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Passage by Christopher Chen
Directed by Joe Taylor November 19-21 7:30 pm MTA |
Script Analysis
Based on A Passage to India by EM Forrestor. About colonialism.
Country X-endured crimes and oppression by Country Y. Protestors are rioting, streets are blocked. President of X is a puppet for Y.
- B the Heart Surgeon--Female, best heart surgeon in Country X, profiled in a magazine. On call, summoned to the hospital for an emergency. Has to walk there because the roads are closed due to the riots and protests. Is berated by D for being late. Goes to the Temple to talk to G. Strikes up friendship with F. Wants to be open but doesn’t know how much she can trust F. B is sometimes “blinded by charisma” says S. Goes to caves with Q and F. F feels faint and backs out. B goes alone with Q to the caves but they are uncomfortable with each other. B sends Q into the cave first by herself. B is shot at by Q and is later arrested on an assault charge and jailed. The protesters have taken up her cause and H and M are arranging her defense. B is now on H’s side about being friends with Country Y people. Be is on leave from the hospital during the trail. After the charges are dropped she is still not reinstated at the hospital. Fights with F about Q. Tells F that she wasn’t a true friend because she didn’t share her humiliation and forgot that she was shot at and wants her to drop the charges against Q.
- G the Holy Woman--. Is a kind of narrator and Greek chorus of the story. Introduces the actors to the audience. Takes us into intermission and wraps up the story at the end. G is a Religious Studies Professor, has Temple duties, understands psychology. Overhears the conversation between B and F and analyzes it with S.
- H the Hostess--Female. Rich, has a mansion, is hosting a tea party, believes you cannot truly be friends with a Country Y citizen because there isn’t equality. Believes country Y is inherently evil and everyone who tacitly agrees by doing nothing to oppose them is also evil. Believes that all Y citizens should be kicked out of Country X.
- M the teacher--has Country Y friends including F. They both work at the school together. H says he’s a sellout because he works for businesses owned by Y. After B’s arrest he breaks all ties with Y and starts a defense for B to bring attempted murder charges against Q.
- S the assistant--assistant to H. Drives them to the caves. Feels F is “a little lost”. Believes all Y citizens should go back to Y because they are taking X jobs.
- Mosquito speaks to F in the shape of a man only in Act 1. Probably a figment of F’s terminal illness.
- Gecko speaks to F in the shape of a man only in Act 2. Probably a figment of F’s terminal illness.
Country Y-controls Country X, are imbued with privilege
- D The Chief of Staff-- Doctor at the Hospital where B works. Calls B in for an emergency. Berates B because he couldn’t get there soon enough because of the protests.
- F The new teacher--Female, single, a catch. Was married to V (they) but they died. slightly older than Q, moving to Country X to be a teacher at the National School, F&Q agree to explore Country X together. Meets B at the Temple. Knows M from school and D from the Y club. Thinks a small animal crawled up D’s ass and died there. Has been to the caves before, it changed her. She wants to go back. B agrees to take her there. She has a terminal illness. Talks to a mosquito. She was a military brat and lived in country T when she was a child. Has lived in X before. Is uncomfortable with Y citizens. “a little lost”. Feels faint on the trip to the caves, doesn’t go in. Talks to a gecko about her first time in the caves. She was afraid to go back in, she didn’t have a migraine. She goes to Q to talk to her. She doesn’t believe Q’s story that B assaulted her and gets Q to recant. She tries to get B to drop charges but instead ruins their friendship.
- Q the fiancée-- on a ship, moving to Country X to be with her fiancé, R. Strikes up a friendship with F on the ship, F&Q agree to explore X together. Feels like Country X is more authentic. Accuses R and J of using the guise of legitimacy to usurp a country, causes a rift in her relationship with R, walks out on him at the bar. Says R is a completely different person. Goes to caves with B and F. F feels faint and backs out. Q goes alone with B to the caves but they are uncomfortable with each other. Q implies that X is unwelcoming. She babbles. B sends Q alone into the cave first. Q hears noises and is scared. She takes out the gun that R gave her and fires it. She barely misses B. Q is let go. But is despondent. Q says she thought it was R who was in the cave with her and he changed into an animal and she thought he was going to kill her so she shot at him, but it was really B. Admits she made a mistake. Drops the assault charges, but is shunned by the Y people for back tracking. Leaves X and goes back to Y.
