerful imagery, descriptive language, and passionate characters based on African mythology—all of which is brought to beautiful fruition in this remarkable production. Well done.

The Red and Brown Water Satisfies by Amy Lighthill

Water. Earth. Blood. Breath. These four elements form playwright Tarell McCraney’s cosmos, and a richly tragic and funny world it is. Born from nothing, leaving nothing but memory, his gritty psychic landscape grows sparse and strong from the utter air, watered by the peoples’ blood and tears.

 

The Hertz Stage, disemboweled from the seductive opulence of “Jacques Brel”’s cabaret set, is stripped bare of everything but a water spigot. A corroded red and brown ground suggests industrial waste, ariel views of lowlands breached and abandoned by water, and a rich primordial soup. Nothing distracts or offers comfort from the human tragedy and comedy enacted in this ritualistic drama. The only props are, fittingly, water pails which empty and fill, serving many functions. In a bold disassembling of our willing theatrical suspension of disbelief, the playwright has the actors precede almost every line by announcing their own stage direction. For example: “Oya smiles.” Though disconcerting at first, this stringent practice gradually creates its own kind of breath, as we begin to anticipate each tiny fruition of the announcement. It proves to be one of the only satisfactions we, and the characters, will be granted.

 

The complex and elegant rhythms of African-American speech, singing, and sound are beautifully rendered by a very fine team of athletic and expressive actors. There’s not a weak link in this chain: Kianne Muschett gives a nuanced and heart-rending performance as Oya, a young woman whose strong but self-contained life-force we watch drain away fruitlessly. Caught by the constraints of her people’s impoverished situation and her own griefs, she allows two men, each casting a very different spell, to pull her down into paralysis and self-destruction. Her surrounding constellation of characters, all with Yoruban names like “Elegba” and “Ogun”, spark the fire of this drama with their intensity and commitment.  

 

Though the play’s climax will seem familiar to fans of classical tragedy, young playwright Tarell McCraney has embued his story with all the elements of dramatic power and human emotion. I predict that one of his next plays will take us behind the door where two young men vanish together near the end of this work. I celebrate the fact that we have many years of his rich imagination to enjoy on stage, and I trust that soon McCraney’s vision will have outgrown its first womb-- the nurturing, intimate little Hertz-- for the full stage at the

Alliance

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In Red and Brown Water- A Must See by Shana Basnight

In Red and Brown Water, prepare to travel to the Bayou and I guarantee you will enjoy your stay there. This play will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride as you find yourself entangled in the passion, romance, and drama that characterize the fictional Louisiana town. The actors in the production are phenomenal in every way. Their is chemistry between the cast members that exudes in all of the scenes of the play. The actors take complete ownership of their role, completely embodying the persona and mannerisms of their characters. I guarantee you will fall knee-deep in love with all of the suspense, drama, and pure unadulterated emotion that comes almost effortlessly from each character as they try to make sense of the world around them.

Creativity is the other essential element to describe why this play is a success. The manner in which the characters use the props and create unique staging directions for each of the scenes is absolutely impeccable. For instance, while Oya was participating in one of her track races, the other actors moved in slow motion to allow Oya to smoothly and gracefully beat her competition. The play will captivate and mesmerize you all at once. You have to make sure that you take advantage of the unique experience to see a production that can only be found at the Alliance.

Red and Brown Water is wonderfully written, produced, and performed. It is absolutely sensational. I am eager to see other pieces by Tarell Alvin McCraney, winner of the Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition. I highly recommend this production and I hope you have a chance to see this amazing work of art before it leaves the Alliance.

In the Red and Brown Water - Maria Surprise

There are many reasons I love the Alliance Theatre – the commitment to diversity, the passion to bring new plays to Atlanta, and the exceptional talents on stage and off are just a few.  Another is the Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition. Now in its fourth year, this competition rewards the winning playwright with a professional production of his or her work.  In the Red and Brown Water, written by Tarell Alvin McCraney, had its world premiere last night on the Hertz stage, and he should be congratulated for that achievement. 

The setting is a fictional city in Louisiana during the “distant present”, a term that gave me pause.  Distant present?  Interesting…or possibly pretentious.  I was curious to see how the drama would unfold.  Based in part on the mythology of the Yoruba people of West Africa, In the Red and Brown Water revolves around Oya, a young woman faced with difficult choices as she makes her way in the world.  The gorgeous and talented cast members deliver Oya’s story through spoken word, tribal rhythms, and song.  Although there are humorous moments, a current of deep sadness runs through the play, and one of the characters arrives and departs according to the phases of the moon. 

I love that the Alliance Theatre makes this kind of play available to the Atlanta audience – Tarell Alvin McCraney is indeed a new voice and his style is like nothing I’ve ever seen on stage.  Come to see this new work if you enjoy the experience of witnessing an out of the ordinary theatrical performance.  You may love it, as many of the audience members on opening night surely did.  Or you may find yourself simply grateful for the opportunity to watch an emerging talent make his debut. 

"In the Red and Brown Water" by Wendell Barnes

The advance publicity for this show included a quote from the New York Times that said that this play offered by the playwright "Tarrell Alvin McCraney..." was "...beautiful music of a new voice...," and I couldn't agree more.  Although the "f-word" and sexual references and innuendo flew a little too fast and loose at times, especially in Act II, the overall effect of "In the Red and Brown Water" was that it was an exciting work of poetry, presented like no other theatre piece you may have seen before.  At times the cast acted as a Greek chorus, offering sounds and repetitions to emphasize McCraney's point.  Most prominent of all was the unexpected use of the actors vocalizing stage directions, and then following them with their actions.  Many times this was used for humorous effect and lightened up the mood, but oftentimes the vocalizations offered emphasis on dramatic points too. The audible clicks, sighs and gasps of air from the chorus were also often chilling underscores to the mood at the moment.  Produced on a bare painted floor stage with only a spigot on the rear wall of the theatre, Scott Zielinski's dramatic lighting effects became the set and were striking and even moving at times.  Tina Landau's direction included masterful tableaux that were often chillingly effective.  Chinai J. Hardy as Mama Moja commanded the stage from the first scene, and we only wish that her character had been able to continue throughout the length of the play when she became relegated to the background as a member of the chorus.  Kianne Muschett as Oya, the protagonist of the piece, was charming and believable in her innocence and later worldliness as she discovered her maturity, and we hope to see her grace the stage of the Alliance in future productions.  Andre Holland's transformation as Ogun from a nervous stutterer to a more sophisticated husband was moving and touching, especially when he put Rodrick Covington as Shango, the macho playboy and would-be villain of the story, in his place when Shango tried to move in on his wife.  The music of the piece even included Rodrick's actual vocal solo accompanied by piano in Act II, and it was pleasant to hear him exercise his vocal skills and the song softened up Shango to the audience somewhat.  Jon Michael Hill as Elegba was also believable as the young innocent who became more aware of his own needs as he matured.  Will Cobbs, Daniel Thomas May, Carra Peterson, Nia Whatley  and Heather Alicia Simms rounded out the rest of the supporting cast with excitement and professionalism, whether chasing, fighting or dancing.  You'll not soon forget the climactic ending scene, so get your tickets now for this exciting new work of theatre.  The sold-out opening night audience leaped to their feet at the end tonight, honoring the players for their lyrical presentation, but I was disappointed that Mr. McCraney did not take the stage for the final bow on this exciting Atlanta premiere of his beautiful new voice.

Hertz Stage -- Winner! 2007 Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition

Our five Alliance Theatre Reviewers will see In the Red and Brown Water on Wednesday, February 6, 2008.  Come back to see what they have to say about this World Premiere play.