SEE IT: Signature’s “Selling Kabul” is an adequate production of a breathtaking play
Let’s set the scene: For the last four months, Taroon (Mazin Akar) has been hiding from the Taliban, who want him dead for helping the Americans. His sister Afiya (Awesta Zarif) and her husband Jawid (Yousof Sultani) have painstakingly hidden him from sight and have made preparations for his eventual escape. On the day of his son’s birth, Taroon frantically awaits the online delivery of his American visa so he can flee Afghanistan with his family. But the walls begin closing in as their neighbor Leyla (Neagheen Homaifar) and the Taliban become more suspicious of his whereabouts. Taroon is now in a race against the clock, as he risks losing his family, his security, and his life.
If you have been following this blog, you know that I never begin my reviews with the “Let’s set the scene” section. I usually begin with some cheeky writing on my initial impressions of a production. So why start with describing the plot?
Sylvia Khoury’s Selling Kabul is a dramatic masterpiece (and, in my UnProfessional Opinion, should have won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama). It is brilliantly written, with an exceptionally well-structured plot that breathtakingly builds in suspense throughout its runtime. I am in awe of its important, meticulously crafted story. It is a play that has the power to elicit gasps from its audience, leaving you constantly on the edge of your seat. It is also an actor’s dream script, with the character’s given circumstances being at the most extreme, with the highest of stakes. The play is excellent, but Signature Theatre’s production falls short of meeting its extraordinary potential, with acting and direction that need further finesse.
So back to Let’s set the scene: Taroon is being hunted by the Taliban; his son has just been born (two weeks early!); his American visa isn’t here yet; the next-door neighbor is on the verge of discovering his whereabouts; and on and on. This is the most extreme situation to be in, and yet the performances and the direction lack the intensity that the script requires. (At some points it felt like acting class scenework.) The play starts at an 8, but the production starts at a 5. I acknowledge that some less-discerning audiences will be okay with this, but I find it to not only be missed potential, it hinders the storytelling. Because the actors have not raised the stakes high enough, their characters’ actions did not seem sufficiently motivated. What was logical for the plot seemed random or abrupt onstage. Instead of the characters living the story, I frequently saw the reserved actors just doing their blocking or saying the next line. Had they heightened their motivations and amped up their sense of urgency to stay alive, the production would have had such a stronger, more resounding impact. The performances lacked nuance and sophistication, and it became rather frustrating to watch these missed opportunities to build tension and deepen the emotional core of the story.
(Sounds pretty critical for a SEE IT review, right?)
But there is much good to be found in this production. The ensemble cast has fantastic chemistry and interplay. Any time Mazin Akar’s Taroon spoke of his desperation to see his son, to see if he was healthy and has all ten fingers and toes, his emotional connection broke my heart. Awesta Zarif was unwavering as his sister Afiya, despite how heavy the weight of the situation kept becoming. She balanced Afiya’s ferocious protectiveness and sly manipulation very well. Neagheen Homaifar was marvelous as the increasingly determined and suspicious Leyla. The range in her performance was quite remarkable. And Yousof Sultani’s gentle, steadfast Jawid played a wonderful contrast to his more anxious wife.
While I take issue with the level of intensity, director Shadi Ghaheri neatly navigated the play’s emotional trajectory. The build was steady and satisfying. She embellished the storytelling with a strong variety of character business and kept the blocking concise and sharp. And for a two-hour play with a plot that happens in real-time, the pacing was well-driven, commanding your attention.
The design elements are quite superb in this production. Tony Cisek’s set is gorgeous and incredibly effective. The wide, uncluttered apartment became an arena for their battle for life and death. Showing the hallway outside of the apartment was a great touch, adding to the suspense of who might catch or overhear Taroon. John D. Alexander’s lighting design and Matt Otto’s sound design made the environment stunningly real. I loved the remaining glow of sunset sneaking through the gaps in the curtains and the sound of a truck pulling up outside the apartment. The story of the plot already pulls you in, but the production design transports you into that apartment, with the ever-present threat of the world outside of it.
This is by far the most dramatic play I have ever seen from Signature. I would have never imagined seeing this produced here, especially after the fabulously comedic Which Way to the Stage. (Honestly, this seems like the kind of play Studio Theatre would produce, both in content and style.) Overall, the production checks the necessary boxes of the play, but I wish it could have been as outstanding as the writing clearly is, with very logical fixes. Despite my nitpicking, it is a satisfying production of a truly fantastic play, and it is my UnProfessional Opinion that you SEE Selling Kabul.
Selling Kabul by Sylvia Khoury
Directed by Shadi Ghaheri
Signature Theatre
February 21 — April 2, 2023
