Seemingly a Work in Progress

Roan @ the Gates – American Blues Theatre

In playwright Christina Telesca Gorman’s one-act feels like the beginning of a contemporary, timely story ripped from today’s news. But the main problems is that it doesn’t feel like she’s finished writing it. It’s like a work in progress that could possibly be exciting if it went somewhere and had a satisfying ending. As it now plays…it doesn’t.

Nat and Roan are a thirty-year-old lesbian couple, both proud, talented professionals and deeply in love. Roan is feeling nauseous, on this particular night, and Nat is trying to convince her partner to cancel or postpone an upcoming flight to…somewhere. She won’t say where she’s going or the reason for her trip, except that it’s an important and necessary journey for her job…whatever that may be. The only piece of information that we can extract from this opening scene is that Roan is sick, has an urgent trip coming up, is more skilled with the computer than Nat and that the biracial gay couple are planning to have a child in the near future.

Eventually we learn a whole lot more about this couple, particularly about Roan. She’s an information infrastructure analyst for the National Security Agency. Roan has unfortunately leaked sensitive information about millions of American and international corporations. At present, she’s flown to an undisclosed location to turn over all this information to an English news reporter working for an agency called Transparency Now. Apparently Roan has been found out, and is now wanted by the NSA, the CIA, the FBI and even the KGB. The bold young woman has been intercepted on her way and is being kept prisoner by some unknown group in a holding room in the Russian airport.

Although Roan has become the subject of every world government agent, no one has been able to find her. No one, that is, except Nat. Somehow this civil rights lawyer, who specializes in LGBTQ cases, has discovered her partner’s whereabouts and has flown to Moscow, been sneaked into the room where Roan is being held and is trying to learn what has happened to her and why. 

The remainder of the play, as it’s now written, is a series of Skype conversations between Nat and Roan, arguments and bitter fights about how Roan’s insensitivity has disrupted everyone’s lives and the futility of trying to gain asylum for her. Nat is understandably anxious, angry and frustrated because of Roan’s stupid decision to become a whistleblower, their life together has probably been destroyed and her own career is in jeopardy. But the arguing is tedious, goes on and on yet results in nothing, and simply feels like the start of a play that hasn’t been completed.

The two Equity actresses are excellent. As Roan, Brenda Barrie, who was so terrific in House Theatre’s tense drama, “United Flight 232,” is again, masterful. Jasmine Bracey, who’s been enjoyed in many productions at Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare and the Goodman, is strong and filled with emotion as Nat. Two other Artistic Affiliates of American Blues Theater, James Joseph and Dana Black, provide the voiceover work. Lexi Saunders has directed this play, given it as much of her artistry as possible. But the problem is that Christina Telesca Gorman’s play has a great, contemporary Edward Snowden premise, but it just doesn’t go anywhere. All the audience is left with an examination of how a loving relationship can be destroyed by large government forces beyond our individual understanding.

Somewhat Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas  

Presented February 7-29 by American Blues Theater at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave, Chicago.

Tickets are available at the box office, by calling 773-654-3103 or by going to www.americanbluestheater.com.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.