Summary Of Ucsb's Play 'Too Much Water'

UCSB's workshop production of the new play "Too Much Water", tells one possible outcome of what would happen if "Hamlet"'s Ophelia were to come back as a ghost in a contemporary UCSB classroom that just so happens to be rehearing for there own modern production of "Hamlet". The play dives into the subjects of madness, mental health, relationships, family, and society's constructed gender roles. The play merges Shakespeare's play "Hamlet" with the words of current students about the concept of the "good girl", finding that the expectations and challenges that Ophelia faced in "Hamlet" surprisingly are still mirrored in today's society. By giving Ophelia a voice outside of her interactions with the men in "Hamlet", KJ Sanchez, "Too Much Water"'s playwright, is able to highlight how women have been portrayed in the past, how women have been portrayed in literature, and how they are still being portrayed and pressured today.
The play starts and ends with Ophelia's death, which I thought was specifically beautifully done at the end with the work of the white sheets draping from the ceiling and waved around like water, which by doing so not only repeated Ophelia's drowning in "Hamlet" but also ties in the play's title "Too Much Water". When I decided to go to "Too Much Water" as my experiential activity I honestly didn't expect to really enjoy myself, however, I am very thankful for this first year