The new play
Close to Home is a beautiful story about a chosen family. Three people who are estranged from their birth family for various reasons find each other, and despite differences and disagreements, they give each other the love and support that they need. This is a story about immigrants, trans people, gay people - all of the people whose stories and history and existence in the world the current administration is trying to erase. In other words, it's exactly the kind of play that we need right now, and it's beautifully acted, designed, and directed.
See it at Pillsbury House + Theatre now through April 27.
We meet Zara when she crashes on Colt's property one night on an island off the coast of South Carolina. Zara, a trans teenager, has been kicked out of her home when her parents found her trying on a prom dress. Colt, who at first seems like a stereotypical redneck but soon reveals deeper layers, reluctantly allows her to stay with him, especially after her friend and protector, Egyptian immigrant Kaysar, shows up to vouch for her. The three form an unlikely family, despite or maybe because of the fact that they all have deep wounds they're hiding. They work together to help Colt build his dream house, and Zara attend her dream prom, which will be a coming out of sorts. They all make bad choices at times, overstep boundaries, push each other away, but in the end they realize they're stronger together, and make the choice to be each other's family, in a really sweet and heart-warming way.
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Colt (Phineas Clark) and Zara (Ibimina Dominique Thompson)
meet cute (photo by Bruce Silcox) |
The play was written and directed by trans Arab-American theater artist Sharifa Yazmin. I'm not sure how Pillsbury House found her, but it's a perfect play for them and a true find. Sharifa brings all of her experience to bear in this story of a trans Egyptian teenager, and is clear-eyed in the direction of the piece. The three-person cast, most of whom are new to #TCTheater, simply couldn't be better. Ibimina Dominique Thompson (a familiar face if not a familiar name) is so believable as this 17-year-old girl, full of insecurities and curiosity and enthusiasm, so sweet and funny and adorable. Phineas Clark is also excellent as the tough Colt who slowly lets his guard down (with a consistent and natural sounding Southern accent). Completing this terrific trio is Noor Hamdi as Kaysar, strong-willed and sensitive (also with a specific accent). The three actors create a true family feeling between them, squabbles and all, and each portrays the complexities of these very human and well-written characters.
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Colt (Phineas Clark) and Kaysar (Noor Hamdi)
sitting in a tree (photo by Bruce Silcox) |
The set is dominated by a huge and almost magical looking tree (originally created for
Penumbra's Sugar in Our Wounds), with roots crawling halfway across the stage. In the beginning of the play Colt's house is in the process of being built, so we see the frame of the living room with open walls, which are gradually completed, with finishing touches added by Zara and Kaysar, including cute DIY decorations that Zara hangs up. Scene transitions are accompanied by an excellent selection of songs that reflect the three characters' influences - music a teen girl would listen to, Egyptian bands, and country (but a modern, alt kind of country, more nuanced than the '90s country that's playing before the show). The costume design helps us know who these characters are - Zara in typical teen girl clothes, Colt in cowboy chic, Kaysar in soft floral patterns. The sunset is part of the plot, and we almost see it with changes in lighting. (Scenic design by Afsaneh Aayani, sound design by C. Andrew Mayer, costume design by Amber Brown, and lighting design by Kai "KD" Deutsch Frost.)
Telling stories about queer people and immigrants and other communities at risk right now is so important, and something that Pillsbury House has done consistently throughout their history and will no doubt continue to do. Close to Home is a play that beautifully brings these stories to life in a way that humanizes and creates empathy for people who may be different from us, but are just as deserving of life, love, and family.