- J the security guard=-friend of R. Advised R and Q to avoid local X places due to the riots over the local boy who stole batteries. Working on Q’s defense against the attempted murder charges, tells R to keep Q at home.
- R the fiancé—Fiancé of Q. friend of J. Glad that Q has joined him. Missed her. Hasn’t taken her anywhere local but is jealous of her relationship with F. Doesn’t patronize locally owned businesses, they’re too “down and dirty”. Feels judged by Q for patronizing Y businesses and not taking her to any X places. Has never been to the caves; thinks they’re dangerous. Says when he was back in Y, that they used to read about all the horrible things Country Y was doing in Country X but now that he lives in Country X he feels that those things just aren’t true. Says he hasn’t changed. Defends Q but when she drops the charges, he dumps her.
Costume Ideas
Production Meeting Notes
6-30-2021
Joe and I met over Zoom to discuss the theme of the show and the costume ideas that I had prepared. In our interpretation, Country X is more intellectual and spiritual whereas Country Y is more physical and emotional. Joe feels very strongly that the Country X inhabitants are more highly evolved than Country Y and are on a higher spiritual plane. Country X is similar to Vulcan where they have long ago worked out their violence and hatred and now have a peaceful enlightened existence until Country Y invaded them. I likened the Country Y colonizers to Christian missionaries or the Peace Corp, many of them had very good intentions, but their mission was flawed from the beginning. I added that the protest/riot scene made me feel like Country X is Aldaran, "we are peaceful, we have no weapons" whereas Country Y is The Empire. This reminded me of the second Women's March in Waco where me , my daughter, and 300 other like-minded people showed up to peacefully protest but were surrounded by angry men in their trucks with AK47s all ready to shoot some feminazis. We discussed the two characters of F and Q and how they are more like Peace Corps with their good intentions and seem like they want to go native, whereas D, J, and R, are clearly more of the hard-line Stormtrooper attitude towards Country X.
We discussed the playwright's intent that the costumes for Country X and Y citizens be similar, with only one element that is unique to each group which serves as a signifier of their country of origin. We discussed ways in which the costumes could show the audience that Country X is oppressed and occupied by Country Y. Of all the ideas that I presented, Joe especially liked the Sandman uniform from Logan's Run as well as the kaftan that Logan wears in his private quarters. We discussed making the Country X costumes out of more homespun fabrics that are dyed in a monochromatic color palette in the cool range from purples to blues to green, with each characters' costume a slightly different shade of dye so that there is a variation to the colors. We also discussed that their clothes would be more worn and faded from work and natural wear and tear that occurs when you only have one set of clothes. The kaftans would be made to match the uniforms out of the same fabrics and would only be worn by the Country X characters for certain scenes like G, the Holy Woman, in the Temple scenes and when B, the doctor, goes to the hospital. For this society, religion, healing, and education are all one and requires a sacred garment. The collar and the stripe across the chest of the uniforms, as well as the trim along the hem of the kaftans would all be the same grey fabric, as in the Sandman uniform. For the Country Y costumes, the color palette would be warm colors like a dark red going into cranberry or maroon. The fabric would all be the same fabric and much crisper, brand new, starched like a military dress uniform. The collar, stripe, and trim for their costumes would be black. We are contemplating giving F a couple of costume changes where we can see her attempt to go native.
