WEST ORANGE, NJ — Antoinette Nwandu’s searing and poetic new play “Pass Over” will be performed at Luna Stage from Thursday, Feb. 6, through Sunday, March 1. The play premiered at Steppenwolf in Chicago, where it was filmed by Spike Lee and launched considerable press controversy, then moved to Lincoln Center where it was awarded the 2019 Lucille Lortel Award for Best New Play.
Directed by Devin E. Haqq, “Pass Over” is a provocative, contemporary mashup of “Waiting for Godot” and the Exodus saga. Moses and Kitch stand around on the corner talking smack, passing the time and hoping that today a miracle will come. They stand by a lamppost in a present-day ghetto, but it’s also a plantation, and it’s also Egypt, a city built by slaves. In this world, the two young black men dream about a promised land they’ve yet to find.
“This play is a profound comment on white supremacy and the systems of oppression that have continued to stifle, confine, and attack black and brown bodies for centuries,” Haqq said in a press release. “The piece brilliantly packages these themes within the language of poetry, humor and surprise. I’m blown away by the potential this play has to jolt the hearts and minds of audiences, and inspire dialogue on these issues, which is vitally needed in our current sociopolitical climate.”
Previous productions of “Pass Over” have met with considerable controversy. In Chicago, a veteran Sun Times critic’s review of the world premiere was met with backlash; Steppenwolf Theatre called the critic to task for allegedly reflecting “deep-seated bigotry and a painful lack of understanding of this country’s historic racism.” At Echo Theater Company in Los Angeles, creative disagreements led to the production’s cancellation just days before opening.
Luna Artistic Director Ari Laura Kreith said she responded to the play’s “moving portrayal of deep friendship between its two protagonists, juxtaposed with a searing critique of systemic racism.”
“Pass Over” is performed Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase at www.LunaStage.org or by calling OvationTix at 866-811-4111. Opening night tickets include a post-show party with cast and creative team. For group sales, email info@lunastage.org.
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