REP Delivers Multilayered Story with Stark Examination of Race in Play "Pass Over"

By Mike Logothetis

Theater reviewer Mike Logothetis grew up in North Wilmington, performing in school and local theater productions. He lives in Newark, but you can find him wherever the arts are good.

Justin William Davis (Moses) and Jeffrey Rashad (Kitch) in
The REP's performance of Pass Over by Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu.

Photo by Evan Krape.

The Resident Ensemble Players (REP) deliver
a stark examination of race with the play, Pass Over, by award-winning American playwright Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu. Pass Over is a loose amalgamation of the classic Waiting for Godot (Samuel Beckett) and the Book of Exodus told in a modern urban setting. 

The play spotlights two young black men who pass each day on a city street corner talking trash, killing time, and dreaming of the “Promised Land.” Then, a (white) stranger wanders into their space and disrupts whatever plans they may have…or wish for.

“It’s a spiritual and existential story,” says Hassan El-Amin, REP company member and director of Pass Over. “It’s a story of love, joy, hope, despair, longing, friendship, family, social conditioning. Pass Over is multilayered.”

Nwandu began writing Pass Over after the 2012 killing of 17-year-old Floridian Trayvon Martin and the outcome of the ensuing George Zimmerman murder trial. Nwandu channeled her feelings of anger, sadness, and frustration into this compelling, unfiltered play.

Word of caution: This is a mature show with adult language and scenes of violence, including gun shots. While the bawdy talk sometimes feels gratuitous, there is contextual relevance in the vernacular Moses (Justin William Davis) and Kitch (Jeffrey Rashad) use to describe their seemingly never-ending situation.

Moses and Kitch appear to exist in a state of purgatory, where their days are fruitless and tedious due to their lack of initiative and impulse. Police choppers fly over their corner of Martin Luther King and Freedom Drives while the two pals make top ten lists of what their dream lives would entail.

But an odd white man (Mic Matarrese) in a suit and boater hat interrupts their usual discussions. Mister (or “Master”) disrupts whatever semblance of constancy the two black men had in their patch of the city. Challenges of norms by Mister and verbal provocations by both sides take the action to heightened levels. Matarrese (as Mister) is excellent at pushing Moses’ buttons while Kitch somehow sees positives in what the visitor represents, even though there are cultural chasms and significant distrust between them.

Visiting actors Davis and Rashad do a beautiful job of switching from wistful to defensive to brotherly to defiant. The roles must be fully embraced to spew the sorts of emotions Moses and Kitch feel throughout the show. REP company member Matarrese plays his roles of Mister and Ossifer — a policeman — with a certain menacing poise. He must walk a thin line between the huckleberry lost stranger Mister and the no-nonsense Ossifer.

To reveal dialog and plot direction in this review would be a disservice to the writing and performance of the company. During this play, both the journey and destination are worth deep evaluation. The ending was affecting and sudden. Many remained in their seats absorbing what had just happened.

Nwandu has embraced revising Pass Over’s ending to continue to engage with the current events and audience. “Each time I go back with this play, I ask, ‘What’s happening in the world? Who’s actually going to be in those seats?’”

Acknowledging that having multiple Pass Over scripts offers multiple interpretations, Nwandu encourages theaters to use the version that fits the needs of the specific community. “I now have three versions of this play from this era of American history,” says Nwandu. “If your community needs the angry version, then do that. Present whichever version you need.”

“To be able to put this play on stage in 2024 when it was born in 2012, shows you the power of the story,” says director Hassan El-Amin. “But it also shows you how far we have to go to overcome whatever this sickness is, this disease, we have when it comes to the value of life for African Americans in the United States.”

Pass Over is an emotionally charged and powerfully impactful story that brilliantly blends modern poetry, Biblical verse, and funny modern refrains. Kudos to the creative team at the REP: El-Amin (Director); Stefanie Hansen (Scenic Designer); Jo Fulmer (Costume Designer); Eileen Smitheimer (Lighting Designer); and Ryan P. McGinty (Sound Designer).

