In the production of “In the Red and Brown Water,” the main
character Oya is a runner who wins a scholarship, although she lives in an
impoverished area. Upon deciding on whether to take the scholarship or not,
Oya’s mother, Mama Moja, dies and leaves Oya without motivation and passion to
continue running. Oya resorts to a corruptive and lustful relationship with
Shango, and a more complicated relationship with Ogun, a sensitive man with a
stutter. These relationships put a halt on her plans to run, and as time goes
on she learns that there is no longer a spot on the team for her, and she will
not receive a second chance.
What struck me the most about the story was that through
tragedy, Oya had to choose to stay on a path for her future, or sulk in her sorrows.
Staying home and forming these weak relationships and staying with her family
rather than pursuing her dreams, leaves her in the dust and prevents her from
getting the scholarship to run. Oya’s misfortune ultimately leaves her with a
lost spirit.
I think I was most compelled by Oya’s performance. She had
so much life in her performance, whether it was her fluid body movements, or
her passionate monologues. When her mother dies, you really get a feel of her
sorrow as well as anger, and how these emotions influence her decisions in the
rest of the play. Although her mother never supported a relationship with the
Shango, who is seen as scum by the family, Oya pursues a relationship with him
in result to her mourning over her mother. She gave up her dreams of being a
running star because of her sadness, and her performance of relaying these
emotions were compelling.
Although I felt as though every cast member performed with
high energy and passion, and clearly possessed a lot of talent, many parts of
the show left me with confusion. I was very confused throughout the play of
where they came from, based on the way that they were dressed. If I took a
guess it seemed like they lived somewhere in Africa, with the various African
dances, costumes and names, but I do not think that was the case at all. There
were many spiritual references and monologues that confused me, and seemed to
not flow with the overall story of Oya’s running. Also, I have never seen a
performance that was so close to the stage. I feel that is more effective to be
able to see the whole length of the stage, and not be so up close to the
performers.
This was not the first live theatrical performance that I
have seen. I grew up doing a lot of theater, so I have seen numerous
performances, whether they were on-Broadway, off-Broadway, or high school
performances. I was thoroughly impressed with the amount of talent that the
Penn State students possessed. Although I did not connect well with the story,
the cast had strong singing, dancing and acting skills. Many of the characters
conformed into their characters very well, which made the play very
entertaining to watch. Whether is was Elegba’s humor, or Shango’s arrogance, or
Oya’s passion, the characterization was spot on.