Joe and I met over Zoom to discuss the theme of the show and the costume ideas that I had prepared. In our interpretation, Country X is more intellectual and spiritual whereas Country Y is more physical and emotional. Joe feels very strongly that the Country X inhabitants are more highly evolved than Country Y and are on a higher spiritual plane. Country X is similar to Vulcan where they have long ago worked out their violence and hatred and now have a peaceful enlightened existence until Country Y invaded them. I likened the Country Y colonizers to Christian missionaries or the Peace Corp, many of them had very good intentions, but their mission was flawed from the beginning. I added that the protest/riot scene made me feel like Country X is Aldaran, "we are peaceful, we have no weapons" whereas Country Y is The Empire. This reminded me of the second Women's March in Waco where me , my daughter, and 300 other like-minded people showed up to peacefully protest but were surrounded by angry men in their trucks with AK47s all ready to shoot some feminazis. We discussed the two characters of F and Q and how they are more like Peace Corps with their good intentions and seem like they want to go native, whereas D, J, and R, are clearly more of the hard-line Stormtrooper attitude towards Country X.
We discussed the playwright's intent that the costumes for Country X and Y citizens be similar, with only one element that is unique to each group which serves as a signifier of their country of origin. We discussed ways in which the costumes could show the audience that Country X is oppressed and occupied by Country Y. Of all the ideas that I presented, Joe especially liked the Sandman uniform from Logan's Run as well as the kaftan that Logan wears in his private quarters. We discussed making the Country X costumes out of more homespun fabrics that are dyed in a monochromatic color palette in the cool range from purples to blues to green, with each characters' costume a slightly different shade of dye so that there is a variation to the colors. We also discussed that their clothes would be more worn and faded from work and natural wear and tear that occurs when you only have one set of clothes. The kaftans would be made to match the uniforms out of the same fabrics and would only be worn by the Country X characters for certain scenes like G, the Holy Woman, in the Temple scenes and when B, the doctor, goes to the hospital. For this society, religion, healing, and education are all one and requires a sacred garment. The collar and the stripe across the chest of the uniforms, as well as the trim along the hem of the kaftans would all be the same grey fabric, as in the Sandman uniform. For the Country Y costumes, the color palette would be warm colors like a dark red going into cranberry or maroon. The fabric would all be the same fabric and much crisper, brand new, starched like a military dress uniform. The collar, stripe, and trim for their costumes would be black. We are contemplating giving F a couple of costume changes where we can see her attempt to go native.
Auditions
Auditions were held Monday and Tuesday Aug. 23-24, 2021 at 6pm in the BPAC.
Cast List
COUNTRY X CITIZENS
B – EMMETT MUDD
G – ARLO GARZA
H – BRENDAN PHIPPS
M – ELLIS SEAGLE
S – ALEX HEDRICK
COUNTRY Y CITIZENS
D – JAY PARKER
F – REANNA FORNASH
J – LEE BROWN
Q – WILLOW DODSON
R – GARLAND PETTERSON
GECKO/MOSQUITO: Voiced by Jay Parker
B – EMMETT MUDD
G – ARLO GARZA
H – BRENDAN PHIPPS
M – ELLIS SEAGLE
S – ALEX HEDRICK
COUNTRY Y CITIZENS
D – JAY PARKER
F – REANNA FORNASH
J – LEE BROWN
Q – WILLOW DODSON
R – GARLAND PETTERSON
GECKO/MOSQUITO: Voiced by Jay Parker
Production Meetings
Oct. 6:
There has been one cast change so far, Charlie Jay dropped out and was replaced by Arlo Garza. The scenery is going to be earthy colors with a slatted panelled floor design with disparate pieces of wood that has a plexiglass panel that will have a uplight underneath for two moments at the end of each act, and with a set piece that resembles Trump's wall on our border for the back wall. Sound will be atmospheric like Amazon rainforest, music will be primitive, like wooden flutes and chanting. Joe wants to include a sensor that burns incense. Once the scenery concepts were presented, it was decided to switch the colors of the Country Y uniforms to the black ground with the color stripe and trim but keep the Country X citizens in the color ground and the grey stripe and trim. I bought the fabric for the Country X characters over the weekend and ordered the black pants and shirts for the Country Y characters, as well as the red fabric for the stripe.
