A Body of Water
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Moss
Wren
| A Body of Water | |
|---|---|
 Off-Broadway promotional poster | |
| Written by | Lee Blessing |
| Characters | Avis Moss Wren |
| Date premiered | July 15, 2005 |
| Place premiered | The Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Existentialism, marriage, memory |
| Genre | Psychological drama |
A Body of Water is a play by Lee Blessing. Originally premiering at The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, on July 15, 2005. Directed by Ethan McSweeny, the production featured Michael Learned, Edward Herrmann, and Michelle O'Neill.[1] In February of 2006, the play was subsequently produced by The Old Globe in San Diego, CA. Directed by McSweeney, the production featured Sandy Duncan, Ned Schmidtke, and Samantha Soule.
A Body of Water made its Off-Broadway at Primary Stages in September of 2008. Directed by Maria Mileaf, the production featured Christine Lahti, Michael Cristofer, and Laura Odeh.[2] The play won the Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award.[3]
- Avis
- Moss
- Wren
Plot
Avis and Moss, a middle aged couple, wake up in an isolated summer house overlooking a large body of water, with no memory of who they are or how they arrived there. As they attempt to reconstruct their identities, they speculate about their relationship to one another, inventing and revising possible pasts that range from ordinary domestic life to darker, more sinister scenarios.
Their fragile attempts at self-definition are disrupted by the arrival of a young man named Wren, who claims to know each of them. Wren provides a series of explanations about their identities and mysterious circumstances, but her accounts are inconsistent and often contradictory, ultimately raising more questions than answers. As Avis and Moss struggle to determine with stories, if any, are true, they become both increasingly dependent on Wren and increasingly suspicious of her motives.
Over the course of the play, shifting narratives bur the lines between reality and fabrication. Avis and Moss repeatedly recalibrate their understanding of themselves and each other, confronting unsettling possibilities about their pas actions and moral character. Their lack of identity and unstable memories become increasingly fragile, as the revelation of each new “truth” undermines the last. Ultimately, the play offers no definitive resolution, leaving the characters (and the audience) uncertain of what’s “real.” The story concludes with Avis and Moss trapped in a cycle of doubt, suggesting that human identity may be constructed as much through storytelling as through “objective fact.”
Production history
The Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis
A Body of Water had it's World Premiere at The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, running from June 11 – July 3, 2005. Directed by Ethan McSweeny, the production featured Michael Learned, Edward Herrmann, and Michelle O'Neill. The creative team included Michael Vaughn Sims (sets), Rich Hamson (costumes), Matthew Reinert (lighting) and Michael Roth (original music and sound).[4]
The Old Globe, San Diego
A Body of Water was produced by The Old Globe in San Diego, California, running from February 11 - March 19, 2006. Directed by Ethan McSweeny, the production featured Sandy Duncan, Ned Schmidtke, and Samantha Soule. The creative team included Michael Vaughn Sims (sets), Charlotte Devaux (costumes), York Kennedy (lighting) and Michael Roth (original music and sound).[5]
Primary Stages, Off-Broadway
A Body of Water made its Off-Broadway premiere with Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters, running from September 30 – November 9, 2008. Directed by Maria Mileaf, the production featured Christine Lahti, Michael Cristofer, and Laura Odeh. The creative team included Neil Patel (sets), Candice Donnelly (costumes), Jeff Croiter (lighting), and Bart Fasbender (original music and sound).[6]
