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A Passage to India
By E.M. Forster
Adapted by Martin Sherman
Directed to Elizabeth Carlin-Metz
Produced by Vitalist Theatre in association with
Premiere Theatre & Performance
At the Theatre Building Chicago
1225 W. Belmont Ave.
Chicago,IL
Call 773-327-5252, tickets $25, $20 students with ID
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 7:30 pm
Sundays at 3 pm
Running time is 2 hours, 30 minutes with intermission
Through May 31, 2008
“Indians need lots of kindness” –Dr Aziz from A Passage to India
Dazzling epic of India unfolds in a flawless production.
Director Elizabeth Carlin-Metz specializes in mounting epic theatre projects. Her King Lear, Anna Karenina and last year’s hit, Mother Courage and Her Children, have placed her into an elite category of directors. Her latest work, A Passage to India, now playing at the Theatre Building Chicago’s West stage, may be her best directorial achievement to date. This lady knows how to tell a large scale story in a stunning theatrical manner. With a vivid Indian Mosque set design (by Craig Choma) on effective lighting (by Richard Norwood) and exotic sound design (by Gregory Mortis), Carlin-Metz is able to take us back to Chandrapore, India in the 1920’s. Rachel Sypniewski’s colorful period-perfect costumes added authenticity to the play.
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Carlin-Metz’s talented cast brings E. M. Forester’s epic novel to life. Sprinkled with Hindu mythology, animated nicely by Madrid St. Angelo with interludes of Indian dances (choreographed by Alka Nayyar), A Passage to India paints a vivid portrait of India when Moslem and Hindu coexisted under British colonial rule.
A Passage to India was Forster’s (1924) most critically acclaimed novel. Martin Sherman’s stage adaptation is a tight, nuanced work that conveys the gripping essence of Forster’s look into the world of British colonialism in India. We see the racism, arrogance and hypocrisy of the smug English administers as they deemed themselves “civilized” in their knowledge of what is best for traditional cultures like India. A Passage to India is a bold masterwork that underscores Forster’s contempt for imperialism, political and sexual repression.
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Set in India during the Raj (British rule 1858-1947), Adela Quested (the stunning Lori Myers) and Mrs. Moore (the proper Mary O’Dowd) arrive in Chandrapore. Adela wants to see if she really desires to marry Ronny Healsop (Ian Novak), a British magistrate. Both Mrs. Moore (Ronny’s mother) and Adela are independent spirits determined to discover the “real India’ by mixing with the natives and befriending locals. They break colonial pretensions and taboos to the consternation of the British authorities.
When Adela and Mrs. Moore befriend a Muslim doctor, Aziz (Kamal Hans) with the help of Cyril Fielding (Jeremy Clark), an anti-Raj British teacher, destructive forces are set in motion. A Passage to India dramatizes the social and political prejudice, the willful ignorance and the immense arrogance of the British bureaucrats. We see the Indians as both tolerant and passive towards British rule.
Against the advice of her fiancé, Adela and Mrs. Moore travel to the ancient and mysterious Marabar Caves with Dr. Aziz. The trip proves to be disastrous. Adela travels only with Aziz to a second group of caves after Mrs. Moore tires. Adela, separated for Aziz, gets lost and injured. She tells Ronny later that Dr. Aziz may have made sexual advances toward her in the cave. The doctor is arrested and tried for criminal sexual offenses. This event becomes a stimulus for passionate anti-British riots. Bravely, Adela realizes that she may have been hallucinating as to what happened. She testifies to Dr. Aziz’s innocence. These events fuel Indian independence sentiments. They also have a profound effect on Fielding and Dr. Aziz’s long term friendship.
Director Elizabeth Carlin-Metz’s production is engaging and dramatically powerful. It contains Vitalist Theatre’s signature blend of physical expressiveness with visceral language together with dynamic imagery. The Indian and British accents were perfect. I especially enjoyed the terrific, subtle work from Kamal Hans as Dr, Aziz. Jeremy Clark’s Fielding and Ian Novak’s Ronny were especially effective. Madrid St. Angelo’s Godbole set an enticing tone as he marvelously presented Hindu mythology. The finest performances belonged to Lori Myers and Mary O’Dowd as Adela and Mrs, Moore. They deftly depicted the repressed sensuality and muted spirit of English women.
It is pure joy to witness an epic novel come alive on stage. Vitalist Theatre’s A Passage to India is one of the finest shows of 2008! It will live long in your memory—don’t miss this great production.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: April 8, 2008
Jeff Recommended
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