Performances of Pass Over run from February 8 through 18 with Opening Night being February 9. Informal talkbacks with the cast take place following the evening performances on Saturday February 10 and Thursday February 15. Tickets prices are only $20 with discounts available for students. Tickets can be purchased online at www.rep.udel.edu; by contacting the REP box office at (302)831-2204; or visiting in person at 110 Orchard Road Tuesdays through Fridays from 12 to 5 PM. The show runs approximately 85 minutes.

The Thompson Theatre at the Roselle Center for the Arts is located on the University of Delaware’s Newark campus and is ADA-compliant. It is equipped with a hearing loop system, which works with hearing aid t-coils, cochlear implants, and in-house hearing devices. Wheelchair and other seating requests can be made prior to the performance by calling 302.831.2204 or emailing cfa-boxoffice@udel.edu.

“You are men and you are free to go.” – Kitch

The REP Heats Up the Stage with New Production

By Mike Logothetis
Theater reviewer Mike Logothetis grew up in North Wilmington, performing in school and local theater productions. He lives in Newark, but you can find him wherever the arts are good.

The Resident Ensemble Players (REP) deliver suspense, intrigue, and stage magic with John Ball’s In the Heat of the Night. Adapted by Matt Pelfrey from the book that inspired the 1967 Oscar-winning film, In the Heat of the Night is compelling theater with themes that often touch on modern ones.

Detective Tibbs and Officer Sam Wood driving to the scene
of the crime. Photo courtesy of The REP.

Set in the early 1960s, the piece tells the story of a white man is discovered dead in tiny Argo, Alabama. Local police arrest the only stranger in town — a black man named Virgil Tibbs (Hassan El-Amin). Little do they know that their suspect is an expert homicide detective from California. Left with no witnesses, no motives, and no clues, Detective Tibbs becomes this racially tense community’s only hope of solving the brutal murder.

El-Amin is excellent in portraying Tibbs as thoughtful and strong in a setting where the color of his skin can (and does) lead to dehumanizing actions by those around him. Tibbs is always trying to be the bigger man, upholding the honor of his person and race despite overt attacks against both. (Be prepared for onstage violence and strong language which includes racist, antisemitic, and homophobic slurs.)

Chief Gillespie (Lee E. Ernst) is a key antagonist to Tibbs. He dislikes both the situation and the race of the man who’s been tasked to help him solve the murder. But with each passing day, a modicum of respect creeps into the Chief’s interactions with Tibbs. Ernst does well as an often-flustered man who should control more than he does but is always being told otherwise. Ultimately, even after Tibbs “starting to grow” on him, Gillespie can’t bring himself to shake the man’s hand whose respect he’s earned.

While this story hits all the checkboxes for an entertaining detective story, it’s also an undeniable social commentary. Director Cameron Knight said, “We are at a moment in our country, with our art, politics, and even our interactions, where we operate in extremes: extreme rage, patriotism, protesting, etc.”

“For many, it makes any conversation of our history; our journey to this moment and how we deal with each other a delicate subject and often avoided. I believe we must be able to go towards difficult, uncomfortable conversations and at times, actions, in order to grow positively. We are fractured as a society and if we don’t begin to confront our past and the needs of our future, we are on a path towards despair.”

“This play offers a glimpse into the many levels of corruption that exist within our culture and institutions, shows the harsh and firm mindsets that are at odds, and invites us to examine who we want to be. Do we want to grow, or do we merely want to win?”

Hats off to the creative team for making the production a multimedia feast for the senses with articulating stage parts, 3-D dynamic curtains, and graphic video enhancements. Britton Mauk (Scenic Designer), Dawn Chiang (Lighting Designer), and Patrick W. Lord (Projection Designer) took the collective vision of Director Knight plus Interim Producing Artistic Director Steve Tague and did an amazing job.

Standout performers include Michael Gotch as conflicted policeman Sam Wood and Stephen Pelinski as both defiant Harvey Oberst and eerily protective Mr. Purdy. If this were a classic melodrama, we’d all boo and hiss at Mic Matarrese for his strong work as Pete — a cop and Klansman whose segregationist beliefs are pungently strong.

Performances of In the Heat of the Night run through November 19 in the Thompson Theatre at the Roselle Center for the Arts on the University of Delaware’s Newark campus. Tickets prices are $30-39 with discounts available for students, seniors, and University of Delaware faculty and staff. 

