In the Red and Brown Water

The story starts off with Oya, who is the main character of the story, going to run a race at her high school.  Of course she came out victorious, and because of her amazing running abilities, a man from states approaches her and asks her to run for his team.  But unfortunately even though she wanted to accept this man’s offer her mother was fatally ill, and she decided to wait one year so that she could be with her mother when she passed.  Unfortunately for her after that year the position on the man’s team filled up and she was unable to join the team anymore.  Feeling defeated she decides to try and make a family.  At first she falls in love with Shongo, but that doesn’t work out and Shango eventually enlists in the army.  After Shango she decides to live with Ogun but she is not happy with him, so when Shango gets back she cheats on Ogun with Shango.  Strangely neither Shango nor Ogun is able to impregnate Oya, and eventually Oya breaks it off with Ogun.  But soon after Oya finds out that Shango has impregnated another girl named Shun; and when Oya goes into her house to get them a congratulatory present, she comes out with her ear cut off and gives it to them like a present.

                The death of Oya’s mother struck me as the most important thing for Oya in the story.  The reason for this is because if her mother didn’t fall ill she would have accepted the offer from the man at the track meet.  If she did this her life would have been a lot more fulfilling and she would have probably ended up happier than she did in this story.  Because of her mother’s untimely death Oya was never able to achieve what she wanted and that was to run on that man’s team.

                I thought that Ogun was a very compelling character, because he starts off the story as a shy guy with a stutter that has a crush on Oya.  But because of his stutter Oya doesn’t look at him the same way he sees her.  Ogun then tries his hardest to fix his stutter for her and is able to convince Oya that he is the right man for her.  But then Oya goes off and cheats on him with Shongo even though Shango treats her so badly.  Because of all the bad things that happen to Ogun and how hard he tries for Oya’s love, even though he will never truly get it, one can’ help but feel bad for him.

                This was probably my second time seeing a live theater performance and because of this I don’t really have any critiques on the play, and even if I did I wouldn’t feel fight criticizing them because of how little I know about theater.  Even though I know next to nothing about theater I thought this play was really well done and I greatly enjoyed it.  It actually wasn’t that long which I liked because I have trouble sitting in one place for a long time and it was always engaging like something new and suprising was always happening.