(Not) Water

"'Water is too enormous a topic to tackle in any meaningful way, so the pair splash around desperately...The agglomeration of unconnected scenes, dance-theater interruptions and recitations of news items is meant to be a far-ranging meditation on everything H2O, but Callaghan and Topol are too busy telling us about the 11 years they have spent creating it. That’s far too long, clearly. At some point—maybe a decade ago?—the topic seems to have slipped through their fingers." Full Review

"Struggles under the weight of its own ambitions...Mostly it’s a piece about how tough it is to make a piece about water...Aesthetic pleasures surface—the immersive section, those pool floats—and '(Not) Water' may push people to reflect on their own relationship with water. But the piece is too incoherent and solipsistic to arouse emotion or spur action. Scene by scene, its impact drips away." Full Review

"The ideas keep piling up but never quite develop. As the team tries to find the 'tiniest myths' and to fill them with discourse around water, I start to suspect that the piece is not about what they say it is and water is just a handle for the conversation, hence the 'not' in the title...As a show about the human relationship with the water, '(Not) Water' is all over the place, very ambitious but not satisfying. As a show about the theater and storytelling, it is actually brilliant." Full Review

"The production is a lot more fun of a ride once it stops questioning itself and embraces its weirdness. In probably my favorite moment, a mop is propped upside down next to a microphone and sings a torch song...When '(Not) Water' finally drops in and commits, it is poignant, transporting and sly. This is thanks not only to the extremely game performers, but the gorgeous sensory work by lighting designer Samuels, video designer Einbinder and the sound design team of Broken Chord." Full Review

"'(Not) Water' is an immersive experience that is intriguing and evocative...Briefly they explore metaphors and myths of water as a way to tell water’s story, but ultimately they draw our attention to water in a subtle and provoking way...The actors are less performers and more facilitators of how the audience moves through the space and interacts with each moment...If the goal of the piece is to make us more conscious about how we treat and use water, I would say it is successful." Full Review

“A rambling, often funny, experiential production…‘(Not) Water’s’ oddness is part of its charm…The excellent ensemble company exudes a warmth and passion that is infectious...However, some overlong speeches and ‘experiences’ threaten to undermine the serious message. While the inventive format is a fine evening of theater, the play rather skims the surface of the looming water crisis instead of plumbing the depths.” Full Review