“the ripple,the wave that carried me home”

[rating=4]I am not a swimmer! I would love to feel the thrill that I see others enjoy when in a pool or a lake or even an ocean. While I am not one for the pool, growing up I always had the right to swim in the pool- any public pool, indoors or outdoors. In Christina Anderson’s “The Ripple, The wave that Carried Me Home”, we meet a family that doesn’t have that right. In fact, a race that cannot use the pool, and as hard as it might be to imagine, it wasn’t that long ago. This 1 hour and 45 minute play smoothly directed by Jackson Gay on a set designed by Todd Rosenthal that includes a portion of a swimming pool ( with running water) and sliding walls with floors that also slide, in the smaller of the two venues at The Goodman, The Owen.

Anderson takes us to Kansas where we learn about the restrictions that a Black family must endure over the right to swim in the pool in their community. The Community Pool!

This is a play about limitations and restrictions and how each of us deals with them. The play takes place in two time zones, the present and back in the 1990’s. The play starts off with calls being made to Janice ( our main character played to perfection by Christina Clark). It is the present and they desire to name the public pool in her father’s memory. Will she accept the honor for him?

We then go back in time to meet her parents ( and others) and learn about their love for swimming and how they had to sneak into the pool in town as they were not allowed to swim with the White population. Dad, Edwin ( Ronald L. Conner) knows every trick to get the use of the pool and mother, Helen ( Aneisa Hicks) as we learn during the unfolding of the story is the one that truly inspired Edwin to work with the children and in fact was the teacher of many on her own. Brianna Buckley as others rounds out a sterling cast.

Janice has now moved to Ohio and has little contact with her immediate family due to the turmoil of what took place. Can she come back and honor her father? This is a key part of her struggle.

The tech aspects of the production are sparkling: The costumes (Montana Levi Bianco) fit the eras, the lighting (Jason Lynch) and sound (Noel Nichols & Uptown Works is clear and the wigs (Cookie Jordan) allowed the performers to change with the times easily. This production is in association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

The story is filled with great emotion as a young lady is forced to choose between her parents. As I said earlier, her life has been changed. Her relationships are not what they were and now she has to make a choice. How can she give the praise to her dad alone when it was her mother that truly made it all happen? Most of us are unfamiliar with the “rules” that only affected the Black population regarding not only pools, but from what I recall, beaches were segregated as well. At one time, pools were gender segregated and even public bathing ( beach swimming) was watched closely. I will not divulge all of what took place in this marvelous little piece, but will tell you that you will leave the theater smiling. (If you are in the first row, you might also leave, wet).

“the ripple, the wave that carried me home” will continue thru February 12th at The Goodman Theatre/Owen

Performances are as follows:

Price: $15 – $45

Stage: Owen Theatre

Show Type: Drama

Box Office: 312-443-3800

Running Time: 1hr, 45mins  ( NO INTERMISSION )

www.goodmantheatre.org

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