Passage

See it if Chen's cerebral labyrinth of a drama about identity, class structure & colonialism Well staged & designed for an edgy, disorienting effect

Don't see it if Takes time for concept to crystallize & still dense at times Politics often heavy handed & appropriation of EM Forester novel questionable

See it if you're interested in topics of racism, prejudice, and immigration. Some scenes more effective than others, but terrific acting from all.

Don't see it if you prefer a play that isn't purposefully ambiguous. Nothing is given a proper name so audience brings own interpretation.

Also You will be required to remove your shoes when entering the theater.

See it if enjoy intelligent discussions, acted well, regarding those that have and those that don't. very topicial

Don't see it if want logs of action. most scenes are just two people so not a lot of interaction.

See it if you like beautifully designed, zen-like sets, simple costumes/props/lighting w/ abstract, but rich dialogue. Makes you think about humanity

Don't see it if you prefer shows with a clear wall between the audience and characters. Not for those who want a concrete, understandable, & confined story.

Also The audience is an important character in this show. There is an intimacy between the actors and the viewers.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in how we connect in divided times, you have an interest in politics in theatre, see it to go on a journey

Don't see it if Not interested in politics or foreign relations, looking for something straightforward, not interested in topics like colonialism

Also A play that takes you on different paths and takes many turns. At first, I really wasn’t sure what this play was going to be and it times it could be slightly didactic, but then it would switch it up. Really some beautiful moments in this play, some very powerful messages and images!... Read more Read less

See it if a cerebral intense fantasia on Forster's Passage to India from playwright Chris Chen. beautifully directed by Saheem Ali with fine cast

Don't see it if if intense intellectual plays on themes of colonialism and oppression are not your cuppa tea, this is not for you

See it if theatrical allegory for xenophobia/colonialism/racism appeals to you.

Don't see it if Have back problems (seating favors limber bodies), prefer literal stories.

Also I thought the intentional allegorical nature of the setting (Country X vs Country Y) would prevent me from emotionally engaging with the characters, but the play allows us to fill in the blanks with our own lived experience. Very stimulating and will definitely initiate good conversations after the show. Go with someone you don't know well, could be a great way to go deeper.... Read more Read less

See it if you want a play that explores issues of colonialism & racism in a reductive, uninteresting way, topped off with 4th-wall-breaking pedantry.

Don't see it if you've ever traveled & thought about colonialism/racism/effect of 1st-world travelers on the developing world. You hate being talked down to

Also I kind of hated this play and was offended at how the narrator talked down to the audience. She and the play itself were arrogant and pedantic.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to watch an immersive play about oppression & otherness without the material being too heavy-handed. Reminded me of Caryl Churchill

Don't see it if You are tired of watching plays about oppression and otherness. It's getting old, but this play isn't loud and overt like most plays today.

See it if if you like theatre that skillfully provokes and raises uncomfortable questions

Don't see it if you prefer comedy and musicals to serious drama.

Also I am still thinking about this play days after seeing it....inspired to pull out and re-read my copy of E. M. Forster's Passage to India... Read more Read less

See it if you love being challenged and have some introspection. The balance of subjectivity and objectivity is simply fascinating.

Don't see it if you have a weak back! There are only a few seat that have back support and it's 90 minutes without an intermission. My only complaint!

See it if You want intelligent, thoughtful meditations on deep sociocultural traumas embedded in us all.

Don't see it if You need very linear, very clear theater and have no patience for philosophical discourse or metatheatrics

Also First things first, Christopher Chen is an amazing playwright, but this isn't his best play. Passage is very much on the "ritual" end of what theater can be but would have felt more powerful and effective without some of the metatheatrical elements that's tied to the work. The staging was well thought, the stagecraft itself was clever and minimal without distraction, and it unveiled unique modes and norms tied to colonialism I had not previously considered before - about the minutiae of our interactions with people we knowingly oppress, the inherent "maleness" of colonialism, and how internal faults are exploited for state benefit.... Read more Read less

See it if you want a harrowing picture of colonialism, otherism, and racism.

Don't see it if you don’t want to be challenged and retrospective about hard, real topics.

See it if You like nontraditional staging and if you’re interested in seeing powerhouse Bway/Off Bway veterans in an intimate space.

Don't see it if Audience engagement makes you uncomfortable.

See it if One of the best shows that display and contest colonialism and prejudices At times challenging to watch, yet at others comforting & communal

Don't see it if If you don't want to be provoked, challenged. Some loud noises & disturbing plot line.

Also This is the kind of theater should be produced across the U.S.

See it if You want to see something different. You love a good set design. You love plays that are intensely theatrical.

Don't see it if You have a bad back; or at least, arrive very early to get a seat with a back. Still, very cool seating design.

See it if this was amazing truly one of the best works of the 21st century see this not matter what it takes

Don't see it if We live in a post colonial society you have to see this you don’t get a choice

See it if You enjoy intellectual plays that force you to think about the world we live in.

Don't see it if You like action packed, fast paced, big shows.

See it if you’re interested in how colonialism’s legacy shapes both former colonizers & colonized as they operate in the current global economy.

Don't see it if you want a finished theater piece: this production feels unequal to the task it sets for itself.

Also Saheem Ali’s production of Christopher Chen’s “Passage” is strikingly handsome &, at first, intriguing. It asks an important question: In the age of the global economy, how does a legacy of colonialism shape the psyches & everyday actions of citizens of a former colony & a former colonial power? But the innovative, hybrid form—a series of stripped-down realistic scenes (with some fantastic elements) frequently interrupted by aspects of ritual—never adequately puts that question on trial. Plot & characters, shorn of most particulars, even names, just can’t bear the weight. It doesn’t help that the hallucinatory violent incident that precipitates the play’s climax feels so personally psychological that it lacks the wider applicability that the preceding activity had primed us for. That the plot just stops & gives to the resident priest the task of telling us the fate of its characters in a few featureless sentences just reinforces the feeling that this piece remains unfinished.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in anything racism, colonialism, otherism. This conceptual (characters identified only as letters) show may be for you.

Don't see it if The ideas of people (though well acted) seem devoid of humanity, leaving things too dry for us to care.

See it if you're okay with seeing plays that don't have a straight-forward narrative that also occasionally break the fourth wall.

Don't see it if you are looking for a straightforward retelling of A Passage of India.

Also This is a really interesting remix of A Passage to India - my companion wasn't familiar with the book/movie, and he enjoyed it, so I think you don't necessarily have to have familiarity with the source material. It does start a bit slow, but the pace picks up as it goes on. Set design is also pretty clever. I don't think it's as good as the first play I saw by Chen (Caught), but it's still definitely worth seeing.... Read more Read less

See it if You like downtown theatre that makes a statement.

Don't see it if You don't want to take your shoes off or need special seating arrangements - this was a very physically uncomfortable theatre experience