In the depths of COVID parenting, a new play emerges about Water, joy, and transitions for young children and their grown-ups.
In partnership with The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Hiawatha Project presents a world premiere immersive “water-table-play” Buoyant Sea as part of the EQT International Children’s Theater Festival May 19-21 alongside works from Australia, Japan, Madagascar, and more!
During the thick COVID lockdowns, as theater playwright, director, and mom, Anya Martin woke to another day of remote schooling. She came to grips with yet another show cancellation for her company, Hiawatha Project, and she started to think about containment and change. “Here we all are feeling so stuck – in our homes, in our containers with each day feeling the same, and yet at the same time, everything seemed to be changing as well – our states of being – with shifting relationships, emotions, and perspectives.” This led Martin to explore Water as an immersive storytelling medium in the company’s upcoming “water-table-play” for young children, Buoyant Sea.
In Buoyant Sea, children and their grown-ups sing and splash together as they adventure down misty rivers and explore a frozen lake in a world-premiere new work. In one of the play’s opening moments, the ever-exuberant character of MC takes a big gulp of Water and exclaims, “Water takes the shape of its container! Wait. Wait…am I…the container now? I AM the container…!!! I AM A BODY OF WATER…!”
While the show is bubbling with joy and fun, it was created during an admittedly difficult time for Martin and her Hiawatha creative partner and fellow mom friend, Heather Irwin. They began developing the piece in July 2020 out of the need for a creative outlet during the particularly exhausting challenges of pandemic parenting.
“The incredible toll that the pandemic and subsequent early lockdowns took on parents and caregivers is well documented. And very real. And very painful.” says Irwin, mentioning a recent report by Psychology Today in 2021 in which the CDC researchers found that “70% of adults serving as caregivers (either as parents or caring for other adults) reported adverse symptoms related to mental health during the pandemic.”
“This play is as much for the caregivers and parents as it is for the kids. It’s about moving through transitions by connecting with those that we love,” says Irwin. The comically practical but wise character of CC often quotes great philosophers in the show, such as Rumi, Davinci, and even Heraclitus, as characters struggle to make sense of their changing world, lines that will surely resonate with parents.
The show was written by Anya Martin with original music and lyrics by Monica Stephenson, the core creative team that created Hiawatha’s wildly successful My Traveling Song in 2019. Song was initially scheduled to be remounted with Pittsburgh Cultural Trust in 2020, with plans for festival touring. However, after three postponements due to COVID, the show was eventually canceled.
Much of the company’s research and experience in creating works for very young children is infused into the Buoyant Sea, including how children interact with tactile environments, music, and natural elements to interpret the world around them. Richard Louv’s book, “The Last Child in the Woods,” and the Orff Approach to music education, emphasizing “experience first, then intellectualize,” were also influential.
“The singing and music have been thoughtfully crafted to be easily sung by young children and their parents. There are a lot of layered meanings and metaphors behind the seemingly simple lyrics, however, for the most part the music is meant to be accessible. Accessible and yet deeply felt. And fun! It’s been such a fun show to work on!” says Buoyant Sea composer Stephenson.
Martin is also very excited about the show’s design, which will include many surprises for kids and adults. “The design team on this work is top-notch, and we can’t wait to welcome families along with us on what I call a “symbiotic immersive experience” for young children and the grown ups who love them,” says Martin.
Buoyant Sea has performances on May 19-21, 2023, at the Pierce Studio Theatre in the Cultural Trust Education Center in Pittsburgh. For tickets and information on other EQT Childern’s Festival events visit: https://ctf.trustarts.org/events
Learn more about Hiawatha Project at www.hiawathaproject.org
Categories: Show Previews
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