Avery Bateman; photographer – Jonathan Sharpe

4 Questions for Chad Henderson, director of In the Red and Brown Water, opening on Friday January 23rd at Trustus Theatre

1) First thing’s first: What is In the Red and Brown Water about?

This show is about transition, becoming an adult, the battle between dreams and settling, and the lives and culture of Americans who are living day to day in an underprivileged situation. Set in the “distant present” of the fictional projects of San Pere, LA – audiences are introduced to the fast and spirited Oya, a young woman who has the world in front of her. A determined and talented track-runner, Oya is offered a collegiate scholarship. Forced to choose between her dying mother and her own dreams, she makes a life-altering decision. Her subsequent journey to womanhood leads her down a path in which she is constantly torn between settling down … and simply settling. As many people in her community keep standing in her way, we’re driven to the climax of the piece when we learn what Oya is willing to do to finally make her mark in the world.

2) In the Red and Brown Water is being promoted by Trustus as a unique evening in the theatre, a “one-of-a-kind” event. What will this play bring to Columbia audiences?

The strength of this show lies in the distinct characteristics of the playwright’s voice. Tarell Alvin McCraney is a bright young writer who has taken the nation by storm, being called a theatre prodigy and one of the freshest voices in American playwriting. His scripts are incredibly layered to create depth. In the Red and Brown Water is the first in his trilogy called The Brother/Sister Plays (which Trustus plans to produce over the next three seasons), and all of these scripts call on the cast and creative team to create a dream-like production where poetry, language, music, and movement combine to tell the stories of these characters who are derived from the Yoruba cosmology – and in these stories these Orishas have been turned into real humans that walk, talk, and live in modern America. There is something delightfully modern about these stories, while also maintaining a sense of timelessness that makes them engaging to the theatre-goer seeking an artistic evening in contrast to pure entertainment. That’s why it’s important for Trustus to produce these shows. They are the work of one of the nation’s most up-and-coming playwrights, and he’s structured these stories in a way that can only be found in the pages of these scripts. As the artistic goals of Trustus progress in the coming years, the theatre hopes that they can create and nurture works that are adventurous and individual while also creating new audiences that seek work of the same distinction.

3) What will be the audiences’ experience if they attend In the Red and Brown Water?

My hope is that audiences will have a rich and continued experience with this show long after they’ve left the theatre. I could imagine patrons who see the show talking about the production and the script for quite a while on the road home or at the bar afterwards.

When I saw the Steppenwolf production in 2010 in Chicago I was speechless for hours after the show (granted I was taking a long train ride back to where I was staying and was by myself). I knew from the moment the cast came out and started singing and the actors began the show by directing the dialogue at the audience that I was in for a treat. As the show progressed I began to see that the playwright was including the audience in the production by using unique means. All of the actors narrate their stage directions, and they create music and movement throughout the evening. I just hadn’t seen anything like it before.

Then there were the character names: Oya, Ogun, Shun, Elegba, etc. Following the performance, a quick glance at the program and an internet search brought to light the fact that these characters were derived from the Yoruba cosmology. Which just added more depth.

Then, when you take into account the fact that McCraney’s third show in the trilogy takes place in Late August in San Pere, Louisiana (a fictional setting) and that a devastating storm is approaching, one can’t help but see the echoes of Hurricane Katrina in these pieces. Perhaps Oya, the character in focus in In the Red and Brown Water, is responsible in some way for the storm? As a Yoruba Orisha, Oya is god of the winds, cyclones, and hurricanes. In the show, Oya is dealt many challenging hands and her circumstances start controlling her more than her will. Could all of these hardships drive her to conjure the storm that is still affecting the lives of Americans today?

As you can probably see from my long-winded response, there’s quite a bit that makes this piece intricate and appealing for audiences. In the end, we endeavor to tell an engaging story in a creative way that Columbia audiences haven’t seen before.

4) How has this piece made an impact on you as a theatre artist?

When I saw the production performed previously, it had a major impact on me. I realized the power of involving the audience in the creative process. I leaned forward the entire production – my head swimming in the world of the play on stage and the elements that I was able to create as an audience member. The language of the piece does a brilliant job of engaging an audience member’s imagination – that sweet place of creativity that fourth-wall realism doesn’t fully engage.

Don’t get me wrong – I have a lot of love and appreciation for theatrical realism. Some of the best theatre I’ve seen in town or abroad have been created in this form. It takes efforts to make your willing-suspension-of-disbelief an easy adjustment – making you a fly on the wall. However, shows like In the Red and Brown Water ask you to suspend your belief in reality, and instead implore you to become part of the creative process and believe in your own imagination. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the kind of theatre I wanted to create and be a part of. It’s truly an honor and a challenge to direct this piece that zapped my brain with electricity, and I’m certainly thankful that there are two other shows in this trilogy to produce for Columbia audiences after we’ve closed this production. Hopefully this production will incite some creative energy in our audiences and leave them wanting more.