The moment I arrived at the Navy Memorial metro station, the poster for the show was there. And save for the face of the woman in the bathtub, I had no idea what the play was about. I like to go in cold.
The theater is located a short block and half from the metro (definite plus for future reference), and it's humble exterior gives way to a funky post-modernist/post-industrial vibed-out lobby and foyer. Generously volumed music accompanied my early arrival and wait that went from Motown to Bollywood to Rap to Klezmer...a foretaste of the glories to come.
The show is about a family of Puerto Rican immigrants and
first generation siblings and a granddaughter. The father is a rum swilling,
whore mongering widower with a son who is just back from the war in Afghanistan
where he was awarded a silver star for valor and is left with PTSS delusions
and psychotic flashbacks and a daughter who is learning to become a holistic
healer in the aftermath of her own daughters brain aneurism and
physically-contorted nearly catatonic state of existence. Toss in an elderly
Jewish neighbor with early onset Alzheimer's and the son's Korean/African
American bi-racial pot-smoking best friend and you nearly have a cast, but
wait, there's more. There's also the Yemeni corner grocer whose sons have all
returned to Yemen post 9/11 and is just trying to survive in the face of
Islamophobia. Okay, we still need a plausible location so enter Pike St. in
Brooklyn, and a high-rise with a broken elevator. The formula's nearly
complete. We just need a catalyst to weave all the moments together with
urgency--What better? Hurricane Dolores is bearing down on the city with the
promise to make Hurricane Sandy look like a summer shower. Whew!
All of this sounds like the details of an interesting play.
But this is NOT an interesting play, because all of it comes to life with
tremendous clarity and compassion at the hands of one actor. Nilaja Sun
transforms her beautifully androgynous self into each of these characters with
a power nothing short of magic! I cannot do what I experienced tonight justice
with words. It's just not possible. I can borrow a phrase or two from the
director's notes in the program that comes close:
"She gives her body and her mind over to the essential
humanity of each character, and each appears as a flesh-and-blood human.
Watching Nilaja perform, we're dazzled by her technical skill at transforming
from one character to the next, but ultimately we're moved by the deep sense of
empathy she has for each one." Amen!
The production included an art exhibition in the foyer of
three paintings by Melinda Montilla Nickerson. One was used in the posters and
playbill cover.
Overall, I was utterly enthralled by this production and
performance. When I compare this with the other one-actor production I saw this
season, "The Year of Magical Thinking" performed by Kathleen Turner
at Arena Stage, there is no comparison. Turner's performance was boring, nay
tedious, and this was transformative and enlightening. My DC friends, this is
one well worth the price of admission!
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