This American Thing

No one wants to see himself as a racist. Especially in the United States, where the question of race is so sticky, people actively avoid any words, actions or even thoughts that could be interpreted as racist. But is it possible to live a racism-free life in a country where race is such a central component of personal identity? Is it honest for anyone to claim that he or she is completely non-racist? If, ask creator/performers Evan joiner and Kobi Libii, there's anyone who thinks that because Americans are very careful about their attitude toward race, it means that the US is on its way to purging itself of the problem, let him come and be challenged by Boiling Pot. Created from interviews with over 125 Americans, this piece of documentary theater manages to give an accurate and wide portrayal of the confusion the question of race creates in today’s American mind. Middle class African Americans trying to be white, and a white teenager who is convinced he is O.J Simpson’s son, are some of the characters encountered on the Black-White front. Touching on the grim attitude toward Muslims in this country, we meet Arash, an Iranian American who gets called by friends “Camel Jockey” and in turn falls into an intense rage. When he sees images of the devastation Israel has created in Lebanon he wants to “fly home and fight.” It is a complex picture of the perpetuation of racism both by individuals and states (in a telling moment we learn about the public admission of an official committee of the state of Ohio that acknowledged its own criminal justice system’s bias against African Americans.)

Joiner and Libii act with heart and intent. Libii especially is a joy to watch slip in and out of the real people he interviewed and now portrays onstage with precision and skill. However, there is at times an overly-earnest quality to the play, a politically correct attitude towards race, which has a distancing effect on the understanding of racism. It is this quality that keeps the show from providing revealing insight for people who already acknowledge the sad reality of race in the US. That said, this is a play that can and should tour university campuses and high schools country-wide, and will help young Americans better understand their own racial tendencies.

The Structure of the Unknown

A list of tools we use to try to make sense of the world: 1. facts. 2. definitions. 3. repetition. 4. science. 5. lists. A list of images that leave us searching for meaning: 1. the place where two walls meet. 2. four spoons twisted round each other. 3. faded footsteps on grass. 4. a penny lost in a couch. 5. a child hiding behind an old book chest.

The characters in Hillary Leichter’s new play 7 Stories High try to make sense of their shattered world by making lists and other equally intellectual activities. But the mind is limited when it comes to existential matters. Leichter suggests that the secret to accepting the unknowable nature of life may lie, not with structured thought, but in the world of feeling and flux.

Through a gentle artist’s stroke, Ms. Leichter, assisted by the capable help of director Brendan Wattenberg, has created a rich, complex theatrical structure that moves freely, not only through space and sound, but also back and forth in time. Four distinct characters, who inhabit different floors of the same building, each try to explain what happened to the building, or perhaps to themselves. It seems there was a fire, or a disaster of some sort, but no one, least of all the newspaper clipping, has any answers. “I don’t have to see to know” is an early line in the play that sets the tone for the sweet exploration that will ensue.

The collapse of two large towers six years ago lurks just behind the scenes, but only as a metaphor. The treatment of the collective disaster, handled with warmth and care, is a reflection of the characters' personal questions about life and death. Through their sensitive portrayals, the four excellent actors (Havilah Brewster, Caitlin Duffy, Sharon Halevy and Kelly Miller) lead the audience on a soft journey into the unknown, filled with humor, sadness, and musical dialogue. 7 Stories High is highly recommended for viewers seeking a theater experience that will quietly gratify their hearts and minds.