When Worlds Collide

Water by the Spoonful, by Quiara Alegria Hudes, is a play where the motif of worlds colliding makes perfect sense. The coexistence of the supernatural world, the real world, and the virtual world allow characters to interact with each other on different levels of "realness". By creating these barriers/worlds for the characters to hide behind Hudes highlights the complex relationships her characters engage in. 

While the presence of the supernatural world is an important one, the intertwining between the real and virtual worlds are the ones most shown in Water by the Spoonful. Odessa and John are allowed to live in a carefree virtual reality where their addictions don't seem to be as big of a problem as they actually are. Their conversations seem like they are talking about the weather, rather then being crack addicts. What's interesting is that even with this safe barrier, they lie to one another. When they have lunch in the real world they continue to follow the rules of the virtual world until Elliot and Yaz show up. Elliot and Yaz break the rules of the virtual reality by fussing at Odessa for not helping out with her sister's funeral costs and antagonizing Odessa.  Odessa lets her light and airy mask crack and shows John some of her true intense colors. John, and the audience, begin to fully the depth of the virtual reality mask, and Odessa learns that no matter how hard you try to hide from you past; the truth will always come out eventually.