What I liked
I love Perry’s statement, “All big social issues are told through a personal story, I wanted to challenge myself to hold myself accountable onstage and hope audiences will do the same.” and this show succeeds in doing so. The action takes place during the pandemic, as she reminisces on her parents who had been cheering on Barack Obama before his election and is currently seeing the effects of the Black Lives Matter protests nationwide. On stage she is seated at a desk with boxes of pages behind her, a laptop which projects her research onto the backdrop, and a personal assistant who helps with organization.
What I didn't like
I did come in a few minutes late, so I must have missed the introduction. I was a bit confused as to if this show is a work in progress, as she sat on stage with a script, but then realized how that is a piece of the production itself. With others on stage with her, musicians and the assistant, I wondered why she chose not to interact with them as much.
My overall impression
This Is Water is award winning musician Rain Perry’s retelling of her history growing up in California as a white woman and being aware of the effects of segregation laws. The plot follows as she sits down to write her album and shuffles through her own lineage, creating and performing songs that convey her feelings to match the timeline. This show is highly relevant for our time, with racial injustices being enforced as we speak, and Perry’s experience will resonate with a large audience. This Is Water opens up a conversation we need to have.
