Public Obscenities, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Washington, DC
Theatre may be the best way for us to understand other people, other times, other cultures, in a more immediate and personal way than reading about it or seeing a documentary, because in real time we are watching and getting to know people who are living in that “other” culture. Public Obscenities, the current offering at Woolly Mammoth Theatre, is an excellent example of an audience being exposed to a very different world than the one in which it lives.
Public Obscenities is written and directed by Shayok Misha Chowdhury. This production is a partnership between Woolly Mammoth, Soho Rep, and the National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) National Partnership Project, and co-presented with Theatre for a New Audience. The play enjoyed a critically-praised, award-winning off-Broadway run earlier in 2023, and will continue at Woolly Mammoth through December 23.
Public Obscenities focuses on Choton, an Indian-born graduate student pursuing a doctorate in film studies and gender studies at a university in the United States, where he and his parents have lived for some time. He has returned to his family’s home in Kolkota to research attitudes of the Bangla people regarding matters of gender. He is joined on the trip by his African American lover, Raheem, who will film the interviews Choton conducts. Choton relishes the opportunity to introduce Raheem to his Bangla background.
Choton and Raheem are staying in the home of Choton’s aunt and uncle, Pishimoni and Pishe. Prominent on the wall of their home is a black-and-white photograph of Pishimoni’s father (Choton’s grandfather), whose gaze seems to take in all that happens in the home. (Choton turns the portrait around when he and Rasheem are about to get intimate.) He is a mysterious figure, worshiped by his daughter, who does not hesitate to remind her husband that they are living in her father’s house and not his. There is a strong current of spirituality between Pishimoni and her father. When an old camera is discovered and the film in it developed, the characters learn more about the grandfather, though exactly what is never made completely clear.
Abrar Haque as Choton, Gargi Mukherjee as Pishe, and Gloam Sarwar Harun as Jitesh in Public Obscenities. Photo credit: Teresa Castracane.
Also living in the house is Jitesh, a sort of housekeeper/servant. We meet two subjects that Choton interviews, the outspoken and outlandish Shou and her friend Sebanti. Shou’s and Sebanti’s stories challenge Choton’s preconceptions of the Bangla people.
What the play really is about, however, is the dichotomy that is Choton. Choton navigates easily between two worlds: the world of American academia and his family’s Bangla roots. The dialogue in the play moves back and forth between English and Bangla. Choton often translates for Raheem’s benefit (and the audience’s). Sometimes the English translation is projected onto the stage, but there are also times when the audience understands what is happening or being discussed in Bangla without needing translation. Choton acknowledges both cultures and their influences on his character, and though he appears to move easily between the two, there is also an element of discomfort with each. He does not appear to be wholly confident and comfortable in either one.
As mentioned earlier, Shayok Misha Chowdhury is both the playwright and the director of this production. As a playwright, he has a special gift for creating naturalistic dialogue as well as compelling characters. As a director, he utilizes the spaces well and ensures that his cast members are well in sync. He stages the illusion of sexual acts between Choton and Raheem in a way that is not explicit or sensational, but essential to the storytelling.
If an audience expects to see explicit or sensational material based on the play’s titillating title, they will be disappointed. Although the play is definitely adult in nature and deals frankly with sexual issues, the phrase comes up when Choton is interviewing Shou. She reports having been accused of the crime because of things she has said to a policeman, who discovers a condom in her purse. The phrase refers to laws established during the period of British colonial rule, which defined “public obscenities” as a crime: any action, movement, or music that might be found “annoying” to others. It is a thinly-disguised means for the colonial rulers keeping the India natives in their “place” by criminalizing certain behaviors. The play suggests that such laws may still be on the books.
Director Chowdhury has assembled a talented, almost totally bilingual cast. (Rasheem is the only character without Bangla dialogue.) Abrar Haque is outstanding as Choton, who perfectly captures the two sides of his cultural persona, and (to a great extent) embodies some apparent traits of the playwright himself. Haque effortlessly makes the transitions between languages and cultures and appears to enjoy his role as translator or cultural interpreter. Haque also shows us the insecurity of a young academic seeking acceptance in that world. He is well-matched by Jakeem Dante Powell as Rasheem. Rasheem comes across as Choton’s equal, though he clearly indicates that he is the cinematographer and not the director of the film Choton is making. There is an easy connection between the characters created by the actors from the beginning, though it will be challenged before the play’s conclusion. Rasheem is the outsider here, though he and his relationship with Choton are accepted unquestioningly by the Bangla characters.
Gargi Mukherjee and Debashis Roy Chowdhury are a likable couple as Pishimoni and Pishe, Choton’s aunt and uncle and his hosts for Choton’s visit. Mukherjee shows a playfulness of her character, but never lets us forget her place (and power) as the daughter of the man in the photograph. As Pishe, Chowdhury has a casual demeanor and keen sense of humor. Golam Sarwar Harun is unassuming as Jitesh, whose character is less defined than the others. Harun also proves to be a strong singer and keen observer. Tashnuva Anan has a fine time as the outspoken Shou, who relishes her ability to shock Choton. NaFis as Sebanti is onstage long enough for us to be curious about the character, though we never get a full sense of what the character’s purpose is.
NaFis as Sebanti, Abrar Haque as Choton, and Tashnuva Anan as Shou in Public Obscenities. Photo credit: Teresa Castracane.
Design elements in the production are strong, particularly the scenic design by Peiyi Wong. Wong has created a realistic “home” on the stage, the interior of a house that appears to be lived in by the characters. She has also provided ample and appropriate “blank” spaces where subtitles or other images can be projected. Johnny Moreno is responsible for the video and projection design. (An observation: based on this and their recent production of Mama and the Full-Scale Invasion, Woolly Mammoth integrates projection and film with the stage more seamlessly than I have seen in other productions.) Enver Chakartash’s costumes, Tei Blow’s sound design, and Tommy Kurzman’s hair and wig designs help complete the look and sound of the play.
My only real issue with design is the lighting by Barbara Samuels. While mostly effective, there is a sizable portion of Act I between Choton and Raheem that occurs at night on a bed covered by mosquito netting. The stage is so dark that the actors can barely be seen. The illusion of the dark room could easily have been conveyed convincingly with a bit more illumination.
Jakeem Dante Powell as Raheem and Gargi Mukherjee as Pishe in Public Obscenities, featuring the scenic design by Peiyi Wong and lighting design by Barbara Samuels. Note the portrait on the wall of Pishimoni's father. Photo credit: Teresa Castracane.
As both playwright and director, Shayok Misha Chowdhury appears that he is a servant to two masters. I believe he favors his role as playwright over his role as director. Because this is such a personal story, he is most likely not as objective about the script as another director could be. At a running time of just under three hours, the play seems at least a half hour longer than it should be. The play is often paced so slowly and deliberately that it loses the attention of some in the audience. Chowdhury the playwright manages many different lines of action, but might do well to sharpen the focus on the most important of these. One subplot, in which Pishe engages in online chat flirtation with a woman in the United States, is humorous but occupies more time than I think is justified and adds little to our understanding of Pishe as a character. Putting an extended chat conversation into projected subtitles feels inherently undramatic and untheatrical.
Though I believe the script could be improved, Chowdhury’s work as a playwright shows a great deal of promise. His voice as a playwright representing a significant and underrepresented group is needed and deserves to be shared. I look forward to what he will choose as the subject matter for his next play.
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