By Amanda VanNostrand.
In 1924, E.M. Forster published a book called, “A Passage to India”, taking place during the British crown rule in India. The question, “Is it possible to be friends with someone who is fundamentally different than you?” is posed in this book, and the play Passage is “a fantasia” on this book and this very idea. Passage is at the Wilma Theater on Broad Street between now and May 13th, and it is a testament to the power of stories because I believe that if everyone could view it, things could be very different.
Passage is different from your typical show in several ways: first off, it is written so that any character can be played by any person, encouraging most diverse casting possibilities; the characters and setting do not possess names, but are entitled by letters of the alphabet, enabling free reign of the audience’s interpretation; and this show feels at once both so literal and so abstract that the themes and lessons can be applied to an array of social issues that are present in the lives of all audience members in attendance, whether they realize it or not.
Passage takes place in Country X, which is colonized (and oppressed) by Country Y. Several characters are originally from Country X, and several of them have traveled over from Country Y. At the start of the show, a telling conversation takes place: three characters sit together and one asks the others if they believe that someone from Country X could ever be a genuine friend of someone from Country Y? An enlightening, confusing, thought-provoking conversation takes place because the answer is not one that can be confirmed, but simply pondered and discussed. Each character holds his, her, or their own viewpoint, and the conversation turns ugly. By the end, the broader issue of whether or not those with differing viewpoints can be respected by one another is posed, and the answer is not a pleasant one. In this ‘hypothetical’ world, various occurrences ensue: Country Y enforces the strictest of rules on Country X but not on its own citizens; well-meaning travelers of Country Y come to Country X with the intention of exploring and developing relationships with Country X citizens, and complications arise as various perspectives attempt to make sense of one-another without success; potentially lethal action arises from a member of Country Y towards Country X but the Country X citizen somehow ends up imprisoned. When will it stop? Where will it end? Will there come a day when either country will be able to put their own viewpoints aside and hear what the other side is thinking, feeling, or saying?
This production was made possible with Christopher Chen as the writer and Blanka Zizka as the director. Blanka Zizka reported, in regards to Chen, “Christopher’s experimental approach – to strip the story of history, nationality, and identity – displaces the discussion of power and race from the customary and engages with these issues in a new way…Christopher encourages multi-racial casting but leaves the decisions about the race and gender of characters open.” Passage is powerful, giving each viewer the authority and ability to interpret their own meaning. No matter what the meaning, it is sure to be great. But as Zizka notes, the show would not be so influential without the cast: members are diverse and extremely effective. Each actor is better than the next: Lindsay Smiling, for example, plays the part of B, a doctor and citizen of Country X, and a character who endures prejudice and hardships. Smiling plays his part with passion that drives the severity and reality of his character into the hearts of the audience. Sarah Gliko plays G/Mosquito/Gecko. Her Mosquito/Gecko characters are slightly confusing yet intriguing, and she is a pristine choice to play these mysterious creatures in just a way that engages the audience and brings them to think and feel things that can are so fundamental. Taysha Marie Canales portrays H, and her passion and drive for justice and freedom for oppression are evident in her acting: H’s urges against injustice are contagious and Canales spreads her longing for rightness from beginning to end. Krista Apple’s performance as F is also great: she makes F a character who is humble, kind, and well-meaning, doing her best to relate when she is as aware as she can be about her own deficits in regard to fully understanding those who are citizens of Country X. The cast of Passage clearly feels passionate about the roles they play, and their passion brings the story together in away that enables this power to roll through the audience.
No matter what one’s experience with oppression and power, this is a show that can be understood and appreciated on a very wide array of levels. Passage should not be missed by anyone. It is shows like this that make theater so important: shows that promote change through stories that are both abstract and real. As Smiling, the actor who plays B has said of Passage, “The subject matter is quite familiar, especially as a Black man walking through America. So I think the main message and the challenges in this play are to have the audience leave the theater with a lot of questions and very few answers. The challenge is to have them try to understand another human being and to connect in a very spiritual and knowing way.” Please go see this.