The world premiere of Erika Dickerson-Despenza's cullud wattah opened officially at Off-Broadway’s Public Theater November 17. The production, directed by Candis C. Jones, will run on extension through December 12.
The play follows three generations of Black women living in Flint, Michigan, during the water crisis; the playwright, who earned the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize earlier this year for the work, says she wrote it “to explore the politics of disgust, shame, and refusal by highlighting the rupture of government intervention at the intersection of capitalism and environmental racism.”
Check out the reviews for the production below.
New York Stage Review (David Finkle)
New York Theater (Jonathan Mandell)
New York Theatre Review (Ayanna Prescod)
The New York Times (Naveen Kumar)
Time Out New York (Raven Snook)
Playbill will continue to update this list as more reviews come in.
The cast features Crystal Dickinson as Marion, Lizan Mitchell as Big Ma, Andrea Patterson as Ainee, Alicia Pilgrim as Plum, and Lauren F. Walker as Reesee, along with understudies Jennean Farmer, Ta’Neesha Murphy, and Chavez Ravine.
The production, directed by Candis C. Jones, features a set by Adam Rigg, costumes by Kara Harmon, lighting by Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, sound design by Sinan Refik Zafar, hair and make-up design by Earon Chew Nealey, prop management by Corinne Golorgursky, original music by Justin Hicks, and movement direction by Adesola Osakalumi. Janelle Caso serves as the production stage manager.