This is a great play for young actors. It offers well-defined teen-aged characters who want something concrete--to re-imagine the longstanding and stereotypical portrayals of people of color in The Nutcracker. They go after it and get it. With the help of Bruce Lee, which is one of my favorite elements in Be Like Water. Produce this play during the holiday season and you'll have a grateful audience on your hands.

What a fantastic TYA piece. Especially for theaters looking for alternatives to the Annie-Sound of Music-Disney rut. "Who made up these rules? Do traditions ever evolve? And who gets to decide?" BE LIKE WATER is a deft and thought-provoking look at the blind reverence we give traditions and institutions - and specifically a certain financial juggernaut with origins in 1816, 1891 and 1954.

Performance art doesn’t always age well, and such is the case with some dance routines from the Nutcracker Suite that highlight ethnic stereotypes. Lucy Wang introduces us to a group of feisty students who want to make some changes that better reflect their cultural and personal values. Great lessons are learned all around in this upbeat, feel good work. No surprise this has received so many accolades.