Oct.13
Another cast change: Alex Hedrick dropped out and was replaced by Aaron Carpenter. Joe really likes the white linen I bought for the kaftans and is thinking about keeping them white instead of dyeing them to match their costumes. We hadn't discussed shoes before, but we choose to reuse the black sneakers from Puffs for all the characters and to paint the Country X ones to match their costumes. I ked Joe about putting Lee in military boots and a police belt for his character and Joe liked that idea. Since then Joe has asked for riot gear for four of the country Y characters so I purchased belts, helmets and masks.
Randy will be making them shields out of plexiglass. I cut all the red fabric into chest stripes and bias strips for the collars. The students sewed them on by hand. I cut all the kaftans this week and the students put them together.
Oct 20
After further consideration, Joe and I have agreed that the kaftans need to be dyed. Plus Joe has decided to use the kaftans to double the size of the Country X characters in the last scene by putting them on the Country Y characters when they are behind the screen so we just see their silhouettes while G is doing her monologue in front. So I need to build one more because G will be wearing hers. I cut all the Country X pants and shirts this week. The students finished building the pants.
Nov. 3
The new kaftan was cut and sewn and now all the kaftans have been dyed. The students are finishing up building the shirts this week.
There has been one cast change so far, Charlie Jay dropped out and was replaced by Arlo Garza. The scenery is going to be earthy colors with a slatted panelled floor design with disparate pieces of wood that has a plexiglass panel that will have a uplight underneath for two moments at the end of each act, and with a set piece that resembles Trump's wall on our border for the back wall. Sound will be atmospheric like Amazon rainforest, music will be primitive, like wooden flutes and chanting. Joe wants to include a sensor that burns incense. Once the scenery concepts were presented, it was decided to switch the colors of the Country Y uniforms to the black ground with the color stripe and trim but keep the Country X citizens in the color ground and the grey stripe and trim. I bought the fabric for the Country X characters over the weekend and ordered the black pants and shirts for the Country Y characters, as well as the red fabric for the stripe.
Oct.13
Another cast change: Alex Hedrick dropped out and was replaced by Aaron Carpenter. Joe really likes the white linen I bought for the kaftans and is thinking about keeping them white instead of dyeing them to match their costumes. We hadn't discussed shoes before, but we choose to reuse the black sneakers from Puffs for all the characters and to paint the Country X ones to match their costumes. I ked Joe about putting Lee in military boots and a police belt for his character and Joe liked that idea. Since then Joe has asked for riot gear for four of the country Y characters so I purchased belts, helmets and masks.
Randy will be making them shields out of plexiglass. I cut all the red fabric into chest stripes and bias strips for the collars. The students sewed them on by hand. I cut all the kaftans this week and the students put them together.
Oct 20
After further consideration, Joe and I have agreed that the kaftans need to be dyed. Plus Joe has decided to use the kaftans to double the size of the Country X characters in the last scene by putting them on the Country Y characters when they are behind the screen so we just see their silhouettes while G is doing her monologue in front. So I need to build one more because G will be wearing hers. I cut all the Country X pants and shirts this week. The students finished building the pants.
Nov. 3
The new kaftan was cut and sewn and now all the kaftans have been dyed. The students are finishing up building the shirts this week.
Set design by Kelly Parker
The Build
I ordered 5 pairs of black Dickies pants and 5 black mock turtle neck sweaters for Country Y. I also bought some dark red 4 way stretch fabric for the stripes across the chest and the mock turtle neck collars. Those were cut on the bias, but the stripes across the chest were cut on the straight of grain. Those were all hand sewn onto the sweaters. I also bought helmets, masks, and police belts for the riot gear.
For country X, I went fabric shopiping at Joannes and bought some very nice fake linen for the kaftans, which I will have to dye iln the corresponding colors, and 100% cotton fabrics for the pants and shirts in various shades of purple, blue, and green. I bought a similar fabric in grey for their stripes and collars. I preswashed all the fabrics and then cut them out in the various sized patterns. The students sewed all the kaftans up the first week, the pants up the second week, and now they are working on the shirts. I am using the shoes from Puffs for all the characters, but we will paint the country x ones in the corresponding colors for each character.
