Milwaukee’s Next Act Theater opens its fall season with a sizzling urban drama, Splash Hatch on the E Going Down by Kia Corthron. This Wisconsin premiere is a not-to-be-missed highlight of Milwaukee’s current crop of plays. Corthron’s story focuses on the intimate tale of a young woman who faces both ends of the life spectrum, birth and death. Simultaneously, the 1997 play explores broader social issues in regards to race, poverty and environmental awareness.
The centerpiece of Splash Hatch is Thyme (played with intuitive insight by Jada Jackson), a young Harlem girl who finds love in the arms of a slightly older teen. Pregnant and then married to her love, Erry (an expertly drawn portrayal by Marquette University grad Joseph Brown Jr.), Thyme navigates a stressful life journey despite her inexperience.
Thyme is a smart student and tireless reader who practically wears out her library card. She loves science and monitors the alarming effects of global warming and other environmental hazards. She has also memorized the weekly developments involving her baby, which she describes in detail to her bemused mother, Marjorie (played with a wise and knowing charm by Kristin E. Ellis).
Thyme isn’t shy about sharing what she’s learned with everyone around her, even if their eyes glaze over at this endless barrage of information. Her advanced reading skills are somewhat embarrassing to Erry, who can barely read a safety pamphlet he brings home from work. He recently got a job as part of a demolition team and works daily in an environment filled with lead dust and other toxic materials.
Just as Thyme’s healthy baby continues to grow inside her, Erry’s health begins to mysteriously fail. He claims he cannot afford to see a doctor until his health insurance kicks in at six months of employment. By then, the damage is done. Erry slips in and out of the hospital for the rest of the play.
Between her trips to the hospital, Thyme picks up some pregnancy tips from her best friend, Shaneequa (Malaina Moore). Sassy and adventurous, Shaneequa has one young child and is pregnant with another. The closeness between the two young girls is palpable, until their friendship veers off into less hospitable territory. Moore is a Milwaukee-based actor who shines here. She brings an indescribable authenticity to her performance.
Veteran Milwaukee actor James Carrington also makes a strong impression as Ollie, Thyme’s father, and in several minor roles. Thyme and Erry live with her parents, so the bond between them seems as tightknit as their living quarters.
Splash Hatch (so named for the water birth Thyme plans to have) remains relevant to today’s headlines. Playwright Corthron now in her 60s but 32 when she wrote the play, seems acutely attuned to how younger folks (i.e., teenagers) talk and think. Under Cheryl Lynn Bruce’s fine direction, Corthron’s characters feel incredibly real as they make their way into a grown-up world at a very young age. Thyme displays a dose of innocent optimism about her upcoming delivery, even as she rattles off harsh statistics about the environmental harms found in impoverished neighborhoods.
The production is supported by a minimal set (designed by Brian Sidney Bembridge and illuminated by Noele Stollmack). Costumes by Jazmin Aurora Medina are appropriate for the period, and Josh Schmidt’s sound design emphasizes the urban location.
