Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow
“That whole race thing? Long time comin’,” says Louisa, a retired black schoolteacher reflecting on the Michael Brown shooting, August 2014, Ferguson, Missouri. Darren Wilson, a white police officer, fatally shot Brown while in pursuit.
And “that whole race thing” ignited into protests and riots nationwide which still reverberate today as witnessed in the powerful, challenging one-woman show, Until the Flood. Written and performed by Dael Orlandersmith, Until the Flood is based on hundreds of interviews Orlandersmith conducted in the aftermath of the shooting. Playing eight characters in 65 minutes, we see how the shooting becomes the spark for the larger issues of race and bigotry in America, past and present, as seen through the eyes of young and old, black and white.
Directed by Neel Keller, Orlandersmith accomplishes much in a minimal setting—some chairs—and a few items to indicate a different character—a shawl, a cap. As the 17-year-old Hassan, she moves and struts like a brash teenager, cocky and defiant, but deep down just wanting stability and love in a chaotic world. As Paul, a gentle teen who wants out of the projects, we see the innate sensitivity of this young man who wants to move on in the world, but is trapped for the time being. Will either survive?
Orlandersmith is fierce and determined in her no-holds-barred performance and writing, and we need little convincing of how passionate she is about her work. This is a performer who truly believes in every single word she utters, even while portraying the white male racist characters, no easy feat but one which she delineates with care and dexterity, maintaining a delicate balance, making them even more than stereotypical caricatures.
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Until the Flood is also a stark reminder for own city, with the fatal shooting of Dontre Hamilton in Red Arrow Park, on April 30, 2014, just months before the Michael Brown shooting. And there’ve been countless others since that time. But there is no easy safe conclusion to Until the Flood. Just more thought provoking questions to ask ourselves—and hopefully discuss with others—about “that whole race thing.”
Through April 22 in the Stiemke Studio, 108 E. Wells St. For tickets call 414-224-9490 or visit: www.MilwaukeeRep.com
