The Ordeal of Water by Stephanie Alison Walker

1978. The first two female longshoremen at the Port of Los Angeles are trapped by their male co-workers in the cargo hold of a container ship just as it is heading to Shanghai. As they struggle to survive, they are visited by witches, who both help them and test them.

This play is inspired by the first women to work at the Port of Los Angeles as Longshoremen. The play is a work of fiction. The...
1978. The first two female longshoremen at the Port of Los Angeles are trapped by their male co-workers in the cargo hold of a container ship just as it is heading to Shanghai. As they struggle to survive, they are visited by witches, who both help them and test them.

This play is inspired by the first women to work at the Port of Los Angeles as Longshoremen. The play is a work of fiction. The characters and story are a product of the playwright's imagination.
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The Ordeal of Water

Recommended by

  • Kate Busselle:
    12 May. 2023
    “ This play is a wonderful, magic realism adventure between two women who are trapped and cannot escape the cargo hold of a container ship. The dialogue is quick-paced and full of fight. The women discuss all manners of feminist issues, from workplace discrimination, harassment, what it means to be a feminist, and, oh yeah, encounter witches while they are trapped! An amazing play. ”
  • Ross Tedford Kendall:
    25 Oct. 2022
    “ An absolute gem of a play that puts its characters through a harrowing situation, and the audience along with them. You get the feeling of the ship at sea, the desperation, the camaraderie, and the wonder of their plight. I particularly like how at the core, it's about two women who dare to achieve above what society dictates, and how they bond together despite the odds. ”
  • Michael Shutt:
    23 Jul. 2022
    “ The Ordeal of Water is magical, lyrical, enraging and powerful. Stephanie Alison Walker takes a specific moment in time and tells an epic story of survival. Filled with theatrical magic and rich characters, this play is a beautiful story and a captivating call to action. ”
View all 11 recommendations

Character Information

This play requires 5 women total.

  • RAY ROSAS
    24,
    Mexican American
    ,
    Female
    The first female longshoreman at the Port of Los Angeles. She inherited her father's union book after he died. She is tough and doesn't take shit from anyone. Over the last two years she has learned how to survive as a woman in a man's world on the waterfront. Second generation Mexican American. Only child. Private, keeps to herself and holds her cards close to her chest.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • MARGO STRAND
    20,
    White
    ,
    Female
    Poet turned longshoreman after inheriting her deceased father's union book. Comes from a long line of longshoremen. Girlie girl with blonde Farrah Fawcett hair. Part hippie, part disco.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • THEMA OKOH
    50s,
    Black African
    ,
    Female
    Ghanaian woman from the Gambaga witch camp (in Northern Ghana.) A widow and mother who was accused of being a witch and exiled to the Gambaga witch camp. She is a survivor.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • SUNITA LAL
    30s,
    Indian
    ,
    Female
    Indian woman from Gujarat accused of being a witch when she was unable to have a child. She lives in the shadows. She's a survivor.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • ELSE KNUTSTADDER
    30s,
    Norwegian
    ,
    Female
    Norwegian woman from 1617 accused of being a witch and put to the Ordeal of Water during the Vardo Witch Trials.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Female

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Playwrights Union - First Peek Reading Festival- Los Angeles, CA
    ,
    2019

Awards

Finalist
,
Local Lab 2020
,
Local Theatre - Boulder, CO
,
2020
Finalist
,
Screencraft Stage Play
,
Screencraft
,
2020