Review: PRESSURE! at ExPats Theatre

You would be hard-pressed to find a play in DC that is more topical than Pressure!, which is having its U.S. premiere at ExPats Theatre. The play, written by Arad Dabiri (and translated and directed by Karin Rosnizeck), is set in Vienna, Austria, but the issues of immigration, racial profiling and the case for public protest, all of which the play addresses, are front and center in many places around the globe, including the United States. In fact, it is spooky how much the background events in the play parallel recent events in the U.S.

Mr. Dabiri is both Austrian and of Iranian descent, similar to the two lead characters in his play: Hassan (Alie Karambash) and Shirin (Ege Yalcinbas). The two are brother and sister born and raised, along with their brother, in Austria, after their parents had come over from Iran. We learn that the family had occasionally returned to Iran for visits while the children were growing up.

When the play opens, Hassan’s and Shirin’s unnamed brother has been arrested for confronting a police officer (in conjunction with shady drug-related activity) and is awaiting sentencing. Hassan, and his three friends, Freddie (Max Jackson), Omar (Elijah Williams) and Murat (Sacha Marvin), and later Shirin are contemplating how to respond to the brother’s harsh treatment while he is in police custody, facing the impending threat of a significant prison sentence. The friends are from diverse backgrounds: White European, Black African, and Arab.

Shirin and Hassan represent two distinct viewpoints of immigrant families. Shirin believes the best way forward for Iranians in Austria is through integration, personal achievement and not ruffling feathers.  She echoes views instilled in her by her mother. By contrast, Hassan cherishes his Iranian heritage and is hesitant to integrate. Hassan believes in taking responsibility and protesting against the oppression and racial profiling that the Iranian community has faced in Vienna, even if this means dropping out of school.

Occasionally, Shirin or another character provides exposition and definitions of terms (such as “Identitarianism”) or foreign language words (e.g., “Kanake,” a racial slur for middle eastern immigrants) that are projected on the screen at the back of the set. I appreciated these explanations, and Tennessee Dixon’s pithy projections.

We learn in the play that Vienna has suffered from extreme pro-Islam-related violence (such as shootings in 2020) and there has been a rise in the far-right political movement called the FPO (the freedom party of Austria) and anti-Muslim sentiment. This has led to protests that may start off peacefully but can lead to violence when the opposition reacts.

Much of the action is set around a park bench at which Hassan, Freddie, Omar and Murat congregate, with periodic visits from Shirin. Dixon’s set is sparse but works for the various book scenes in conjunction with projections, and is enhanced by Ian Claar’s strong lighting design.

What is most striking in the play is the language, rhythm and movement when the characters speak. The three friends operate as a type of Greek chorus at times, speaking together sometimes and other times bantering with, or speaking over, each other. Shirin and Hassan come in and out of the eloquent verbal flow. The language is poetic, exciting and extremely effective. One line in the play that resonates throughout is: “”You either become someone or fall from the sixth floor.”  Kudos to Karin Rosnizeck for her English translation that captures the incendiary spirit, as well as for her tight direction. The characters’ emotional wandering around the set is well choreographed by Laura Aresi.

Occasionally, a character will step forward and speak a monologue accompanied by close-up projections of their faces and a musical underscore. The monologues help us understand where each of the characters is coming from. For example, we learn that Freddie’s grandfather had been part of the Nazi movement.

This is a play about perspectives and the importance allowing for differing viewpoints to be expressed. The production successfully conveys this theme. Each of the ensemble of actors is solid. The standout for me was Yalcinbas’ Shirin.

While I found the writing to be excellent on the whole, I did feel that the massive protest occurring toward the end of the play, prompted by seemingly limited social media content posted by the friends, to develop too quickly, and thought it surprising that Hassan plays a relatively limited role in the developments leading up to the violent protest when it is all about his brother (though Hassan does play a key role at the actual event).

Still, all in all, this is a very good play and an impressive debut from Arad Dabiri. I am truly excited to see future works by this playwright.