The Firehouse Theatre is proud to present the Virginia Premiere of Water by the Spoonful.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Quiara Alegría Hudes opens on Friday, November 8th,
2024, on the Carol Piersol Stage at the Firehouse Theatre, 1609 West Broad Street. Water by
the Spoonful will have two Pay-What-You-Will preview performances on Wednesday, November
6th and Thursday, November 7th, and will run through Sunday, November 24th, 2024.
Water by the Spoonful, a haunting and melodic Pulitzer Prize-winning play, shines a light on
the power of human connection. Elliot, a wounded veteran, returns home to Philadelphia, facing
PTSD and a devastating loss. As he and his cousin Yaz grapple with grief, Elliot’s estranged
biological mother, Odessa, finds strength and solace moderating an online support group for
addicts in recovery, who find kinship and hope in their unlikely bonds. This gripping play
explores how we can heal, and inspire each other to survive and strive for a better life, even in
the face of overwhelming odds.
Quiara Alegría Hudes is the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Water By the Spoonful; author
of a memoir, My Broken Language; and screenwriter of Vivo. She wrote the script for the Tony
Award-winning Broadway musical In the Heights and the screenplay for its feature film
adaptation. Her essays have appeared in The Nation, The Cut, The New York Times, The
Washington Post, and American Theater Magazine. In opposition of the carceral state, Hudes
and her cousin founded Emancipated Stories, helping people behind bars share one page of
their life story with the world. She has keynoted alongside Gabriela Sanchez on the joys and
madness of a Philly Rican sisterhood in theater.
Firehouse Theatre Associate Artistic Director Katrinah Carol Lewis will direct. Lewis is a
multifaceted theatre artist dedicated to creating compelling, activating theatre in service of a
more empathetic world. Katrinah has been invited to join several organizations and institutions
as an artistic leader, director, and educator. She served as artistic director of museum theatre
for Colonial Williamsburg, interim co-artistic director for Virginia Repertory Theatre, associate artistic director for TheatreLAB, and is currently an associate faculty member at SPARC. She
holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from VCU and recently directed YesAnd!’s production of
Pass Over.
The design team includes projection designer Tennessee Dixon and lighting designer Andrew
Bonniwell, with co-scenic design by Vinnie Gonzalez and Todd LaBelle. Kyla Trice Zabala
joins the creative team as both assistant director and dramaturg. Keith Walker will design
costumes, Grace Brown LaBelle will both stage manage and serve as sound designer with
sound consultant Jeremy Morris, and Aaron Orensky will be fight choreographer.
The cast features Erich Appleby as Elliot, Juliana Caycedo as Yazmin, Anne Michelle
Forbes as Orangutan, John-Michael Jalonen as Fountainhead, Eric “Mr. Q” Quander as
Chutes&Ladders, Mahlon Raoufi as Ghost/Professor/Policeman, and Alana Dodds Sharp as
Odessa.
Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office (804) 355-2001 and are available online at
www.firehousetheatre.org. Tickets are $35. $15 tickets available for college and high school
students. Pay-What-You-Will performances will be offered for both preview performances, as
well as all matinees (excluding closing, November 24th).
PRODUCTION TEAM
Direction: Katrinah Carol Lewis
Assistant Direction/Dramaturgy: Kyla Trice Zabala
Co-Scenic Design: Vinnie Gonzalez/Todd LaBelle
Projection Design: Tennessee Dixon
Lighting Design: Andrew Bonniwell
Costume Design: Keith Walker
Sound Design/Stage Management: Grace Brown LaBelle
Sound Consultancy: Jeremy Morris
Fight Choreography: Aaron Orensky
CAST
Elliot: Erich Appleby
Yazmin: Juliana Caycedo
Orangutan: Anne Michelle Forbes
Fountainhead: John-Michael Jalonen
Chutes&Ladders: Eric “Mr. Q” Quander
Ghost/Professor/Policeman: Mahlon Raoufi
Odessa: Alana Dodds Sharp*
*Actors’ Equity Association
ABOUT THE FIREHOUSE
The Firehouse Theatre is a thriving hub of creative activity and a center for community
engagement where new work is produced and performed. Reenergized by its 2023 merger with
The New Theatre, Firehouse seeks to amplify the diverse voice of the New American Theatre
and advance artform and industry through innovative artistic and organizational practices.