In the Red and Brown Water

Playwright

Tarell Alvin McCraney

Director

Caroline Clay

Stage Manager

Savanha Moore

Category

Mainstage

First Read Through

February 26

First Rehearsal

March 4

Load In/Tech /Dress

April 5-11

Performances

April 12-14 & 17-20

Roles to be cast

Age (Presentation)

Gender (Presentation)

Description

Oya

Female

Begins the play a girl and ends it a woman; a woman of color

Elegba

Male

Begins the play a boy and ends it a man, a godbrother to Oya; of Creole heritage

Ogun Size

Male

With Oya for a time, nephew of Aunt Elegua; a man of color

Mama Moja, The Women Who Reminds You

Female

Mother of Oya, godmother to Elegba, a mother of color

Aunt Elegua

Female

Aunt to Ogun, godmother to Oya; a woman of color

Nia

Female

Girl from around the way

Shun

Female

Girl from around the way, friend to Nia; a fair woman of color

Shango

Male

With Oya for a time; a dark man of color

The Man from State, O Li Roon

Male

A white man

Egungun

Male

A DJ, a boy from around the way

Synopsis

In The Red and Brown Water follows a young runner named Oya as she navigates growing up, grief, love, expectations, and loss. Oya begins the plays as a track star destined for greatness. When she realizes that her mother is sick and dying, Oya gives up a college scholarship to become her mother’s caretaker. When her mother dies, leaving her alone in her hometown of San Pere, Louisiana, Oya leaves behind her identity as a runner and becomes the lover of a local man named Ogun, who has loved Oya for a long time. They begin to make a life together, embracing the community's expectation of settling down, but Oya is constantly being pulled to another man named Shango, who is a much more charming ‘bad boy type’. Shango leaves for war but comes back into town and drives a wedge into Oya’s life with Ogun. Oya, meanwhile, realizes that she can’t have children, and is sent into an emotional spiral, eventually leading her to push Ogun away. When she finds out that a local girl is pregnant with Shango’s child, Oya snaps and makes a decision that labels her as crazy to the rest of the community.

Notices

This production will include dance; we will be having a dance call as a part of our callback process.
We will be having rehearsal on March 9th. This is the Saturday leading into Spring Back.
Throughout this show you will notice that there is spoken stage directions. No italicized directions/descriptions are spoken. However, anything within the content of a character's lines is all spoken.
There is an implication that Oya cuts off her ear offstage and will return onstage holding it in their hand at the end of the show.

Intimacy Choreography Breakdown

Script Specific:

Page	Stage Directions/Planned Action	Characters	Notes
18 - 19	Conversations are had around Oya getting her period onstage during a scene. Ogun Size: “That beautiful smile.” Shango: “But she was bleeding.” Elegba: “Everyone saw it.” Ogun Size: “How could they not” Oya: Oh I… (The men all step towards Oya. The women block them out.) Oya: I… I just… Shun: “Didn’t you know it was coming? Oya: “Well I … I mean… ‘cause of the running … it gets off and … Shun: “Huh.” Nia: “She didn’t know.” Aunt Elegua: “Oya…” Shun: “Stupid girl.”	Oya, Egungun, O Li Roon, Shango, Ogun Size, Nia, Shun, Aunt Elegua, Elegba
21	Shango to Oya: “You looked so good out there, girl. So good, Running Yeah you was. Til you started bleeding but still… You know you can’t help that. Nah. But still damn. He adjust his dick. He puts his leg up. He licks his lips. I rarely look at dark girls like that, But you black and phyne. So I couldn’t help it.”	Shango, Oya	Prior to their consensual relationship
29	Shango to Oya: People fit together different. I fit with you different than I fit with other people I got something drawing to you and I feel you drawing to me. Shango curls his fingers around Oya’s ear and Caresses the soft.	Shango, Oya	Prior to their consensual relationship
46	Shango curls his fingers around Oya’s ear and Caresses the soft.	Shango, Oya	Post their consensual relationship
51	Ogun Size to Oya: So sweet but you can’t taste your sugar. Ogun kiss. I gotta go, gotta go Ogun kiss. See you later. Ogun kiss. Bye, baby. Kiss.	Ogun Size, Oya	Consensual
56	Shango to Oya: Shango curls his fingers….He Caresses… You still slim and ripe… How somebody ain’t put A baby inside you yet is beyond me.	Shango, Oya	Consensual; While Oya is with Ogun Size
61	Shango: He smiles. Oya: She smiles… Shango and Oya: They … Shango: Shango curls…He Caresses…	Shango, Oya	Consensual; While Oya is with Ogun Size
68	Elegba: Legba stands back and pulls down his pants… Oya: What you doin? Elegba: Legba proudly shows Oya his right thigh. Same mark. The ones like nobody ever seen Right here on me and my baby.	Elegba, Oya	Consensual
69	Oya to Shango: Oya curls her fingers behind her ears…she Caresses the soft.	Shango, Oya	Consensual; While Oya is with Ogun Size
75	Egungun: Eh my man ‘Legba! Elegba: They pull close Egungun: Too close to be just friends Both: Just Friends	Egungun, Elegba

