Listening to Other’s Voices

The Alley

Itamar Moses is the 2017 Tony Award-winning playwright of the libretto for the Broadway musical, THE BAND’S VISIT. He also wrote the book for the more recent musical, DEAD OUTLAW.  His more recent play, THE ALLY, which premiered at New York’s Public Theater in 2024, is a very different animal. This drama is much more a collection of ideas and the arguments in support or against them, rather than a play in the traditional sense. Filled with passionate political pleas to convince and advocate for change and choosing sides, THE ALLY is theatrically impressive, especially in Jeremy Wechsler’s incredibly fervid, almost frenzied production. 

Mr. Moses’ play gives voice to the burning beliefs of six  ethnically diverse, eloquent and emotionally invested characters. They spend the two-and-a-half hour play continually battering Asaf Sternheim, the main character, until he’s at the point of breaking. Throughout all the debates, arguments and verbal attacks, the audience is provided a feast of food for thought. But as a play, the one element that is missing from the script is an ability to emotionally move the audience. THE ALLY will impress. It will make theatergoers think. And, hopefully, it will inspire audiences to listen to other people’s voices.

So what’s THE ALLY about? At an unnamed, but “prestigious American university in a struggling American city,” Asaf is a struggling middle-aged playwright and part-time instructor of scriptwriting. He has Jewish family roots, but claims to be an atheist. Asaf is married to Gwen Kim, a smart, college administrator, who’s also Asian-American. Gwen suggests to her husband that he should become involved in some sort of additional activity. Baron, Asaf’s most promising student, asks him to sign a manifesto he’s written that condemns police brutality against the Black community, especially as it relates to the unjustified killing of his African-American cousin. Asaf is reluctant to add his name because there’s also some strong language and controversial criticism of the Israel-Palestine conflict. But this could be the additional activity he needs. However, the manifesto, which written by Nakia Clark, Asaf’s ex-girlfriend, causes him to face some uncomfortable questions concerning his religion and identity. 

After Asaf signed the document, two more students arrive,  seeking his support. Rachel and Farid show up at his office to request that Asaf sponsor a new Jewish student group. One of the new group’s activities will be to host a controversial speaker who’s skeptical of Israel. Shortly after Asaf reluctantly agrees to be their sponsor, he’s visited by another student. Reuven, a PhD student of Jewish history, launches into a passionately persuasive lecture, berating the instructor for lending his support to the group and asking Asaf to admit that he’s made a mistake. Reuven claims that the instructor is being taken advantage of and that the group is promoting antisemitism. And this is just the beginning of the many issues unpacked in Itamar Moses’ provocative drama.  

Jeremy Wechsler proves, once again, that he’s an exceptionally skilled and gifted young director. He’s drawn some especially astounding, jaw-dropping and—dare I say—career-making performances out of his brilliant cast. Each actor/character gets his or her moment to shine, especially in Act II. 

As Asaf Sternheim, the drama’s main character and the playwright’s spokesman, Jordan Shappell is simply magnificent.  Like most of the cast, this actor’s is making his Theater Wit debut. As a fellow actor, I cannot imagine memorizing the amount of lines Asaf has and then spitting them out, as he does, at lightning speed! Mr. Shappell is fully invested in his role and relates honestly with every character. He comes off as three-dimensional and realistic. This, despite the temptation to play the character as merely a receptor for the many political arguments aimed at him, Mr. Shappell is phenomenal. 

K Chinthana Sotakoun is equally impressive and absolutely down-to-earth as Gwen, Asaf’s sassy, shrewd and loving wife. As Baron, DeVaughn Asante Loman is sometimes soft-spoken but shows himself to be an eloquent and enthusiastic critic of the uncalled for brutality of the police. Sharyon Culberston is powerful as Nakia, Baron’s mentor and Asaf’s former love interest. She also portrays a more sedate learned rabbi in the final scene.

Mira Kessler portrays Rachel Klein, the intelligent and verbose young student who thinks Asaf would be the perfect faculty sponsor for their new Jewish student group. As fellow student Farid El Masry, a student for Palestinian Justice, Eliyah Ghaeini stays quietly in the background in his first encounter with Asaf. Truth be told, anyone would have a hard time getting a word in between Rachel’s long-winded lectures. But in the Act II, Mr. Ghaeini dazzles in such a powerful parlance that it drives the spirited student to mount a table top in defiance. And Evan Ozer is remarkable as Reuven Fisher, the graduate student who attempts to persuade Asaf that he’s mistakenly lent his support to the wrong student group.

In addition to Jeremy Wechsler’s expert direction and his talented cast, another strong character emerges in this production. It’s a drop-dead gorgeous scenic design. The college library, with its revealing windows, seamlessly provides intimate seating areas that become a living room, an instructor’s office and, with some rearrangement of the furniture, a lecture hall. This breathtaking setting comes from the impeccable artistry of Joe Schermoly, and his attention to detail is breathtaking. 

Questions are raised, topics get discussed, tensions arise and thought-provoking issues continually surface in THE ALLY. This provocative, controversial drama was written by the talented, award-winning librettist of THE BAND’S VISIT, Itamar Moses. His new drama depicts a protagonist who becomes mixed up in a very complicated entanglement. The series of incidents challenge Asaf to examine his liberalism, marital and Jewish commitments. All manner of issues are bantered around through debates, arguments and verbal attacks. The problem is that the play, as skillful as it is, doesn’t speak to the theatergoer. Nothing really moves the audience. This isn’t lighthearted entertainment, by any means, but maybe it will cause people to actually hear what others are saying. Perhaps we’ll start listening to other people’s voices.              

Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented March 30-May 2 by Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago.

Tickets are available at the Box Office, by calling 773-975-8150 or by going to www.TheaterWit.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.