Development History:
Water by the Spoonful was born In 2005 at Page 73 Theatre Company in NYC when Mrs. Hudes was taken on as a playwriting fellow there. The Page 73 Playwriting fellowship is only given out to one playwright per year and provides year long financial and artistic support to early-career playwrights who have not had wide recognition or production success in New York City. According to the Hartford Stage Company's supplemental material on Water by the Spoonful, the two executive directors of Page 73, Liz Jones and Asher Richelli contacted director Davis McCallum at Hartford Stage, who also directed their 2006 production of Hudes' Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue, and asked if he wanted to be involved in the play's development. Mr. McCallum said in a YouTube interview on the Hartford Stage website that "They sent me the play, and really within the first four or five pages I knew I wanted to work on it.... It was very much a process. The cast, the designers, Quiara and I, were really working together to figure out what the story was and how best to tell it." Hartford Stage took on the commission for Spoonful and over the next six years conducted developmental readings in collaboration with New Dramatists, during Hudes' seven year residency there.
Production History:
Water by the Spoonful received its world premiere at Hartford Stage Company on October 20, 2011 and ran through November 13th. It was directed by Davis McCallum; set and projection design were by Neil Patel, costume design was by Chloe Chapin, lighting design was by Russell H. Champa, sound design was by Bray Poor, music was composed by J. Michael Friedman; the dramaturg was Christopher Baker and the production stage manager was Megan Schwarz Dickert. The cast was as follows:
ELLIOT ORTIZ Armando Riesco (who originated the role of Elliot in A Soldier's Fugue)
YAZMIN ORTIZ Zabryna Guevara (who also played Ginny in the first installment of the trilogy)
HAIKUMOM, AKA ODESSA ORTIZ Liza Colon-Zayás
FOUNTAINHEAD, AKA JOHN Matthew Boston
CHUTES& LADDERS Anthony Thomas
ORANGUTAN Teresa Avia Lim
GHOST/ PROFESSOR AMAN/ POLICEMAN Demosthenes Chrysan
ELLIOT ORTIZ Armando Riesco (who originated the role of Elliot in A Soldier's Fugue)
YAZMIN ORTIZ Zabryna Guevara (who also played Ginny in the first installment of the trilogy)
HAIKUMOM, AKA ODESSA ORTIZ Liza Colon-Zayás
FOUNTAINHEAD, AKA JOHN Matthew Boston
CHUTES& LADDERS Anthony Thomas
ORANGUTAN Teresa Avia Lim
GHOST/ PROFESSOR AMAN/ POLICEMAN Demosthenes Chrysan
It was then produced Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre in New York City on December 11th, 2012 – February 10th, 2013. Supplemental material and interviews can be found here. It was directed by Davis McCallum, set design by Neil Patel, costume design by ESosa, lighting design by Russell Champa, and sound design by Joshua Schmidt. The cast was as follows:
ELLIOT ORTIZ Armando Riesco
YAZMIN ORTIZ Zabryna Guevara
HAIKUMOM, AKA ODESSA ORTIZ Liza Colon-Zayás
FOUNTAINHEAD, AKA JOHN Bill Heck
CHUTES& LADDERS Frankie Faison
ORANGUTAN Sue Jean Kim
GHOST/ PROFESSOR AMAN/ POLICEMAN Ryan Shams
On January 27th, 2013, Second Stage also hosted a NYC invite-only marathon of Hudes' Elliot Trilogy, with the first and last installments performed as readings and a full production of Water by the Spoonful. The first and second plays were directed by Davis McCallum, and The Happiest Song Plays Last was directed by Eddie Torres: co-founder and former artistic director of Teatro Vista, formed in 1990 to address the lack of opportunity for latino actors and playwrights in Chicago, IL. Teatro Vista through the Goodman Theatre is currently producing Hudes' Happiest Song through May 12th, 2013.
ELLIOT ORTIZ Armando Riesco
YAZMIN ORTIZ Zabryna Guevara
HAIKUMOM, AKA ODESSA ORTIZ Liza Colon-Zayás
FOUNTAINHEAD, AKA JOHN Bill Heck
CHUTES& LADDERS Frankie Faison
ORANGUTAN Sue Jean Kim
GHOST/ PROFESSOR AMAN/ POLICEMAN Ryan Shams
On January 27th, 2013, Second Stage also hosted a NYC invite-only marathon of Hudes' Elliot Trilogy, with the first and last installments performed as readings and a full production of Water by the Spoonful. The first and second plays were directed by Davis McCallum, and The Happiest Song Plays Last was directed by Eddie Torres: co-founder and former artistic director of Teatro Vista, formed in 1990 to address the lack of opportunity for latino actors and playwrights in Chicago, IL. Teatro Vista through the Goodman Theatre is currently producing Hudes' Happiest Song through May 12th, 2013.
Production Reveiws:
Hartford Stage Production Reviews:
Hartford Courant, by Frank Rizzo
“This is a very funny, warm and, yes, uplifting, play with characters that are vivid, vital and who stay with you long after the play is over.”
Talkin’ Broadway, by Fred Sokol
“From time to time it feels as if Water by the Spoonful is foreign. The characters seek meaning and theater patrons search for it as well…. Conflict, tension and anxiety fill Water by the Spoonful. Sometimes author Hudes pushes strongly with her created characters who are in discord. These individuals are hard with and on one another, and the potential for resolution appears to be slim.”
Second Stage Theatre Production Reviews:
New York Times, by Charles Isherwood
“Ms. Hudes writes with such empathy and vibrant humor about people helping one another to face down their demons that regeneration and renewal always seem to be just around the corner.”
Backstage, by Erik Haagensen
“The show’s standout performance comes from Colón-Zayas. Her Odessa is a study in opposites, convincingly magnetic, empathetic, and driven when running her website, then just as palpably unsure, defensive, and self-loathing when roiled by family dynamics…. ‘Spoonful’ is an admirable attempt to deal with important issues of addiction, repentance, and redemption. But I must confess to thinking there were stronger candidates for that Pulitzer.”
Hartford Courant, by Frank Rizzo
“This is a very funny, warm and, yes, uplifting, play with characters that are vivid, vital and who stay with you long after the play is over.”
Talkin’ Broadway, by Fred Sokol
“From time to time it feels as if Water by the Spoonful is foreign. The characters seek meaning and theater patrons search for it as well…. Conflict, tension and anxiety fill Water by the Spoonful. Sometimes author Hudes pushes strongly with her created characters who are in discord. These individuals are hard with and on one another, and the potential for resolution appears to be slim.”
Second Stage Theatre Production Reviews:
New York Times, by Charles Isherwood
“Ms. Hudes writes with such empathy and vibrant humor about people helping one another to face down their demons that regeneration and renewal always seem to be just around the corner.”
Backstage, by Erik Haagensen
“The show’s standout performance comes from Colón-Zayas. Her Odessa is a study in opposites, convincingly magnetic, empathetic, and driven when running her website, then just as palpably unsure, defensive, and self-loathing when roiled by family dynamics…. ‘Spoonful’ is an admirable attempt to deal with important issues of addiction, repentance, and redemption. But I must confess to thinking there were stronger candidates for that Pulitzer.”