99 and Under the Radar: Being forced to not look away...

Welcome to 99 AND UNDER THE RADAR: A LOOK AT INDIE THEATER'S MOVERS AND SHAKERS, BroadwayWorld's new weekly series that showcases standout productions and production companies from the independent theater scene in New York City. Each week, independent producer Michael Roderick will be discussing the latest goings on in the theatrical wings, highlighting those with potentially bright futures.

This Week's Title: Being forced to not look away, is one of the best ways to open our eyes

The concept of Ajax in Iraq by Ellen McLaughlin is one that instantly intrigues. Taking the classic Sophocles legend and drawing parallels to the war in Iraq certainly raises an eyebrow or two. That being said, even though I am sure this play is an engaging read, when put into the hands of the masterful Flux Theatre Ensemble it becomes all encompassing. Flux has chosen to call it's current season of theatre "Don't Look Away" and this very accurately describes the inner monologue of the audience at this fascinating production. It's rare to have an experience at the theatre that won't let you go, but this is one of those occasions.

In theatre it is very rare for there to be a unity of the elements. We can see a Broadway show with an amazing set and mediocre acting, a brilliant playwright's work downplayed by actors who don't understand what they are saying, and fantastic actors who end up looking awful because of a lack of direction, but it is incredibly rare that all of the elements come together seamlessly to make for an incredible experience. Under the direction of August Schulenburg, who has crafted this piece down to the finest grain of sand on the stage, that unity has been achieved. From the moment when one enters the theatre to actors in role moving about the space to the second Asa Wember's sound design hits us with what an Iraq radio station might feel like, the audience is brought into this world. When the lights go down and we are introduced to the initial story of Ajax told with power and force by a dynamic Raushanah Simmons as Athena the Goddess of War we are instantly made aware of Schulenburg's use of soundscape. From timed breathing, to grunts and groans, to chairs being slammed, to sand being brushed there is a feeling that the war is indeed all around us and that each sound is important.

The story then moves back and forth between the telling of Ajax's story and the tale of a solider in Iraq named AJ who has begun to worry the people in her unit with her recent desire to isolate herself. The piece continues with haunting lighting provided by Kia Rogers as we are introduced to the life of the soldiers. At this point in the story, the audience is forced to look at how many of these soldiers look at the war. Many familiar names and scenarios are brought up as the audience is challenged to assess what the troops are really fighting for. This crystalizes much later in the play when Athena challenges the audience asking us if we really think that the great battle of the trojan war was really fought for a woman. The parallels are expertly drawn to the current state of unrest regarding WMD's , Osama Bin laden, and Saddam. One incredibly poignant moment comes when a scene is painted of veterans of war staying in a shelter, underscored by rustling of sheets, where one of the women running the shelter challenges the audience about what a yellow ribbon really means when there are veterans homeless everywhere. It's indeed very hard to look away when confronted with our own obliviousness to the war around us. McLaughin intensifies the complexity of the piece by adding in the complications that arise when gender and rank collide in the midst of war. Christina Shipp does an amazing job of capturing the zeitgeist of this and making the parallel between the suffering of Ajax and the suffering of AJ that much more. Joshua Koopman's portrayal of the sergeant she reports to is absolutely chilling and when the audience sees how McLaughlin decides to make AJ go mad, we are further reminded of the casualties of the soul and the honor in war even more so than of the body.

With a set design by Will Lowry that is so elegant it creates the world while giving the chorus so much free space to move, and a true ensemble cast consisting of Raushanah Simmons, Mike Mihn, Chinaza Uche, Sol Crespo, Lori E. Parquet, Tiffany Clementi, Joshua Koopman, Anna Rahn, Matthew Archembault, Chudney Sykes, Christina Shipp, and Stephen Conrad Moore, Ajax in Iraq is a true achievement in ensemble, performance, and technical theatre. Flux consistently raises the bar when it comes to Indie Theatre and this piece has put that bar somewhere in the sky. An explosive 90 minutes with no intermission Ajax in Iraq will live on in the minds and hearts of its audiences long after it's all to short run.

It's always a great thing to see theatre that is educating and challenging it's audience. A show like this is more than performance it's an experience that reverberates in every part of the soul. To purchase tickets go here.