scenes from "carried away on the crest of a wave"

carried away on the crest of a wave followed the impacts of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami as they resonated, intersected globally, and moved us with the power of water and the beauty of human resilience. The deadliest tsunami in recorded history, the waves killed over 250,000 people from forty-six countries as they struck the coasts of fourteen nations spanning two continents. In the aftermath, we found a wide range of humanity: a conflicted priest, sisters of legend, an orphaned boy, a radio shock jock, an awed scientist, and a man who made miraculous discoveries in the aftermath of the disaster.

Yee’s approach to the 2004 tsunami was to script a series of stories that represent glimpses of the human spirit, facing enormous adversity yet driven by a will to come together for reflection and sharing — a desire known all too well by our own pandemic-impacted world in 2021. Spanning the experiences of people from all over the world that this event directly affected, this performance captured vividly the process of moving from trauma through the various stages of recovery over days, weeks, months, and years. This production was approached through a surreal lens. In the ebb and flow of trauma, we staged an unconscious space of dreams that exists alongside and within our experience and understanding of reality.

As the program’s first ever livestreamed production, carried away on the crest of a wave aimed to connect our communities in times of uncertainty through the medium of live theatrical performance. A digital Dramaturgy Hub and Engagement Space was hosted on the website for the performance, which can be found at uwcarriedaway.com. This digital space provided context to our audience’s experience of the play and production, from research sources and themes of the work to the creative vision of the artistic team. Check out our Dramaturgy Hub for more information on the production of scenes from carried away on the crest of a wave. 

Check out the trailer.