Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar
Directed by Sarah Goodes. Wharf 1 Theatre. Sydney Theatre Company. April 16-June 4 2016. Canberra Season: June 22- June 25 2016
Reviewed by Peter Wilkins
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| Sachin Joab as Amir in Sydney Theatre Company's Discgraced Photo by Prudence Upton |
It is not surprising that Ayad Akhtar’s
play Disgraced should have won the Pulitzer Prize. Nor is it surprising that
the play should be the most produced play in America. It is in my mind the most
important play of our time to examine the disturbing issue of religious and
racial confrontation in a troubled and conflicting world. Akhtar’s dialogue
explodes with controversy. It is a piercing probe to the intellect, tightly
constructed, precise in its aim, cutting in its polemic, as direct as an arrow
to its target, riveting, absorbing, thought provoking, and powerful in enduring
resonance. It is impossible not to be moved, to be provoked to be compelled to
question one’s own beliefs and be driven to grapple with perception and
perspective until one is left exhausted and confronting one’s own notion of
belief and self-analysis
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| Sachin Joab as Amir and Sophie Ross as Emily in Disgraced. P{hoto by Prudence Upton |
Akhtar’s view of the world and of the
nature of Judaism, Islam and personal and communal faith is told through the
story of successful and wealthy New York mergers and acquisitions lawyer, Amir
(Sachin Joab), his artist wife, Emily (Sophie Ross), Jewish art curator, Isaac
(Glen Hazledine), his wife, African American colleague of Amir, Jory (Paula
Arundell) and Amir’s confused and troubled nephew Abe (Shiv Palekar).
Emily pleads for Amir to help his
nephew by supporting an Imam, arrested and on remand on suspicion of receiving
money for terrorist purposes. Despite his protests, Amir gives way to his
wife’s requests, and is subsequently misreported in the New York Times as
acting as defense for the Imam. He faces the wrath of the law partners of his
Jewish law firm, and issues come to a head at a dinner party Amir and Emily
throw for Isaac and Jory. In the course of the dinner, bonhomie turns to bitter
argument, fuelled by disbelief, opposing views, complex interpretations and
personal recriminations. Complicated by devastating revelations, the dinner
party descends into turmoil and violent disintegration of friendship, trust and
respect. Amir’s world collapses, bereft of the ordered and comfortable life
depicted at the start of the play. It is further compounded by Abe’s reversal
to his Muslim name Hussein and his potential embracing of Jihad.
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| Sachin Joab as Amir. Paula Arundell as Jory. Sophie Ross as Emily Glen Hazledine as Isaac in Disgraced. Photo. Pudence Upton |
Akhtar’s play makes no apology for his
character’s convictions or behaviour. They are the victims of a battleground of
religious conflict and human failing. Born in one country with its own distinct
social and cultural milieu, raised in another and conflicted by a dominant
culture, alien in faith and historical genesis, Amir adapts and succeeds, while
Abe struggles with identity and allegiance. Akhtar’s play is a tragedy of dispossession
and confused identity. His characters play out their pre-prescribed
roles, conditioned by faith, environment, education and beliefs inherited or
assumed. It is the complexity of the human condition that provides insight into
its inherent truths. It is Amir’s honesty, ironically, that creates the
implosion in his relationships with the other characters. It is his belief in
his personal truth that brings the dinner party conversation to a head as
Isaac’s Jewish faith finds itself on a collision course with Amir’s pride in
his people, provoked by the terrible events of 9/11.
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| Paula Arundell as Jory. Sachin Joab as Amir Photo by Prudence Upton |
The personal, professional and
ideological events, expressed in Akhtar’s profoundly intellectual, thought
provoking and emotive drama invoke self- analysis. The power of the drama lies
in its inevitable provocation. It defies complacency, confronts opinion and
compels engagement of heart and mind. The play lingers long in the
consciousness after the actors have taken their bows.
Sarah Goode’s direction is electric.
Timing is as taut as an elastic band stretched to its ultimate elasticity.
Akhtar’s dialogue is direct and efficient, sketching character with clear, bold
strokes and circumstance with deft timing and startling effect.
Ultimately, the Sydney Theatre
Company’s production is an actor’s play, and Goodes has chosen an outstanding
cast, embracing the ethnic nature of the cast and observing the distinct
individuality of each character and their contribution to Akhtar’s political,
social and personal discourse. Joab
charts the difficult course of Amir’s decline from wealthy lawyer in Elizabeth
Gadsby’s imaginatively and stylishly designed New York apartment to the lone
figure, brought down by misadventure and misunderstanding. As the protagonist,
Joab arouses an empathetic response to his Amir’s fatal flaw. He is indeed the
tragic hero of Akhtar’s tragedy of ideology and truth.
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| Sachin Joab and Shiv Palekar as Abe in Disgraced Photo by Prudence Up[ton |
Every performance in this play is
riveting. As the artist wife, Sophie Ross as Emily struggles to grapple with a
circumstance and emotions beyond her understanding. Trapped between her American upbringing, her
love for Amir and her innocent naivety, Emily is portrayed with intelligence
and truth by Ross. Arundell’s Jory is feisty, ambitious and intimidating. It is
a performance of power and presence. Hazledine’s Isaac epitomizes the confident
and influential art curator. Isaac’s intransigence is played with infuriating
resistance by Hazledine in a performance that allows no recourse to compromise
or understanding. Cultures collide. Compromise collapses and truth becomes the
victim of conditioned conversation. It is Palekar’s Abe who evokes the most urgent
need for understanding. Torn apart by confusion of identity, belief and
separation, Palekar creates a performance so natural, so believable that it compels
consideration of the complexity implicit in Akhtar’s play and characters.
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| Glenn Hazledine, Sophie Ross, Sachin Joab and Paula Arundell in the Dinner Party scene in Disgraced. Photo: Prudence Upton |
Writer, director and actors have not
created a work that offers hope for solution. They do offer hope for debate,
for understanding, for empathy and ultimately an awareness of cause and effect.
This is a play for the American people that speaks to peoples of all nations
and all cultures, races and creeds. Inspired by a true dinner party
conversation, Disgraced offers food
for every dinner party’s conversation. Disgraced’s
personal tragedy is also society’s tragedy and the fatal flaws must be
understood before catharsis may be attained. In this powerful, engaging and
theatrically dynamic drama lie the seeds for change in the way we perceive
ourselves and the world we live in. Drama achieves its true purpose in
Disgraced.
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| Sophie Ross as Emily and Sachin Joab as Amir in Disgraced |
Canberra audiences will have the
opportunity to see this play when it comes to the Canberra Theatre Centre in
June. Do not miss this production of
Disgraced. It will open your mind, touch your heart and arouse your humanity.
Disgraced will play at the Canberra
Playhouse from June 22 to June 25. For further information and bookings go to
www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au