Original Article at Splash Magazines by Julian Bryce
Beneath Rippling Water takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride with three women who look beneath the surface of their relationships with men. The show is now playing at Company of Angels Theatre, 2106 Hyperion Avenue in Silverlake.
Boy, am I happy that I accepted the invitation to cover last night’s opening performance of Beneath Rippling Water. I arrived hoping the play would be over quickly as I had plans to see disco diva Deborah Cox perform live at another show later in the evening. From the moment I walked into the small theatre I could tell something special was about to happen. The place was boiling with energy. Dozens of people were milling about in anticipation for the performance. Company of Angels’ stadium-style seating can accommodate only about 45 people. And there seemed to be more people than seats available. I quickly located a spot in the back row. Any doubt I had about seeing yet another show this week immediately dissipated when I noticed acclaimed actress C.C.H. Pounder (TV’s The Shield) seated three people down from me. She was one of the first actresses I met upon my arrival in Los Angeles in 1995. Once the play got underway I forgot all about my other plans for the evening.
The lights dimmed, the music cued and there she was. The golden-haired and curvaceous Sybyl Walker emerged on stage reciting a poem about love. Pretty soon she was singing about romance and acting out love. The NAACP Theatre Award and Ovation Award nominee has created a lyrical and disturbingly honest portrayal of three distinct women who have one thing in common: man troubles. What’s so amazing is how Walker effortlessly switches between both the physical and vocal actions of the women and the men who changed their lives forever. Walker’s expressive eyes and limber movements draw you in. The stories of her main characters, both heartbreaking and comical, keep you yearning to know more about the women. It’s a vivid portrait of women we all have known or want to get to know.
First there’s Talitha. Her close friends call her T-baby. She has a thing for spandex hot pants and all the wrong men. Walker introduces us to T-baby at a Sisterhood Retreat. T-baby, with her ghetto twang, proceeds to explain to her fellow sisters why she has given up on love and finding that man of her dreams. You see, T-baby has fallen for Mr. Wrong one too many times. Now she has become an ‘observer and voyeur’ from afar. The man who prompted her newfound view of love was a guy by the name of Rudy– or as T-baby calls him, ‘Rudy, Rudy with the tight, high booty!’ The two met at a barbeque months earlier. Up until that point, T-baby had sworn off men. They were nothing but heartbreakers. But Rudy was a looker with a ’50 Cent six-pack.’ He also had game. A self-professed wordsmith and future rap star, Rudy spouted a few sweet nothings in T-baby’s ear and then it was on! She fell for him. And hard! All was good for a few months until T-baby’s need for more emotional support and commitment kicked in. Then Rudy became like Ryan Seacrest. Seacrest OUT! Walker tells this tale of love gone bad with such humor and candor that you don’t want the story to end.
Next up is Miss Pearl. Her story is set back in the day when blacks still tended house and played caretaker on southern plantations. Miss Pearl was a maid. But she aspired to be so much more than that. She had dreams of meeting a man who could offer her a better life. One night she attended a summer ball. That’s where she laid eyes on Sherman. Sherman Allan Bellingham III. He was a wise man who traveled the world for a living. Miss Pearl was smitten from jump. The two engaged in a platonic relationship that included daily letters in which Sherman professed his love for Miss Pearl. During one visit the courtship progressed to the next level. But as with all relationships, there are secrets. And both Miss Pearl and Sherman had them. Sherman eventually confessed that he was actually engaged to another woman. He said it was a loveless, pre-arranged relationship that he had entered for financial gain. It was Miss Pearl he truly loved. Initially, she was hurt by the news. But Miss Pearl loved him too much to let that little thing get in the way of their relationship. Sherman was her golden ticket off that plantation. Except, Miss Pearl failed to tell Sherman what she really did for a living. Sherman discovered her secret when he dropped by Miss Pearl’s house to ask her father’s permission to marry her. Sherman was surprised, but he didn’t care. He was a good man. He loved her. But Miss Pearl, ashamed and hurt, sent him away. She went on to live a lonely life, never allowing herself to love another man.
And then there’s Lavender. She’s a young, sweet girl who just happens to be a little slow. As Lavender explains it, there was a problem during her birth that caused brain damage. Making friends was tough for her. The kids always picked on her and called her names. Lavender’s parents did their best to make their daughter feel special but she longed for just one boy to make her feel that way. Lavender eventually met her dream guy one summer at a Special Citizens Picnic. His name was Robert. He was slow too and talked like ‘molasses.’ (He got hit in the head with a baseball bat as a little boy.) Within minutes of meeting each other, Lavender and Robert were in puppy love. In hilarious detail, Lavender describes their first kiss. The two ended up making a pact to kiss each other once a year on the anniversary of their meeting. Poor Lavender. The only joy she experienced during her childhood was counting down to that kiss.
Walker’s performance is unforgettable. She sings, dances and breathes life to these characters who are distinctly African American women. But their stories ring true with anyone who has ever been in love. I eventually made it to that Deborah Cox performance. It was indeed a fantastic show. But it wasn’t Cox’s performance that I dreamed about last night. It was T-baby, Miss Pearl and Lavender.
Beneath Rippling Water is produced by Paula Mitchell Manning and Johan Beckles. Gregg T. Daniel directs with original music by Grammy nominee Robert Max. Other credits include choreography by Joyce Guy, costumes by Mel Grayson, lighting by Ben Anton, sound by Tricia Allen and set design by Enoch Mack.
The play runs through April 8 at Company of Angels Theatre, 2106 Hyperion Avenue in Silverlake. Tickets are $10. Discounts and special packages are available.
For more information visit www.companyofangels.org.