Review: UNSEEN Demands an Audience at Capital Stage

Capital Stage continues its 20th Anniversary season with a stark look at the price paid by those who are on the frontlines of the atrocities happening in the world. Unseen, by Mona Mansour, explores what happens to the human psyche when we don’t have the luxury of turning a blind eye to violence and suffering. What happens when we turn into the ones who are unseen?

Set in a series of non-linear scenes, Unseen shows us the world of conflict through the lens of a photojournalist, Mia (Brittni Barger), who wants to make a difference. She strives to give faces to the suffering, the marginalized, the ones who have been forgotten. She begins the play fresh-faced and optimistic as she’s documenting a teacher in a bombed-out classroom, tentatively asking permission to photograph and unsure as she’s met with a passionate promise of resistence. We then encounter her sometime in the future in a comfortable Turkish apartment. She’s being cared for by her ex-partner, Derya (Rasha Zamamiri), after she’s been found unconscious at the site of a massacre. As they try to piece together what happened, with the help of Mia’s well-meaning but out-of-touch mother, Jane (Jamie Jones), the audience is taken on a journey of self-reflection and ethics. In a time when many of us are feeling weary with what’s going on in the world, this is a salient look at the very real toll that conflict takes on our mental health and the importance of preserving it.

Benjamin T. Ismail masterfully directs this unique piece with a trio of incomparable actors.  As always, Barger is a study in professionalism. Her interpretation of Mia brings sensitivity, strength, and a beautiful vulnerability to the role. Zamamiri is perfect as Derya and others. She’s direct and dynamic, sure of her role as a teacher, caregiver, confidante, and anything else she tackles. Jones is also excellent as Jane, but her most powerful performance comes as the mother of Travis, a soldier killed in action. She exudes such raw, unfiltered, and visceral emotion that we’re left breathless and gutted. Everything about Unseen demands to be seen: smart writing, a cohesive cast, dynamic projections by Ethan Hollinger, dramatic lighting by Shae Mercer, and Tricia Tecson’s versatile set design. It’s one of the must-see shows of the year.

Unseen plays at Capital Stage through June 8. More information and tickets may be found online at Capstage.org, by telephone at (916) 995-5464, or in person at the Box Office at 2215 J Street in Sacramento.

Sacramento Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. LITTLE WOMEN THE MUSICAL (Sutter Street Theatre)

14.1% of votes

2. FUN HOME (Lyric Rose Theatre)

11.9% of votes

3. IN THE HEIGHTS (Broadway at Music Circus)

8.9% of votes

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