The Ward and The Watershed

I must implore any and all to watch a show with an attempt at animation - but this shows message also holds weight and worth in the world it imagines. Simple maybe - but charming

Combining animation and live performance is such a neat experience! I couldn’t stop thinking “industrial revolution and its consequences…” while watching. Benton Elliott is doing a great commentary on how authoritarian capitalism takes hold and exploits from the land and people, to the benefit of the few and not the many.

The Ward and the Watershed was up next at the Bus Stop Theatre. This is a work in progress by Benton Elliott. There is a lot in this play that is really interesting. It is set on a fictional island where long ago a man built a mysterious wall. From that wall came a prison as this man convinced the population of the island that their water had been poisoned and only he could save them. Now they live confined within this prison at the mercy of the mysterious warden who rations their water. It has been generations now, and most of the people, like Chuck, have become demoralized and resigned to living a tiny life within these walls. Chuck has tried to embrace a sort of Buddhist adjacent philosophy that even amid violence and oppression he can find a zen state within himself. This disgusts Deo, who is adamant that there must be a way to overthrow the system and save those who are suffering from starvation and thirst if everyone works together to do it.

The handmade animated projections are a very cool element that help both ground the play on this island, and to tell the history of this land. There are strong performances and fight choreography that help to create a clear element of tension and high stakes for the characters. Read more at the link!

A very on-the-nose critical allegory of capitalism, which aptly describes the shortcomings of the system. I loved the use of animations to move the story forward. Great direction and worldbuilding!