For country X, I went fabric shopiping at Joannes and bought some very nice fake linen for the kaftans, which I will have to dye iln the corresponding colors, and 100% cotton fabrics for the pants and shirts in various shades of purple, blue, and green. I bought a similar fabric in grey for their stripes and collars. I preswashed all the fabrics and then cut them out in the various sized patterns. The students sewed all the kaftans up the first week, the pants up the second week, and now they are working on the shirts. I am using the shoes from Puffs for all the characters, but we will paint the country x ones in the corresponding colors for each character.
Total spent on fabrics: $513.28 Total spent on garments and accessories: $612.43 Total expenditures: $1125.86
Waco Trib: Passage searches for middle ground in Polarized society Nov. 16, 2021
Photos by Jerry Larson
By Carl Hoover
Mirrors aren’t part of the stage design for McLennan Theatre’s “Passage,” but audience members shouldn’t be surprised if they see themselves in the polarized action onstage. The Christopher Chen drama, which takes E.M. Forster’s “A Passage to India” as inspiration, explores the dynamics of people living in two opposed countries. Or ethnicities. Or parties. Or genders. For director Joseph Taylor, the value of the play may not lie in the answers it suggests as much as the questions it raises, including the primary one. “Is it possible for citizens of Country X to really be friends with Country Y’s citizens?” he said.
Country X and Country Y, in fact, are the countries in question in “Passage” and its characters include Q, Dr. B, J, S and others. The neutral letters and country names allow theaters to address social clashes of their choice, such as race, politics, gender and more. The McLennan Theatre production will look at the different points of view of the LGBTQ and cisgender communities, Taylor said. “The script itself morphs into what a director wants it to be,” he said.The play sets up the conflict between the two countries and their citizens, where Country X is the dominant country and culture, in the first act. The second follows what happens when there’s an incident — and possibly only the perception of an incident — between a trans man and a cis woman during a cave tour, Taylor said.
With LGBTQ issues of particular relevance to his students, the director encouraged his 12-person cast to play their roles as themselves rather than particular characters, bringing their own experiences with clashing cultures and viewpoints. “I told them, ‘You have had a front row seat in your prime learning years,’” he said. Playing from their personal experiences may evoke a more realistic reaction from audience members as well as the more intimate space of MCC’s Music & Theatre Building, and that reaction is part of the point. “It’s a play that makes you think, how do you think?” he said. “It’s not a children’s show.”
By Carl Hoover
Mirrors aren’t part of the stage design for McLennan Theatre’s “Passage,” but audience members shouldn’t be surprised if they see themselves in the polarized action onstage. The Christopher Chen drama, which takes E.M. Forster’s “A Passage to India” as inspiration, explores the dynamics of people living in two opposed countries. Or ethnicities. Or parties. Or genders. For director Joseph Taylor, the value of the play may not lie in the answers it suggests as much as the questions it raises, including the primary one. “Is it possible for citizens of Country X to really be friends with Country Y’s citizens?” he said.
Country X and Country Y, in fact, are the countries in question in “Passage” and its characters include Q, Dr. B, J, S and others. The neutral letters and country names allow theaters to address social clashes of their choice, such as race, politics, gender and more. The McLennan Theatre production will look at the different points of view of the LGBTQ and cisgender communities, Taylor said. “The script itself morphs into what a director wants it to be,” he said.The play sets up the conflict between the two countries and their citizens, where Country X is the dominant country and culture, in the first act. The second follows what happens when there’s an incident — and possibly only the perception of an incident — between a trans man and a cis woman during a cave tour, Taylor said.
With LGBTQ issues of particular relevance to his students, the director encouraged his 12-person cast to play their roles as themselves rather than particular characters, bringing their own experiences with clashing cultures and viewpoints. “I told them, ‘You have had a front row seat in your prime learning years,’” he said. Playing from their personal experiences may evoke a more realistic reaction from audience members as well as the more intimate space of MCC’s Music & Theatre Building, and that reaction is part of the point. “It’s a play that makes you think, how do you think?” he said. “It’s not a children’s show.”
