What is WaterWorks?

Inspired by the temperate rainforests and rugged coastline of Oregon, WaterWorks is a production that explores the profound, evolving, and symbiotic relationship between humanity and the natural world. Using a blend of live music, film projections, and ritualistic dance, the performance personifies water as a central character. The journey features a dreamlike creation story where an ancient tribe learns a language of gratitude at the ocean’s shore under the guidance of a powerful Water Goddess.

The performance shifts focus from early connections between mankind and their Mother to the complexities of the modern era as the natural world recedes into the background and human drama takes center stage. The story follows a sharp conflict between an idealistic environmentalist and an ambitious urban developer. As these two figures clash, the production highlights how modern society has become increasingly disconnected from the web of life that sustains it.

Through vivid imagery of the natural world, the production depicts a cycle of destruction by humans and nature’s restoration. WaterWorks serves as a moving reminder of the fragility of our ecosystems and the enduring truth that where there is water, there is life.