This is Water

What I liked

I learned so much in this show, and I thought I already knew some of this history! I had no clue that the Statue of Liberty was actually meant to honor Emancipation but then it shifted away from that. I also liked the use of archival images, very impactful.

What I didn't like

I would have liked more songs! As I watched I got the sense that there was more music and I learned later that there is a whole album.

Related note – right now the show is a hybrid format and I wonder how the show would benefit from either more music or more focus on the creation of the music. The comedic timing between the assistant and Rain worked (I and the crowd laughed out loud multiple times) and at the same time, I wondered why the assistant was there as there wasn’t much interaction between the two.

And the “we’re all swimming in this water” (to paraphrase) metaphor is so so powerful, I wish that came up earlier/often and not saved for the end. Perhaps a re-staging the show “in water” or coming up with another way to really drive this point home?

The show right now is trying to accomplish a (VERY worthwhile!) Herculan task – educating, telling a country/state/personal story, showing images, sharing music, and grounding the audience in it all. This makes me wonder if characters should be added to future performances (the grandfather, the grandmother, the father, the mother, etc – maybe through voiceover as I know a larger cast has its own perils). I suggest this because all of this is a lot for one person (and an assistant) to sort through. And I know that is a part of the story, that it is a lot to sort through and this problem is bigger than all of us, but I wonder if there is another way to communicate this.

There is so much in “This is Water” that is good and true and necessary, this show could easily tour across different racial justice/repair organizations – both in the state, country, and abroad. I really hope to see how this show continues to evolve!

My overall impression

Rain takes on the worthwile Herculan task of entertaining, engaging, and educating the audience on national, state, and personal history.