Opening of Third Country exceeds expectations
When I first heard about Suehyla El-Attar’s latest theatrical creation, Third Country, I set my expectations at a middle ground of happy endings (not the gross kind) and nostalgia. But instead on opening night at Horizon Theatre, I got a big kick of toeing the comfort line of political issues and racial relations. The end goal, Third Country exceeded all of my expectations and highlighted stories we shouldn’t hide, and people we shouldn’t ignore. El-Attar created a play that brought up the superficial emotions of belonging and transplanting, and that was just the piggy on the back of more important issues of current segregation in the current south. It’s about ostracism. It’s about standing your ground. It’s about necessary change.
The plot line follows a female refugee, Nura (Cynthia D. Barker), who has found her new home, a fictional small town in Georgia, to be only slightly less disturbing than her former. Alone and afraid, she finds a friend with the woman who truly carries the tale, Sasha (Marcie Millard), the liaison between Nura and the organization that found her a home here in the states. That is the front story, the bonds that are created between the characters such as Nura and Sasha, as well as a fellow refugee Asad. The back story are the relationships that somewhat fall apart, or change, like the government of the town, the resistance of the townspeople, and the motives for doing, so called, ‘good’.
And this is where the meat of the play and the surprise of the gut comes forward. This is where it becomes theater that is starting a conversation and uncovering topics that still exist, and probably always will. The issue of the other, of hatred, and believing that safety comes from likeness. Looking around the audience you could see the slight squirm caused by the mirrored image looking back at them. Also, there was a little bit confusion from late comers over the faux interaction in the crowd during the theatrical replication of a town hall meeting. Note: Don’t come late, or you will not only look rude, but stupid as well.
Third Country takes realistic story lines and then does what good fiction does well: makes us hear, see, and talk about it a little more. Even with the toughness, it does what all Horizon shows do best, it makes you feel good in the end. You don’t want to miss this powerful show with pops of humor that reflects a current world.
Third Country is running till October 20 at Horizon Theatre. For ticket and show times visit, http://www.horizontheatre.com.
