By Andrew Hamlin
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Yun Theatre director Christie Zhao always keeps her eyes open for new plays. In the case of Yun’s new production, however, it helped that she loved the playwright in the first place.
“I have always been a Christopher Chen fan,” related Zhao, who directed Chen’s play, “Passage,” for Yun starting Sept. 12. “I saw a production of ‘Passage’ at UW two years ago. That was my first encounter. Last year, I directed [Chen’s] ‘Caught’ at StrawJAM [arts festival] and when they invited me back to participate in the festival this year, I immediately chose ‘Passage.’ The surrealism of Chen’s work always draws me in, and the subject matter of colonialism has been more than relevant right now.
The more Zhao studied the play, inspired by English author E.M. Forster’s novel “A Passage to India,” the more impressed she grew.
“The play presents 12 characters, 10 of whom have alphabetical names, and I was immediately intrigued to know more about them. ‘Passage’ offers a range of perspectives, and though some of the characters initially opposed my own views, I began to see their points and their humanity. It was the right play at the right time, as I began to unwrap my own internal colonialism this year with everything that’s happening in the world.
“The play poses a critical question without providing a direct answer, which led me to reflect on how power operates in our current world and how we might change that. As I read and re-read the script, I became more engaged with the material realities of neocolonialism and the class/intersectional differences between the characters. I also started to notice even more layers within the play: The tension between how others perceive you and who you believe you are, and how difficult it is to escape your social position while still seeing the humanity in others.”
Zhao led a workshop presentation of the play at StrawJAM, then the Yun ensemble decided collectively to make the play part of Yun’s new season.
The action’s set in the fictional Country X, which is a neocolonial client of Country Y. The play follows B, a local doctor, and F, an expat teacher, as they form a friendship that becomes strained after a fateful trip to a local attraction.
Chen’s play takes inspiration from the famous Forster novel, said the director, but moves in a new direction.
“The play raises crucial issues surrounding power, privilege, and the complexities of forming genuine human connections amidst imbalances of power. It explores the ways in which colonial and neocolonial structures impact not only political relationships but also personal interactions, where trust and understanding are difficult to achieve due to inherent inequality.
By setting the story in the fictional Country X, Chen removes the historical specificity of colonialism and instead creates a more universally accessible narrative, where the audience can project their own interpretations of power dynamics onto the characters. Through conversations and conflicts between characters from Country X and Country Y, the play probes into whether true friendship and empathy are possible across vast power differentials and how societal structures shape personal relationships.”
Working in the 12th Avenue Arts Studio Theatre presented its own particular challenges.
“This is my first time working in a traverse space, which presents unique challenges for blocking and staging. We’ve had to rethink how we engage with the audience on multiple sides, but it’s been an exciting challenge that adds a new level of intimacy to the performance.
“Another challenge has been ensuring the audience doesn’t get confused with the characters, since they all have alphabet names. However, we’ve all agreed that the discourse is more important than figuring out who is who. To help with clarity, we color-coded the different countries, made the characters’ roles clear in our marketing campaign, and put a lot of thought into movement and costume to help the actors embody and then de-role from their characters at the end.”
Asked to sum up “Passage,” Zhao stressed the personal as it relates to the political.
“I hope the audience leaves with a deeper awareness of the power dynamics that exist in their own daily relationships. I want them to experience an emotional catharsis by the end of the play, feeling the weight of those dynamics on a personal level.
“My goal is to create a space where people can feel a sense of communion, even if they can’t see each other. Where we acknowledge the reality of our world and choose to persist despite it.”
“Passage” plays through Sept. 28 at the 12th Avenue Arts Studio Theatre, 1620 12th Avenue #203 in Seattle.
For tickets, showtimes, and other information, visit https://yun-theatre.com/passage.