Important Dates/Holidays3/8 Maha Shivaratri, 3/10 Daylight Savings Begins, 3/10-3/17 Spring Break, 3/10-4/9 Ramadan*, 3/17 St. Patrick's Day, 3/18 Beginning of Lent (Orthodox), 3/19 Equinox (Mabon/Ostata), 3/24 Purim*, 3/24 Palm Sunday, 3/25 Holi Phagwa*, 3/25 Lailat al Bara*, 3/27 Nuzul Quran*, 3/29 Good Friday, 3/31 Easter, 4/4 Qing Ming Jie, 4/6 Laylat al-Qadr*, 4/9 Ougadi/Ugaadi, 4/10 Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)*, 4/17 Ram Navami

TIME	FOR	WHO	LOCATION
10:00 AM	OYA	Dajzané Meadows-Sanderlin, Asha Keller, E’mma Camara	TB 166
	MAMA MOJA	Asha Keller, Cianon Jones, Olivia Foster
	OGUN SIZE	Michael Taylor, Isaac Addai
	SHANGO	Monte J. Howell, Michael Taylor
	AUNT ELEGUA	Asha Keller, Cianon Jones, Dajzané Meadows-Sanderlin, Olivia Foster
	LIL’ LEGBA	Andrew Lindsey, Kylen Phillip
	EGUN-GUN	Isaac Addai, Kylen Phillips, Monte J Howell
1:00 PM	O LI ROOM	Jasper Rood, Lindsey Wildman, Katie Gucik
1:00 PM	NIA/SHUN	E’mma Camara, Delaney Waterman, Niyati Deshpande, Laura Zeng
2:00 PM	MEAL BREAK
3:30 PM	DANCE CALL	E’mma Camara, Dajzané Meadows-Sanderlin, Asha Keller, Cianon Jones, E’mma Camara, Delaney Waterman, Niyati Deshpande, Laura Zeng, Andrew Lindsey, Kylen Phillip, Isaac Addai, Monte J Howell, Olivia Foster	TB 172
5:30 PM	TBD; Will be posted after the 1st session on Sunday	TBD	TB 172
7:30 PM	End of Day

NOTICES:

Please show up 15 mins prior to your callback time to check in at the table outside of the audition room.
For those attending the dance callback, there is a video from our choreographer posted with the callback list on the website. Please take a look at the moment and familiarize yourself with it before the dance call tomorrow. If you have a flowy skirt please bring it but if not please do not worry.
For those being called back for Mama Moja please take a listen to the song Down By The Riverside it is also listed on the callback site.
For those being called back for Lil’ Legba please bring in 16 bars of a lullaby which will be sung acappella.
If you are unable to attend the callback please reach out to Savanha Moore at savanha-moore@uiowa.edu to inform them. Thank you!

Dance Call Video: https://youtu.be/_NfgR_DoNI8?si=2rKe_jJJ14V4xscY

Down By The Riverside: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ih3kVkk5_Q

Thank you to all who auditioned! Below you’ll find the cast list for

In The Red and Brown Water.

OYA

DAJZANÉ MEADOWS-SANDERLIN

ELEGBA

KYLEN PHILLIPS

OGUN SIZE

ISAAC ADDAI

MAMA MOJA/WOMEN WHO REMINDS YOU

CIANON JONES

AUNT ELEGUA

ASHA KELLER

NIA

DELANEY WATERMAN

SHUN

E’MMA CAMARA

SHANGO

MICHAEL TAYLOR

THE MAN FROM STATE/O LI ROON

JASPER ROOD

EGUNGUN

PATRICK ADU

ENSEMBLE MEMBER/DANCE CAPTAIN

GARIN CLINTON-NELSON

Please email Savanha Moore (savanha-moore@uiowa.edu) to accept or decline the role by noon on Monday November 27th. Our first rehearsal is schedule for Monday March 4th @ 8pm. If you have any questions, please let Sav know! Thank you!

Questions or concerns?

Sav Moore, Stage Manager: savanha-moore@uiowa.edu

Emma Merkes, Assistant Stage Manager: emma-merkes@uiowa.edu

In the Red and Brown Water

Show Info

Callback List

Cast List

Contact