Danielle Davy, Ron Litman, Robert Sheire, and Stacy Whittle. Photo by Jae Yi Photography.
Imagining an apocalyptic world in which food, water, and essentially all of the basic necessities are in short supply has become popular fodder for television, movies and, yes, theatre as well. With Australian playwright John Shand’s “The Last Drop,” Scena Theatre presents a glimpse of what happens after “The Great Catastrophe”—presumably an event that wiped out many of the world’s inhabitants along with the planet’s ability to sustain humankind. The main characters, Mary and Joe, subsist on bugs, moths, and slightly salty water that they get from a homemade distillery. They are a couple, or were a couple…before. Time, near starvation, thirst and isolation, however, have put a strain on any semblance of a relationship they might have had.
…intuitive direction…This ensemble cast is mesmerizing start to finish…a searing, thought-provoking show…highly recommended.
Mary (Stacy L. Whittle) and Joe (Robert Sheire) have fallen into a routine—a very sad, tedious, and unchanging routine. They fetch seawater, with cupped hands no less, pour it into the still, and wait for the ridiculously small amount of potable water to materialize. Thinking that perhaps they are the only people left on the planet, the pair are quite surprised at the sudden arrival of Esmerelda (Danielle Davy) and Valentino (Ron Litman). For all intents and purposes, they are a pair of con artists who’ve perfected the post-apocalyptic hustle. The newcomers want to bargain for water, and it seems that the primary bargaining chip on the table here is sex.
The play essentially distills the remnants of humanity down to their most basic needs and behaviors: food, shelter, water, and the primal urges that still live on. Valentino, no stranger to how to run a scam, seizes on this. He understands that which drives people and uses it to his advantage.
The complacently unhappy Mary and Joe—with the arrival of Valentino and Esmerelda—gain a better understanding of the depths of their unhappiness and the consequent hopelessness of their dystopian, virtually waterless situation. A wedge gets driven between them, and the coveted is still up for grabs.
In keeping with the barren theme, the production offers a stripped-down stage with background projections that could be waves, or—as the actors segue into somewhat detached monologues that recall the brutal last days “before”—ominous shapes that harken a hell on earth. Carl Gudenius’ scenic design, Marianne Meadows’ lighting and Kirk Kristlibas’ projections are all highly effective to this end.
It is the acting in this play that evokes the true rawness of spirit that exists in this new world. Collectively, their movements, the “dance” that the four actors do on the stage, are incredibly visceral and beautiful. They manage to bring an intrinsic beauty to the desolation and despair that otherwise mark this play. Thanks to Robert McNamara’s intuitive direction, there is a symbiosis that in some ways mimics the fluidity of the ever-so-elusive water itself.
At the same time, the play is also grounded in a comic absurdity that, at times, serves to lighten what could otherwise just be murkiness and gloom. Litman and Davy do the heavy lifting on this front with commanding performances. As the hapless Mary and Joe, Whittle and Sheire genuinely make you feel their utter exhaustion and world-weariness in general. This ensemble cast is mesmerizing start to finish.
If you happen to be in the mood for a “feel-good” rom-com, this play probably isn’t going to fit the bill. However, if you’re up for a searing, thought-provoking show that will prompt you to ponder several deeply philosophical questions while occasionally laughing at the sheer absurdity of the human condition, then this one is definitely for you. This production is highly recommended.
Running Time: Two hours with one intermission.
Advisory: Adult themes, sexual subject matter, and discussions of assault and rape.
“The Last Drop” runs through May 12, 2024, presented by Scena Theatre at The DC Arts Center, 2438 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009. For more information and to purchase tickets, go online.
