Anyone who thinks it a good idea to become more engaged in the civil war
now going on in Syria by sending troops is advised to see You Are Dead. You Are There,
a gripping and impassioned new play by Christine Evans presented by
Transit Lounge at Here. Not necessarily defined as a plea for
neutrality, the play is layered with the perspective of two characters;
one is a soldier, the other a civilian. As produced by an innovative new
company, under the direction of Joseph Megel, the play uses multi-media
to combine real-life with virtual life in a powerful way.
Virtual reality video isn't new as a story-telling device (the
empowering media design is by Jared Mezzocchi), but it is an integral
part of this story about Michael (Anthony Gaskins) an American war
veteran who is being treated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at a
Veterans Recovery Center. The provocative, but carefully incremented
weekly treatment sessions presided over by therapist Dr Hannah (Kittson
O'Neill) is the core of a drama with humans at its heart, but media as
its engine.
The dedicated Dr. Hannah may be feeling stressed with implementing the
new and somewhat experimental technique she has developed, but she is
hopeful that a breakthrough is forthcoming for Michael so that he can
return to living a normal life. The clever plot is splintered
purposefully, as Michael's sessions are suddenly intruded upon by a live
internet feed from Zaynab (Kathreen Khavari), a young Iraqi woman
blogger. With slow and heartbreaking revelations about her experiences,
she adds another level to Michael's story as she brings her own
horrific/heart-breaking experiences into the sessions. But these are
only for us to see and hear. This is done indirectly through a monitor
in which we see her as well as images that validate her connection to
the soldier.
Zaynab's detailed revelations are important components in the play,
especially as they relate to Michael's memories as they slowly surface
through his active participation in the program. In actuality, these
video gaming programs are being used by the military as a training tool
and for use in therapy. Khavari is incredibly moving as Zaynab but she
also plays the role of Nadia, an office temp at the clinic where the
play is set and where Dr. Hannah guides the reticent and anguished
Michael into recreating in a virtual reality game what happened to him.
Using a headset, he sees and hears what we also see and can hear from a
large overhead monitor. A curious and unexpected development occurs when
Michael thinks he may have previously met Nadia. The sessions become
increasingly tense as Dr. Hannah is able to add Michael's memory of how
he got a brain concussion and began feeling the symptoms of PTSD.
The events seen in virtual reality begin with the U.S. troop's invasion
of Fallujah in March 2003 and end on the day of a massive military
assault on April 4, 2004 — "Operation Vigilant Resolve," a day that led
to the death of hundreds of civilians. The sessions in real time are
equally gripping as well as thought-provoking, made so by the fine
performances of Gaskins, as the tormented solider, Khavari, in the duel
roles, and O'Neill as the therapist.
Australian-born playwright Evans' has made a career down under as well
as in the U.S. where she has received honors including a Fulbright
Award. We might hope that this impressive collaboration with director
Megel and media designer Mezzocchi will encourage them to bring another
exciting theatrical experience to New York. It isn't often that I get to
visit Here, noted for the past twenty years for presenting "daring new
hybrid performance." It was a rewarding visit.
Here Arts Center, 145 6th Avenue
Tickets: $10 in advance, $20 at the door
Performances: Tuesday through Sunday at 8:30 pm
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