REVIEW: Sojourners (Round House Theatre)

It the 1970’s. Your country is in upheaval; for a better life, you seek haven elsewhere for better opportunities. It turns out you have a cousin in the United States. You apply.

And after eight years, you finally get a work, or study, visa.

Now what?

For every immigrant working in America, there is the story of what happened when they got here. And what happens thereafter creates a seismic ripple through the concept of identity. Writer Mfoniso Udofia has attempted to document this epic of the human condition by way of “The Ufot Cycle”, a series of nine plays covering the Nigerian-American experience over several generations of one family. The first in this series, Sojourners, premiers in DC as the first production of Round House’s season.

Book

The play introduces us to Abasiama (Amma) and Ukpong, a Nigerian couple recently landed in Houston to study biology and economics, respectively. By day, they study at Texas Southern University (TSU); by night, Amma works at a gas station. (Ukpong drinks, parties, and indulges in the “American Dream” using the money.) They’ve been in Houston for four years, struggling to adapt to the unique foodstuffs and cultural isolation, and by the play’s start, Amma is heavily pregnant. But Udofia’s alerting dialog quickly clues us in that this is not a relationship of love. The lengthy first act covers a lot of the day-to-day in Amma and Ukpong’s lives: he drinks, he buys an album that Amma doesn’t like, and she goes to work. While gone, he drinks more, and pretends to be studying just as she arrives home every morning. Meanwhile, a tensile, God-fearing hypercompatriot at TSU (aptly named Disciple) grasps at thesis concepts in a barren office, and Amma is frequented at work by Moxie, an illiterate American sex worker with a heavy drawl seeking a new line of work. The latter two paths intersect at the end of Act I — which happens two scenes later than the pacing suggests. In Act II is where the drama reaches fever pitch, but some of the characterization unravels for me. The play is said to be about a supposed “struggle” between Amma’s Nigerian culture and her new American identity, but at each turn she seems to assuredly favor one, only to abruptly abandon it in the final minutes in ways that only seem explained if you read the following eight plays. Alas, this remains the crux: as part of a cycle, the first entry especially, there are loose threads that are intentionally unresolved. If you look into the sequels like I did, then you could be rewarded, but as a stand-alone, you may be left hungry. 7/10

Acting

Opa Adeyemo’s Ukpong and Kambi Gathesa’s Disciple are impacting, assuredly; but Billie Krishawn and Renea Brown (reunited from their recent run in Metamorphoses at Folger) deliver potentially career-best performances as the emotional anchors of Abasiama and Moxie, respectively. Their blossoming friendship as African and American — but ultimately, Black — women is nothing short of inspirational. Krishawn, having developed this performance via experience with her own pregnancy, uses apt body language to create a sense of vulnerability within the audience, while barking at the forces of patriarchy that continually build up against her despite hints of lapse. Moxie, already an instantly-memorable character due to her Southern sensibilities and punchy presence, is vividly strung to life by Brown — bringing an almost Megan Thee Stallion-like charm to the gas station. Even individually the performances stand out, but together is where they shine thanks to the effusive dialectical chemistry written into the book. Their innate care for each other from the very beginning slow-burns into a profound relationship that may stretch your pathological limits by the play’s end. 10/10

Production

I love Paige Hathaway’s tri-way staging and director Valerie Curtis-Newton’s use of the stage turntable, but I found the Disciple’s office lacking in detail, at the risk of feeling unfinished. But the grimy lighting of the gas station, as well as the sky through the apartment window, is excellently designed by Porsche McGovern. Kenny Neal provides viscerally effective sound design, however, which was my highlight. The subtle drowning out of sound and a high-pitched tinnitus to emulate Amma’s pregnancy pains were a great touch. 8/10

Viz

A pregnant woman struts a path of stars and stripes on the program cover. To me, this did read “sojourn”, but in a way that could be misinterpreted to be about contemporary border migration instead of a more polished immigration path due to the dinginess of the colors. The stage itself is vaguely retro, but nothing particularly informs me anything about the piece or the characters, besides the crucifix above the door. This slight connection to faith allowed me to assume they are from a culture that is more pious than modern America (even if it was the 70’s.) 4/10

Verdict

Sojourners, with it’s impeccable lead and supporting actresses, is a splashy start to an epic cycle, making for a great introduction to playwright Mfoniso Udofia. 29/40