Although you haven't seen him for years, he has invited you to Kigali and is excited about the project. But when you arrive early in 1994 with your new wife, Linda, a writer intent on making her own discoveries, and your teenage son, Geoffrey, with whom you're trying to rebuild a relationship, your friend has disappeared. And no one seems concerned about finding him.
In fact, everywhere you turn, you get a conflicting story - about him, about his work, about what is actually happening in the country. You and your family are strangers in an unfamiliar place. Whom do you trust? Which do you choose: your family's safety or your friend's?
This is the situation facing Jack, the main character of J.T. Rogers' "The Overwhelming," which opened Salt Lake Acting Company's season. The play is a powerful portrait of a family caught in accelerating chaos as Rwanda teeters on the brink of genocide.
"If the world were flat, this would be the edge," an American diplomat tells Jack. Part political thriller, part an incisive study of family, communal and governmental relationships as differences deepen, "The Overwhelming" grows tenser and denser as it builds to a climax where Jack faces an irreconcilable decision.
The play pivots on a series of contrasts: the beauty of the countryside versus the ugliness of what is occurring; the search for truth versus the lies that constitute the fabric of daily life; the admonition to "open your eyes and see" versus the reality that nothing is clear. And as always with Rogers, there's eloquent language: "We are a small dirty Band-Aid on a large festering wound," a UN major tells Jack.
Kevin Doyle's friendly look and determination to do what's best are perfect for Jack, while Peder Melhuse's Charles crackles with cynicism. Victor Mack's Joseph overlays his serene confidence with an air of mystery, and Victor Morris is suave yet sinister as Samuel. Yolanda Wood's bright, take-charge Linda contrasts neatly with Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin's earnest Elise. Andy Rindlisbach's impetuous Geoffrey meshes deftly with Carleton Bluford's eager-to-please Gérard. Nick O'Donnell handles his two characters adeptly, although the accents are sometimes hard to penetrate.
Keven Myhre's taut direction moves the action firmly forward, especially in the second act, and his set of warm wood latticework and corrugated meta suggests the extremes in Rwandan lifestyle. Z's muted lighting and K.L. Alberts' costumes create a strong sense of place.
Rwanda is not an isolated incident, where we can shrug our shoulders and say, "Yes, it was horrific, but it's over now." A similar situation exists today in Darfur, and once again the world is standing by and watching. Can individuals, as Jack believes, make a difference? It's time to find out.
