No Real Heroes

Thirst – Strawdog Theatre

In a bleak, dystopian world, not too far in the distant future, another civil war has ravaged America and taken its toll in many ways. Bombs have fallen, many lives have been lost, natural resources are at a premium and former relationships have been destroyed while new families have been forged. Water is particularly scarce, and an African-American warlord named Terrance, who has taken the moniker of the King and the Water Man, controls the nation with an iron hand. 

Terrance was once married to a lovely, young woman named Samira. However, after the war shattered their existence, including taking the lives of their baby girls, she left her domineering, power-hungry husband. Now, despite his position and power, Terrance is obsessed with getting Samira to come back again. Living in the woods with Greta, a strong, white woman with whom Samira has rediscovered love, the two survivors have formed a strong symbiotic relationship. Greta and Samira became a family after they rescued a precocious, young boy named Kalil, whose birth parents sadly perished during the war. The three of them get by, with Greta working construction jobs, in exchange for food; Samira cooking and taking care of their woodland hovel; and young Kalil collecting their allotment of rationed water each day at the well, while also helping his two moms around the house. But tensions are mounting on all fronts.

C.A. Johnson’s 95-minute one-act doesn’t create a whole lot of dramatic tension. Part of the problem comes from the production’s slow pace. Artistic Director Leda Hoffman calls Ms. Johnson’s play “both intimate and epic;” however, presently, the production feels too relaxed and a little sluggish. Guest director Andrea J. Dymond, who specializes in guiding new works, has fostered the intimate portion of this story through a slow, steady tempo. The problem is that the pacing doesn’t provide the tension necessary to keep the audience fully invested in the story. Perhaps the opening night sizzled with a little more excitement and urgency, but halfway through the run of this production it feels tired.

The cast is uniformly pretty good, with Johnard Washington the production’s standout as Bankhead, Terrance’s sensible, more empathetic brother. He’s closely matched by Laura Resinger, as Greta, the more dynamic partner of the woodland household. Later in the story Tracie Taylor has some strong moments as Samira, particularly in the scene where she finally confronts her former husband; and, as Coolie, Tamarus Harvell is an intense, homophobic, radical extremist who shows promise. Young Saniyah As-Salaam is a sweet, caring young Kalil, with whom the audience identifies; and, as Terrance, handsome Gregory J. Fields is simply a frustrated, confused, power-hungry despot.

Since the 2016 election, dystopian dramas have become more popular than ever. One only needs to observe such classics of the genre, such as A Clockwork Orange, The Giver, The Hunger Games and The Handmaid’s Tale, as evidence. Many Americans fear thedirection this administration is steering our country and these horrific tales seem to be more realistic than ever. We harken back to Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orwell’s classic, 1984, to find the impetus for stories about a government that’s overstepped its boundaries. C.A. Johnson’s one-act offers some of the gravity and tenderness found in Orwell’s novel, and it gives audiences much to think about. The play has no real heroes, although the little family in the forest offers some hope. Young Kalil’s calm insightfulness and acceptance of the tragedies around him anchors this production. The thirst in this play not only refers to water but for a return to civilization and humanity. However, as it now plays, there’s just not enough dramatic tension to fully hold a theatergoer’s interest for over an hour-and-a-half.

Somewhat Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas     

Presented January 9-February 15 by Strawdog Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice, Chicago.

Tickets are available at the door, by calling 773-644-1380 or by going to www.strawdog.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.