(CAMDEN, NJ) -- South Camden Theatre Company presents Water By The Spoonful by Quiara Alegría Hudes, a heartfelt and poetic meditation of lives on the brink of redemption and self-discovery. The production runs from January 13 to January 29 with 9 performances on Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00pm and Sunday matinees at 2:00pm.
In a far corner of the internet, moderator “Haikumom” (aka Odessa Ortiz) leads a chat room for recovering drug addicts. From behind their screens, these individuals who might never encounter each other in real life — a student, an IRS-pusher, and a financier — forge a bond as strong as blood.
Off the computer, however, in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in North Philly, Odessa Ortiz’s real-life family is falling apart. Her nephew, Elliot, has returned from Iraq both physically and emotionally broken. Her niece, Yaz, is unable to reconcile her identity as a North Philly girl from the barrio with her upper-crust, intellectual lifestyle. Her sister, who was the mother that Odessa could never be, is dying of cancer.
Inventive and timely, Water By The Spoonful is a powerful, compassionate look at the meaning of family, and the burdens we carry to protect it. This play was also the winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The production will be directed by SCTC Interim Artistic Director, Raymond Croce, Sr..
Ray states, “As the Interim Artistic Director of South Camden Theatre Company my goal in choosing plays is to make selections that show a cross section of our society. Water By The Spoonful is a step in that direction. For the first time in our twelve year history we are presenting a full-length play that was written by a female playwright and is centered on a Hispanic family. The play features a diversity of ethnic backgrounds not seen on our stage at any one time. My hope is that my first selection gives our audiences a glimpse of where our future is headed.”
He continued, “I want to see plays produced that will address the lives of our senior citizens and the issues that they face, plays that will look at love from different perspectives, and plays that speak directly to our hearts. I will continue to hold true to SCTC's history of presenting topical plays but I want these plays to not only be thought-provoking but entertaining as well. I want my audiences to leave feeling better for having joined us for an evening.”
Six of the 7 actors in this performance are from New Jersey, including Amanda Diaz (Odessa) - Camden, NJ; Jonathan Gonez (Elliot) - Pemberton/Pennsauken, NJ; Irausa Ann Reilly (Yazmin) - Cape May, NJ; Jennifer Ann Carroll (Orangutan) - Riverton, NJ; Anthony Wilcox (Chutes and Ladders) - Woodbury, NJ; Sam (Dr. Aman, et al) - Marlton, NJ. Rounding out the cast is Aaron Roberge (Fountainhead) from Philadelphia, PA.
The South Camden Theatre Company is the resident Theatre Company of the Waterfront South Theatre in Camden, NJ.