“Until the Flood” reviewed by Julia W. Rath

***** “Until the Flood” is the pinnacle of perfection! This two-hander, written by Dael Orlandersmith, is one of the best shows I’ve seen all year! The play consists of a series of nine personal accounts taken from actual interviews of people from Ferguson, Missouri, and the St. Louis area just after the shooting of black teenager Michael Brown by white police officer Darren Wilson on August 9, 2014. The monologues are raw and heartfelt; and taken together, the story is powerful and memorable.

We watch Jazzma Pryor and Jasmine “Jaz” Robertson dazzle us with their versatility as they inhabit the bodies of Orlandersmith’s interviewees. Their transitions in voice, dialect, mannerisms, and facial expressions are quick and superb. Note that the characters they play are a cross-section of white and black, male and female, poor and middle-class, and those of different ages and walks of life, but none have been eyewitnesses to the shooting itself. The story examines how their diverse life experiences inform their thoughts and feelings about this racially charged situation, especially when it comes to speculations about what may have led up to it. Basically, we witness how people of good will may view life very differently from each other even when they live in the same region of the country or are even next-door neighbors. We witness how the larger history of racism, economic disparity, and distinct cultural identity may affect people on an individual and family level, helping to form their opinions, attitudes, and viewpoints. The focus of the performance, then, is to show us how the Michael Brown incident contributed to opening up the racial divide, like a scab that is scratched until it is bleeding.

Tim Rhoze’s direction is outstanding and is done with finesse! He makes sure that the movement between characters are easy in spite of their dramatically different world-views. In keeping with the emphasis on each of the two actors, the set (co-designed by him and technical director Shane Rogers) is relatively small and largely consists of a colorful mural, full of meaningful writings such as “Hands Up”, “Don’t Shoot”, and “Never Again.” Center stage can boast of a makeshift shrine to Michael Brown, comprised of candles, ribbons, and teddy bears and other forms of remembrance, all of which have been placed just above the numbered (and lit) tags on the floor, corresponding to bullet evidence. Lighting by David Goodman-Edberg denotes changes in mood and scene; this too is handled with ease so that it doesn’t interrupt the flow of the story, that is, after the initial blinking of lights corresponding to simulated gunshots. The sound effect associated with these is nicely done as is the sound throughout the entire show; this is the province of sound designer Rick Sims. Then there is Kate Parker-Burrows and her wonderful costume design, which serves to distinguish each of the nine characters—with one of the most memorable outfits being that of the biker/teenager, who is the second interviewee in the show. Not only do the actors sport the appropriate attire for their many roles, but we cannot help but note that there are a lot of costume changes during the course of the performance.

In this play, we don’t witness any of the characters stating the words “Hands up, don’t shoot”, which were the words supposedly uttered by Michael Brown to Officer Wilson before he was shot. We also never hear the term Black Lives Matter, even though the BLM movement was begun roughly a year before the Ferguson incident. But none of this is necessary to tell this particular tale. Since the focus is on each character’s mindset and pattern of thinking, the audience is prepared to make the mental leap regarding how we see ourselves in all of them. What follows is the unspoken question: “How can we best identify our common humanity and come together in a meaningful and honest way to resolve those issues that separate us as individuals?”

I had previously seen the 2020 production of “Until the Flood” when the Goodman Theatre featured it online during the COVID shutdown. It was incredibly moving then, but the current production at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre is no comparison! This version is outstanding, having to do in large part with all of the shape-shifting of the actors on stage, plus an additional character has been added.

In general, the story can provide context to current events and can help us understand similar tragedies that have occurred over the years in the United States. When the narrative fleshes out the characters’ various perspectives, it can shed light on our own attitudes and prejudices. Isn’t that what the humanities is supposed to do, that is, to enlighten us about the lives of our fellow human beings and make us more understanding of their unique truth from a more universal and informed point of view?

Please make it a special point to see this show! The production could not have been any better. The performance ends with a poetic secular prayer to heal those social divisions and tensions initially caused by racial injustice. As my guest said to me afterwards, “This show shouldn’t get five stars: It should get ten!”

“Until the Flood” is playing at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes Street, in Evanston, through November 10, 2024.

General admission tickets are $32.00.

Performance schedule:

Saturdays – 7:00 p.m.
Sundays – 3:00 p.m.

For more information, please go to: https://www.cityofevanston.org/about-evanston/arts-and-culture/theatre/fleetwood-jourdain-theatre.

To purchase tickets, phone 847-866-5914.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Until The Flood”.