Last night, with cold hands and an open mind, I braved the weather to see The Shadow in the Water at Theatre Inconnu. Written by David Elendune and directed by Ian Case, The Shadow in the Water is a multifaceted story, inspired by layers of love, life, death, and grief. Oh, and, I forgot to mention, sharks.
The set and production team were created by many talented hands, including Theodore Sherman taking care of lighting and sound, and costumes by Caroline Mackenzie de Korte. The production has only two on-stage actors, accompanied by film clips of the protagonist, Mary (played on stage by Wendy Magahay) and the people who accompany and inspire her through her life.
Some could say that because the play was inspired by the famous 1916 New Jersey shark attacks (all of which Mary witnesses), that this was the production’s plot. However, the attacks are only a metaphor to the meaningful moments Mary has to recollect as she reaches her last hour.
As Mary looks back on her life with irony and attitude, she is supported by Sharon (played by Rosemary Jeffery) the collector—or, if one prefers, the angel—who is to accompany Mary to the afterlife and witness her acceptance of a life complete, however strange.
I can’t imagine a person could see this play and not relate to it in some profoundly important way.
The Shadow in the Water
Until Saturday, March 12
Theatre Inconnu
theatreinconnu.com