Tickets can be purchased online at rep.udel.edu; by contacting the REP box office at 302.831.2204; or visiting in person at 110 Orchard Road Tuesdays through Fridays from 12:00 to 5:00pm. The show runs approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.

The Thompson Theatre in the Roselle Center for the Arts is ADA-compliant and is equipped with a hearing loop system, which works with hearing aid t-coils, cochlear implants, and in-house hearing devices. Wheelchair and other seating requests can be made prior to the performance by calling the number above or emailing cfa-boxoffice@udel.edu.

Theater Review: Medea | Resident Ensemble Players

By Steve Lanahan
Theater reviewer Steve Lanahan was born, raised, and lives in north Wilmington. He is a nerd, mead enthusiast, and servant to his cats.

The Resident Ensemble Players (REP) brings the ancient Greek tragedy Medea to the stage at the Roselle Center for the Arts. First produced in 431 B.C.E., this play asks important questions that remain relevant, even in this modern day. What is the role of a woman in society? How far is too far? Are the Fates truly so cruel?

Medea’s (Elizabeth Heflin) nurse (Kathleen Pirkl Tague) opens the performance with the tale of how they came to be in the kingdom of Corinth. She tells of how Jason (Stephen Pelinski) came to Medea’s home of Colchis, how she fell madly in love with him, and her terrible acts on his behalf. They were wed, she bore him two children, and they made a life together in Corinth. Now Jason has betrayed her and intends to marry Princess Creusa, daughter of King Creon (Hassan El-Amin). The nurse does not hold back her anger at Jason or her fear of what Medea will do.

This betrayal leaves Medea heartbroken, ashamed, and furious, and she vows revenge. Her despair and rage are so great that King Creon, fearing for his life as well as his daughter’s, banishes her from his kingdom. She begs him for a single day to prepare for her travels, pointing out that her sons (Nicholas Farrel and James Muzzi), Jason’s sons, would suffer. The king relents and grants her a single day.

Medea only needs one day to plan and take her revenge. Though she struggles with what she feels she must do, Jason helps by coming to chastise her for ruining his plan to give her and their children a better life by marrying this young princess. He feels his betrayal of their marriage is justified by his goals. She names him an oath breaker, and he counters that she got the better end of this deal. After all, he brought her from her barbarian home to civilization, and now she speaks to kings and gods.

In the end, Medea’s revenge takes everything from Jason, even his children. All throughout this chilling tale, the Chorus speaks in despairing tones, taking on the voices of the women of Corinth. They speak in disjointed patterns, sometimes from the sides of the stage, other times on the stage, and later among the crowd. They never hesitate to add context for their reactions nor show horror at what is happening.

Elizabeth Heflin's stunning performance as Medea embodies the range of her suffering. Despair, rage, and grief are plain and raw. Every time Medea steps on to the stage, there is a feeling of dread, because the tragic end is coming. Heflin ensures that none can look away from the wrath of Medea's revenge.

Kathleen Pirkl Tague, as Medea's nurse, sets the tone for the play and leaves dread hanging in her wake. The first to take the stage, her anger at Jason's actions is palpable, eclipsed only by her fear at what Medea might do. In the final lines, she leaves no question that what is to come will be spoken of in horror for all the ages. The performance is powerful, a fitting opening and final note that leaves no choice but to stare this tragedy head on and think about it for days to come.

The simple stage setting focuses attention on Medea’s suffering, King Creon’s fear, and Jason’s unrepentant pride. Theatrical fog hangs about the stage, giving everything a gloomy edge, a feeling intensified by the haunting music. Strobe lights are used in concert with the soundscape to highlight thunder and Medea’s escape.

This tragedy has withstood the test of time, and the REP’s excellent adaption shows that it will continue to endure. The ending is not a happy one, but it is cathartic. The questions this play will raise will continue to haunt us through the ages.

Medea will run Thursday through Saturday at 7:30pm, with an additional show on Sundays at 2pm, until April 30. The run time is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. The Roselle Center for the Arts is located at 110 Orchard Road, Newark, DE 19716. Visit the REP's website or call the box office at 302.831.2204 for details.