Water by the Spoonful

There are a lot of lost souls swimming about, looking for safe harbors in this Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Quiara Alegría Hudes. Two groups of seemingly unrelated characters are isolated, wounded individuals desperately and diligently looking for some sort of human connection—in family, in person or online. This is the second in a trilogy by Hudes. All three plays center around the struggles of Elliot Ortiz, a young Marine returning home from Iraq. In this installment, audience members are introduced to Elliot (Russell Dow) after he returns stateside shadowed by war ghosts. The story then flashes to a strange group that turns out to be an online Alcoholics Anonymous group. In the beginning, the two storylines and groups of characters feel disjointed and disconnected—as designed by the playwright. There’s a plot-twist reason for the seemingly separate groups, but it can be a bit frustrating for the audience. However, once the story and actors gel, the audience gets pulled in and is rewarded with a satisfying payoff throughout the second half. Th, Fr, Sa 8pm. Through 9/9. $12-$22. Big Idea Theatre, 1616 Del Paso Boulevard; (916) 960-3036; www.bigideatheatre.org. P.R.