I N T H E R E D A N D B R O W N W A T E R

Ithaca College - Costume Designer

by Tarell Alvin McCraney

Director: Cynthia Henderson

Scenic Design: Graham Lessard-Brandt

Lighting Design: Noah Platte

Sound Design: Ron Ziomek & Don Tindall

P R O D U C T I O N

In the Red and Brown Water portrays Oya, a vibrant & passionate runner, as she endures love and loss in her search for herself. McCraney uses orisha namesakes and the Woman Who Reminds You to reflect the Yoruban heritage that these characters hold within them alongside their modern identities: African-Americans living in the Louisiana projects, products of the African-American diaspora and the heritage that has morphed and mingled throughout their ancestry. Each character invokes as well as evokes their orisha deities throughout the play through their characteristics, actions, and embodiments of the orishas themselves. In this production, we aimed to heighten the presence of the characters Yoruban heritage in part through using in depth research into the characters' respective orishas as heavy influencers on their costumes.

Photography by Jackie Romeo & Sheryl Sinkow