Review: (Toronto / Theatre) The Wanderers

Omar Alex Khan, Kawa Ada (photo by Dahlia Katz)

The Wanderers: A Lesson in Emotional History
by Keely Kwok
@kwokles 

The Wanderers follows an Afghan family’s journey through the years as they flee from war, grapple with a new life in Canada - as well as their relationships with one another - and are haunted by a mysterious and inexplicable presence that brings to the foreground all the sorrow and devastation they thought they had left behind. 

The family’s story consists of five parts: three interactions sandwiched between two monologues that span over nearly 40 years. Now, I will be the first to admit that I am not a huge fan of monologues. I do however have a newfound admiration for the brilliant actresses who delivered them. Like the beautifully bold Dalal Badr who plays young Miriam on the eve of her 14th birthday as she desperately tries to save herself from The Wanderers. Badr is mesmerizing on stage. As Miriam, she has this twinkle in her eye like she knows something you don’t. And she’ll give you a hint but you have to figure the rest out for yourself. In Part Two, Badr also plays another 14-year-old girl named Alice who has CIPA, a condition where you cannot feel pain, heat, cold, or any other nerve related sensation. Same age. Same actress. Entirely new performance. Where Miriam was bold and forthcoming, Badr plays Alice with heartbreaking despair and desolation. Likewise the character of Marie, played by Melanie Janzen, closes the show and emotionally bears all in a performance that can only be described as monstrous. And I mean that in the best way possible. Janzen is an I-am-woman-hear-me-roar actress who demands your attention with her ferocity. Oh and she’s an absolute riot with great comedic timing. 

Sunday Feature: Interview - Playwright Kawa Ada on The Wanderers

Trauma, Collaboration, and Powerhouse Women 
One of the main things is that I want audiences to come away having seen a play from the vantage point of an Afghan.
by Keely Kwok 
@kwokles

Immediately after graduating from The Boston Conservatory, Kawa Ada was cast on Broadway in Bombay Dreams.  Since then, his credits have included shows with Tarragon, Factory, Canadian Stage and three seasons at The Shaw Festival. A past recipient of the Emerging Theatre Artist Award from Canadian Actors' Equity, Kawa is currently the Resident Artist at the Cahoots Theatre Company, where he recently served as the Interim Artistic Director.  Next, Ada stars in Sky Gilbert’s newest play, Hackerlove at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and the film, Jihad Gigolo, which he also wrote.  He was born in Kabul, Afghanistan.  www.KawaAda.com

As I walked into Cahoots theatre to meet playwright and actor Kawa Ada, I stepped right into the middle of cast and crew taking a break from The Wanderers rehearsals. Kawa Ada was mid-bite and jumped up to introduce himself and shake my hand. Kawa exudes a kind of radiant kindness; it’s like a breath of fresh air. He also gave me fair warning that he can be chatty which was great for me because what Ada had to say is spoken with absolute eloquence, fascination, and humility. So, without further ado, here is my interview with the ever charming Kawa Ada. 

CHARPO: Who or what inspired you to write this play, The Wanderers?

ADA: The inspiration really came from my mother. This play is for all intents and purposes homage to her and her beautiful sense of mystery, wonder, and the kind of mythology and superstition with which she raised us. I was a child of war and we fled from the war in Afghanistan after the Soviet invasion. We moved to various countries and finally ended up in Canada when I was about eight years old. My mother’s spirit and energy with which she raised myself and my siblings was so vital when we were fleeing and moving to all these different countries. It really allowed us to have this kind of understanding but also a kind of respect and reverence for the mythic and the unknown. And that really kept our imaginations alive for all of us. 

There’s a character in the play that’s based on my mother, a little girl in the play. She’s an Afghan girl and is based on how I imagined my mother would be as a young girl. The bigger themes of the play are legacy, mythology, family history, and war. And all those things kind of interrelate with my upbringing and my mother is kind of the figure who brought all those things together.