Singing the ‘Bad Water Blues’

Alex Coolman

It might seem like an ungainly subject for a children’s play, but the

effect of pollution on the ocean environment takes center stage in a

local playhouse’s upcoming touring educational production.

South Coast Repertory plans to bring a musical play called “Bad Water

Blues: A Coral Reef Mystery” to elementary schools starting in January.

The show’s producers are trying to reach educators who want to book the

play at their campuses.

The work, which tells the fanciful story of an underwater detective

named Coral Reef, tries to combine entertainment with a strong message

about the importance of protecting the ocean.

Hisa Takakuwa, the actor who plays the role of the detective, said

balancing the drama of the story with the educational message can be a

tricky business for the cast, particularly with a subject as complex as

marine ecology.

“We hope we create interesting characters and colorful costumes,” she

said. “You make people see how they’re involved personally in the story.”

In the play, Takakuwa has to solve the problems of a musical group

called the Backbay Boys, who have mysteriously lost their voices. Her

investigation takes her through a series of adventures, each of which

illustrates an aspect of the ocean environment. But she finally comes to

discover the importance of pollution sources that begin, as Orange

County’s sources do, on land.

Takakuwa has plenty of experience tackling these kinds of challenges.

She played the role of the grandmother in last year’s SCR touring

production “My Mom’s Dad,” and has acted in several other shows at the

playhouse.

But whereas “My Mom’s Dad” imparted a lesson about the importance of

family connections, “Bad Water Blues” has a more concrete tale to tell.

“It’s about teaching the kids responsibility and how their daily

actions can affect the oceans,” Takakuwa said.

For playwright Richard Hellesen, who lives near Sacramento, learning

these environmental lessons was a major part of creating the script.

After landing the assignment to write the piece, Hellesen jumped on

the Internet for some research, scrolling through sites on ocean ecology

and the appropriate curriculum for school-age children.

His Web research led Hellesen to Orange County CoastKeeper and an

interview with the environmental group’s director, Garry Brown.

“We really got into stuff about runoff,” Hellesen said. “There’s all

these [environmental problems] that have been happening down there in the

last couple years that are specific to Orange County.”

What it finally came down to, Hellesen said, was not a lack of

information about environmental issues, but the problem of condensing all

the facts into a play that would make sense for kids.

“You have to be very clear about it,” he said. “And if you have to err

on one side, you err on the side of entertainment, because if you lose

them in that regard, the message doesn’t come through.”

But the cast of “Bad Water Blues” will have to work hard to make sure

the message doesn’t get simplistic, Takakuwa said, because it’s not only

little kids who are watching.

“Hopefully we also inspire the teachers and give them new things to

talk about,” she said.

FYI

For information about “Bad Water Blues,” call (714) 708-5577.