In the Red and Brown Water

On Monday November 12th I went to the Playhouse Theatre and saw the play In the Red and Brown Water.  Some of the main characters were: Shango played by Brandon Carter, Oya played by Dre Parker, Momma Moja played by Aquila Franklin and finally Ogun played by Phil Young. The play was about an African American girl named Oya who lived in the projects of Louisiana.

Oya was given an oppurtunity to run track for college, but her mother Momma Moja was very ill so Oya told the scout she would like to wait a year. Soon after Momma Moja passes away which is very hard for Oya to deal with. She is caught in the crossroads between two lovers, Shango and Ogun. Each man is very different and provide Oya with different things. The scout comes back a year later and is sorry to inform her that they do not have a spot for her on the team. Feeling she has nothing left for her all Oya wants is to have a family of her own. Ogun promises her this dream, but cannot emotionally fulfill her like Shango. When Shango comes back from the war Oya hopes he can help her start a family but he has done that with another girl, which casues an emotional breakdown within and her demise.

I thought the most important thing about the story for the Oya was being able to have a family of her own which she was not able to achieve. I was compelled the most by the character of Oya. Oya had many rejections she had to face such as losing a mother, scholarship and the starting of a family. Unfortunately, she was not able to deal with them in a constructive way. Seeing Oya being so emotionally distraught that she cut off her ear for a lover reminded me of  Vincent Van Gogh.

This was not my first time seeing a live performance in a theatre so I enjoyed the idea of watching a play. I thought the director did a good job using his artistic license throughout the play. Also, I enjoyed the choreography done in the play. For a college performance I thought it was very well done.