“Brings the questions, the pain and even the unspeakable thoughts of hundreds, if not millions, to life. ‘Until the Flood’ is an urgent moral inquest...Orlandersmith digs deep enough into each character, and with such decency, that no segment seems obligatory. Even the worst human among them is allowed his back story...Perhaps 'Until the Flood' is more effective for leaving you uncertain about which genre it falls into...Moves from character to character with minimal fuss.”
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"Eye-opening and quietly moving...Orlandersmith brings an entire community to life by channeling her interviews with people who were on the scene of this inflammatory racial incident...Orlandersmith slips in and out of character...It’s hard to say exactly what Orlandersmith does that makes all these people come to life...Somehow, she gets under these black skins and white skins and finds the common humanity of people who are just…people.”
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“A heartrending demonstration of the potential of art to reach across cultural boundaries and generate the kind of empathy that could potentially help bring us all closer together...Part of the appeal of ‘Until the Flood’ lies in seeing the dazzlingly nimble ways in which Orlandersmith transforms from one character to another...Orlandersmith's virtuosity as a performer never overwhelms the human beings at the heart of this show...A production that impresses in its simplicity."
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"’Until the Flood’ is compact and hard-hitting...Orlandersmith is a brilliant listener...adding to the impact of each vignette is her skill at transforming herself into each of the speakers at a moment's notice...This brief, fast-moving piece maintains its grip from first to last, thanks to Orlandersmith's riveting work and Keller's tight direction...A brave and powerful testament that holds up a devastating mirror to our tribalized society.”
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"Searing, bleak, and vividly performed...It’s a powerfully well-balanced examination of race relations in the United States with hopeless conclusions...Orlandersmith skillfully organizes the material into short monologues that are revelatory, insightful and often tinged with humor...Varying her vocal inflections and altering her physiognomy she conveys the essence of each individual. It’s a riveting performance of range and depth...Theatrical, gripping, and pessimistic."
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"Under Neel Keller's direction, it not only becomes a probing study of a community but a revelation of how blacks look at whites, and vice versa...'Flood' doesn't fall into any tidy theatrical genre...No matter what you call it, however, it's a powerful piece of theater...The story that 'Flood' tells is a sad one. It suggests that no satisfying answers will ever be found regarding the Michael Brown case. Perhaps the real takeaway is that the conversation on racism in our country must continue."
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"These believable and authentic characters – five white and four black – all portrayed by Ms. Orlandersmith in powerful performances, share their 'spin' on the shooting of Michael Brown...The strength of the piece lies in this honesty and authenticity...Ms. Orlandersmith creates nine distinctive characters with subtle vocal inflections and brilliantly crafted expressions and body movements...Neel Keller’s direction is unobtrusive and gently allows the poet to work her magic."
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“The goal is to demonstrate the multiplicity of positions on the spectrum of racial attitudes and opinions...There may be no major surprises but it's definitely healthy to hear the diversity of views so humanly represented…Audiences will receive a first-rate performance addressing a compelling problem in American society. It doesn't attempt to offer solutions but if it can keep the conversation going it will have done its job.”
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