“Micah Meets a Mami Wata” had its world premiere at Fonseca Theatre on July 18 ahead of the WNBA All-Star.
Written by Pretiss Matthews III and directed by Jordan Flores Schwartz, “Micah Meets a Mami Wata” follows a young Black boy, Micah, who’s obsessed with the ocean and mermaids. After a birthday party goes wrong, Micah runs into Mami Wata Emi (Maykayla McElwain) and together they embark on a journey to learn the true meaning of friendship, how to be yourself and the importance of protecting the ocean.
I actually sat next to Matthews during opening night, and he told me he originally wrote plays for adult audiences. However, after being hired at a children’s theater and seeing the lack of diversity in Theatre for Young Adults (TYA), Matthews switched to writing for “that little boy in the audience that was looking for characters that looked like me” — including stories centered around Black joy, African mythology and more.
“I am deeply honored, grateful and ecstatic to showcase both my love for TYA and African mythology to this community,” Matthews said. “I hope that everyone can just enjoy the magic of theater and also the world of Mami Watas and mermaids and Black boy joy.”
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The Fonseca Theatre was packed full of younger kids (and their parents) on opening night, and they seemed to love every second of it, so I’d say the show was a success. However, there are still two more weekends of the show, so let’s get into it.
“Micah Meets a Mami Wata” is about an hour and a half long with no intermission. It’s cute, funny and educational. It’s interactive in a few ways too — and even when it’s not, the kids in the audience had no issues talking back to the characters on stage or screaming, laughing and gasping in awe. Actors play several different characters, operate puppets and utilize the aisleways and areas in front of the stage.
As Matthews said, “Micah Meets a Mami Wata” is heavily inspired by and incorporates African mythology. Mami Watas are African mermaids, and the one Micah (Phoenix Ray Warrior) meets during the show guides him on a wild journey through the ocean where they meet various sea creatures, monsters and characters — including a South African Grootslang and Ocean Orishas Olukun (Joshua Short) and Yemaya (Empressnikia).
“Micah Meets a Mami Wata” isn’t just about mermaids and magic, but also the importance of ocean conservation and clean beaches. The dangers sea creatures face from pollution are front and center in the form of a monster called “the destroyer,” which can only be defeated by the power of love and a mysterious superpower that dissolves plastic.
Josiah McCuiston and Arika Casey switch between playing Micah’s protective parents — one concerned, the other enthusiastic — and two playful sea creatures. Sticky (Casey) is a mostly chill, outgoing comb jellyfish and Brumbly (McCruiston) is a nervous but dependable horseshoe crab. The two of them make up Emi’s friend group and follow her and Micah on their journey to collect the three cowrie shells needed to save her mother, Enchantra (Ja’Taun Tiara).
Short, Empressnikia and Tiara also make up the ensemble — who really do do it all in this show, rotating between various human and sea creature characters, puppets and props to move the story along. The show heavily relies on lighting and sound design to make it as magical as possible for younger audiences. Still, parents won’t have to worry about anything crazy like fog, bright flashing lights or sudden loud noises.
Costume and prop design came from the mind of Jeanne Bowling and highlighted elements of upcycling that refreshingly contributed to the storyline. As the story moves along so smoothly, there wasn’t much in the way of a traditional set, rather than fixed storytelling elements that changed based on the scene — such as colored lighting, a digital screen and projector and shadow puppetry.
I liked how enjoyable the show was. I’m not a kid anymore, and I don’t have kids of my own, but “Micah Meets a Mami Wata” combines elements of theatre, puppetry, mythology and ocean facts that kept my attention for almost two hours in a room full of noisy, antsy, excited kids. The message is simple: It’s okay to be different … just remember to protect our oceans.
“Micah Meets a Mami Wata” is onstage at the Fonseca Theatre July 25-27 and Aug. 1-3. Tickets are $15-$25. For more information, visit fonsecatheatre.org/shows/micah-meets-a-mami-wata/
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe has a bachelor's in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and has previously worked for Indy Maven, The Lantern, and CityScene Media Group. In her free time, Chloe enjoys live theatre, reading, baking and keeping her plants alive.
