See This: The Overwhelming at Next Theatre Company

By Julienne Bilker in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 29, 2009 5:30PM

In the lobby at Thursday’s performance of Next Theatre Company’s The Overwhelming, we were struck by Artistic Director Jason Southerland’s explanation for the sold-out weeknight crowd - “It’s amazing what two outstanding reviews can do for ticket sales.” Though we hadn’t read either at the time, we knew he was referring to the write-ups from two of Chicago theatre’s most prominent critical voices, Hedy Weiss (Chicago Sun-Times) and Chris Jones (Chicago Tribune). While we don’t pretend to have the same kind of influence as either critic, we’re glad to add our voice to the songs of praise about this production: it’s fantastic.

Alarmingly naïve American professor Jack Exley (Si Osborne) travels to Rwanda on the eve of the 1994 genocide with his son Geoffrey (Rob Fagin) and new wife Linda (Tamberla Perry) in tow. Invited by old friend Dr. Joseph Gasana (Dexter Zollicoffer) and believing a cease-fire to be in place, Exley aims to gather material for a book he hopes will earn him tenure at his university. However, Gasana is missing. And no one will admit to knowing him at all. Exley’s search for his friend leads him into dangerous territory, and his wife and son find themselves in hazardous friendships with Rwandans Samuel Mizinga (Kenn E. Head), a Hutu official, and Gerard (Christoph Horton Abiel), who is assigned to work for the Exley family. In the end, politics and precarious relationships crash head-on and unravel with frightening and exhilarating speed.

The cast is uniformly strong, but we were wowed by a few performances. Osborne’s mental and physical exhaustion is palpable, and Abiel excels in the tough role of Gerard. With his deep baritone and imposing stature, John Nyrere Frazier embodies multiple ensemble roles with equal dexterity. Last but not least, Head’s calm demeanor is just as threatening as a machete - his smile is bone-chilling.

Southerland notes that a “significant difference between The Overwhelming and movies such as Hotel Rwanda is that most movies ‘boil down’ the acts of genocide and focus primarily on their visual impact. But [playwright J.T. Rogers] asks us to bear witness to the roots of the crisis and to make the very complicated decision about whose side to be on.” Perhaps more importantly, the characters are so specifically drawn and masterfully played that the audience can’t help but see through their eyes and feel the pits in their stomachs. There are no soapboxes in this show.

The Overwhelming, through May 17. Next Theatre Company, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes Street, Evanston. Tickets $14-$19 under 26 or student, $28-$38 general. 847-475-1875