In the Red and Brown Water

          

         " Oya, Oya in the air," repeated in one of the first scenes of the play as Oya ( the main character) dreamed and her peer characters Mama Moja, Aunt Elegua, Nia and Shun stood above her illuminated in light and warned the audience of her tale. Oya a teenager from the Louisiana Bayou, fanscinated with running and full of life seemed to have everything going for her. Recruited by a coach with the possibility to go to college at a state university with a full ride. Oya loved by many of her fellow towns people took the fancy of multiple boys. Shango, a cool suave man who never wanted to commit unless it was absolutely the only solution. Ogun, a responsible yet "safe" man in Oya's eyes who at the beginning of the play struggles to conquer a stutter. And Elegba, and young niave boy who acts like a younger brother to Oya.

       Oya's character loves to run, she is always running she is always beat the other girls and held her spot when put agains the boys. No one would stop her from running. "A man from state" also known as what we call today a scout came and offered her a position on the track team at his college for the upcoming fall semester. She refused in fear that her mother might die while she was away at college, Oya knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself if something happened to her mother while she was away. Oya full of hope told the scout that she would get stronger and faster and keep running in hopes of trying again the next year. The scout warned that there may not be a spot, Oya as always was still hopeful.

       As the year went on Oya's mother passed away. As everyone visits Oya on her front porch ( a setting so commonly used throughout the play) Oya sulked for a few moments and then remolded into her rightful position as other towns peoples rock. Elegba visits her, instead of offering consolment he begs and pesters for her to offer some to him. At this point, when Oya was at her low in life Shango enters her mind. Shango came to visit her holding her in complete respect due to the death of her mother. This scene marked the beginning of their fatal relationship. Becoming one of a series of "suave" and charming porch visits he would have with her throughout the play, of course until her started staying with her and their relationship progressed. One day Shongo appears infront of the very porch Oya always sits on dressed in an army uniform. He was deployed.

       As time passed again and no word or visit from Shongo happened Oya was visited on the porch by Ogun. A man highly respectable, a man who had an ordinary life and a man who has loved her since he saw her. He begged and pleaded for her to let him take care of her. He promised her a family. As time slowly dragged on Oya found herself more and more unhappy with her safe Ogun choice. She thought the relationship lacked the spark she had with Shong, it did. Slowly but surely Oya pushed Ogun away, as girls in the town got pregnant and started raising a family of their own Oya sank into a deep depression.

        One day a girl named Shun from the town accompanied by her friend Nia approached Oya and told her she was carrying Shongo's baby. At  this moment Oya realized she would never have a family no matter how much she begged and needed one. She would not find the happiness others had. The man from state returned again to tell Oya that there was no place for her. Shongo returns from war again stands outside Oya's porch while she gets his present inside the house. She cut of her ear. The ear he always caressed, the ear the represented their love. He left her bleeding on the ground  near her porch, alone.


         Oya spent her life living for other people. She at first rejected the man from state to live with her mom and see her everyday until her end. When she should have gone and become the track star she had the potential to be. Then she waited on her porch for Shongo. Night after night when her body and who she was with in her life has moved on and changed. The most important thing I took from this play is dont get stuck. Whether it means physically stuck or mentally stuck just dont allow yourself to feel this way. Live your life for you, live your life the way you want go where you want because if you get stuck everyone else will move on without you and you'll be alone. When you put your goals on the backburner you wont be able to turn around and heat them up again.

       

          This performance of In the Red and Brown Water is not only an intriguing unique story but also held some unique and talented preformers. One aspect of this preformance that I relly loved was the singing. Not just the casts and ensembles regurgitation of the music written in the original score but the way they brought it to life. The beginning dream like scene enhansed by the chorus humming together tunes that would soon be reflected by main songs throughout the play. One of my favorite sceens being the church seen not only did the actor Phil Young, playing Ogun give an impressive onstage preformance of his gospel capabilities he somehow captured my attention and encouraged my to clap along him and his cast members. And I did, which is an impressive feet to begin with. The acting in this play was also very intriguing we didn't see actors simply acting the story out on stage.

         However one thing continued to bother me throughout the play. The setting. Yes I knew the play was to take place in Louisiana current day everytime I looked at the stage it did not evoke that to me. With this undefined, frustrating issue I had with setting I also found the costumes to cause the same type of confusion. Yes I knew that it was hot out. But why were some of the characters not wearing shirts and just wear strips of cloth overthemselves? I at some moments found myself confused as too why Elegba would momentarily be wearing a modern hat or or why Shongo was wearing a military uniform. The setting and the costumes I felt needed work. But overall did not impact my over all satisfaction with the performance and story line of the play.
   
         I have been involved in many different theater productions myself. Both being in a show, on a tech crew, being producer, and even in a pitt orchestra. I know that these types of performances take A LOT of work and time out of the participants. To get a show to that level of performance perfection and complicated choreography I expect it took too many hours too count. Overall I thought it was a very nice show. It made me think, it was different and it was thoughtful every step of the way. Sure I would need to see it a second time to make more sense of some areas of the play. But who knows maybe I just might! :D


      

* Photos of Penn State Univeristy Production of In the Red and Brown Water
All photos recieved from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pennstatelive