Thematically, Fresh Water reads like a story to which most Trinis can relate, hinging on two pairs of couples who vie for attention during the play's progression. Simone (played by Mandisa Granderson) is a modestly successful, Boston-based singer who returns to Trinidad, dodging the clutches of her manager-boyfriend combo, when her husband George (Nickolai Salcedo) is released from a five-year stint in prison. Whether or not George committed the crime for which he was jailed hangs heavy between the long-estranged pair.
Simone and George take refuge at their mutual friend Leslie's "Hawk-and-Spit" bar. Leslie (Netfa Haynes), a veteran lover of women, is stymied by the on-again, off-again presence of Joanna in her life and her bed. Joanna, for her part, has more than a few secrets tucked away in her university satchel, ones she's sure could mash up her relationship with the suave bar owner.
The play, written by Louris Martin Lee-Sing and directed by Timmia Hearn Feldman, was performed as a staged reading on December 2 at the Trinidad Theatre Workshop on Jerningham Avenue, Belmont.
Fresh Water, a working title, marked the first of the Workshop's new Studio Production series. The series seeks to highlight the TTW's commitment to developing plays in progress, by evaluating their strengths and weaknesses through primary readings that are open to the public. Lee-Sing and Feldman plan to present a full, cabaret-style production of Fresh Water in February, following Carnival, at Walker (formerly Sky Bar) on Ariapita Avenue, Woodbrook.
As its writer and director reiterated, Fresh Water is a work in progress. As such, it understandably contained hiccups, but owned up admirably to them. The stage was set for minimalism: the panelled wood floors were unadorned, and dim lighting mostly obscured the semi-circle of five podiums bearing scripts, behind which the cast members sat. When their parts in the play cropped up, the players emerged from their passive positions and took to the stage. They embodied their characters once there, casually flipping script pages as they delivered their lines.
More than one delivery was fumbled, and the fourth wall was broken occasionally-if, in fact, pains were taken to erect it. One of the principal characters sported a dangling set of car keys from his belt throughout the entire reading, when presumably the character he represented on-stage was leagues off from vehicle-ownership.
Even while the car keys frequently glinted in the theatre light, it was worth remembering that this process, of viewing and hearing a developing play, excused those slips that would be serious gaffes in a full production. The minor blunders were more endearing than irritating.
It's well worth the price of admission when one considers that this play was backed by bite. It brought to light questions that are more often than not swept beneath the rug in T&T culture, or else considered the sole province of politicians and activists. The relationship between Leslie and Joanna was bravely, intimately explored, with both women portrayed not as stock figures in some same-sex farce, but as living, breathing people trying to navigate the rough seas of
romance: indeed, of life itself.
Fresh Water is both externally and internally symbolic of journeys. The play itself, Lee Sing commented in a post-performance discussion, was started in 2008 and has lived several lives since then. In 2009, it was staged as a romantic comedy at the Brown Cotton Tent Theatre. The current version of the play, while retaining several humorous elements, strikes more sombre chords.
George was skilfully and sympathetically portrayed by Nickolai Salcedo, who leads the local fusion band Gyazette. He shone as the character whose life had most been written and underscored by changes, very few of them pretty. Salcedo's acting alone could be considered bang for your buck: he held up the multifaceted psyche of George, highlighting his angst, his rage, his weed-fuelled merriment, all in spectacular turn. Bolstered by other performances ranging from middling to marvellous, Salcedo's George stole the scene every time he sauntered or skulked into it.
An utterly credible script with great heart and immense likeability, Fresh Water brands itself as unmissable, even on the basis of a low-key script reading. One can only imagine how compelling the full, post-Carnival, cabaret launch will be.
Shivanee Ramlochan reviews the Trinidad Theatre Workshop's staged reading of Louris Martin Lee-Sing's Fresh Water
More staged Readings
Trinidad Theatre Workshop continues its series of Studio Theatre Productions at 5.30 pm today at Jerningham Avenue, Belmont, with a staged reading of Raymond Ramcharitar's Paradiso. The reading is directed by Timmia Hearn Feldman, and features Maurice Brash, Cecilia Salazar, Michael Cherrie, Wayne Lee-Sing and Tafar Lewis. • Tickets and info: 624-8502 or trinidadtheatre@gmail.com.