Pass Over – August Wilson Theater – August 15, 2021 3pm
What is Pass Over, the first new play to open on Broadway since the pandemic, actually about? I tried explaining to a friend that the premise is basically “Waiting for Godot” mixed with the story of Exodus (i.e., Moses and Passover) and that was all I knew going in. And I’ll be honest, it wouldn’t have been at the top of my list to see during a regular season. But I’m very glad it was the first new show to open (and therefore the only Broadway option during a recent NYC trip) as I think it was an important show that made me think about the role race plays in our society. It also helped that the Jujamcyn Theater group offers $32 LincTix tickets for this production (available for anyone aged 21-35) in the first row on the aisle that the decision to see this show very easy. I also love that this production in particular is passionate about making theater more accessible, with ticket giveaways and a general rush policy. It helped hearing good things about the play but because it was the first show back, I was planning to go regardless.
And I am very glad I went. I will say, I was concerned when the show began because it clearly was not written in a way to make me, as a white woman, feel comfortable. But that was part of the experience; that this wasn’t for me and I had to learn about someone else. It’s hard to describe what the main themes of the show truly are. One interpretation is that what you think you want versus what you actually want don’t necessarily coincide; another focuses on how white people think they should act and come across versus how they actually behave in society when they are corrupt. The imagery of the white savior who is such a good friend and here to help will turn immediately when they’re put in a position of power and abuse that power; it’s very much that the show you put on of being the perfect ideal is just a front because who you actually are is a monster (which is especially described through the relationship between young black men and white police officers). But when we are stripped back down to the basics, we are all just people. And we need to recognize the humanity in others to be able to move forward.
So, what is the show about exactly? I couldn’t process it in the moment, and I’m still not completely clear on what message the playwright is trying to convey. Overall, the acting was phenomenal and the lighting and set design were fantastic. While the show is intense, it was still comedic and relatable. And getting to hear actors sing together in a theater again was rather moving. It was also interesting that the white actor’s understudy was a white woman. While it wouldn’t change the conversation of race within the play, adding a layer of different genders would very much so change my interpretation of the show and I would like to see it again with her in the role.
Was it my favorite Broadway play? No, it wasn’t; and it’s not a show for children or one that you leave the theater smiling and humming as you go on your merry way. But it was an impactful show that made me think. I hope that by being the first play back from the pandemic, other theater goers will want to see anything new at this point, and hopefully it will speak to them. I would recommend heading down to the August Wilson theater to catch this show before it closes on October 10. And I do hope that more unique voices and stories from BIPOC will continue to be told as I believe theater is one of the best mediums to educate others. Just because this wasn’t written for me does not mean there isn’t something I can learn from it. Let’s just hope the people who need this lesson the most are willing to hear it.
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