Photo Essay: Behind the Scenes of “(Not) Water”

Photography by Tess Mayer

June 15th, 2017

New Georges is currently presenting an ambitious and unusual piece of theatre about one of the most ubiquitous things: water. (Not) Water is an immersive theatre piece that explores people’s relationships with water, climate change, and how to create a play about both of those things. Director Daniella Topol and playwright Sheila Callaghan have been working on the production on and off for over ten years, and this is the first full production. This staging will be presented at 3LD and uses every inch of the space (including the bathroom) to create a theatrical experience. During a day of tech, photographer Tess Mayer documented how Daniella, New Georges’ Artistic Director Susan Bernfield, set designer Deb O., and the (Not) Water team (including two of The Interval’s “Women to Watch,” Daniella Caggiano and Barbara Samuels) were bringing the production to life.

 

 

Director Daniella Topol

 

 

 

 

 

Set Designer Deb O

 

 

 

Clarinda Mac Low working on Paloma MacGregor’s “Building a Better Fishtrap,” a piece of installation art that goes with “(Not) Water”

 

Paloma MacGregor’s “Building a Better Fishtrap”

 

 

 

 

 

Assistant Director Daniella Caggiano

 

Lighting Designer Barbara Samuels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actor Mike Shapiro

 

 

 

 

 

Part of an art installation by Floating Studio for Dark Ecologies

 

New Georges’ Artistic Director Susan Bernfield

 

Actor Carmen Herlihy rehearses a scene in a bathroom

 

Carmen Herlihy

 

Daniella Topol rehearsing a scene with Carmen Herlihy in a bathroom