Pass Over

B-

Someone cleverer than me summarized Antoinette Nwandu’s powerful play at LCT3's Claire Tow Theater as “Waiting for Godot meets Black Lives Matter.” That isn’t a bad description. Two young homeless black men, Moses (Jon Michael Hill; Superior Donuts) and Kitch (Namir Smallwood; Pipeline) are trapped on a decrepit urban block where they go through a daily routine of verbal games and daydreaming about escaping to the Promised Land, a routine occasionally punctuated by the reality of imminent violence. They are unable to break away from their awful corner. Two visitors arrive, Mister (Gabriel Ebert; 4000 Miles, Matilda the Musical), a seemingly benign but slightly creepy gentleman all dressed in white who has become lost on the way to his mother’s and offers the men the humorously vast array of food in his picnic basket. Their second visitor is Ossifer (also Ebert), a policeman, whose behavior is far from benign. For a surrealistic moment, Moses gains the powers of his namesake and vanquishes Ossifer. However, this story cannot realistically have a happy ending. Mister returns and shows his true colors with tragic results. As the final scene progresses, the house lights are gradually turned up as if to implicate the audience in the proceedings. It’s a highly theatrical work, ably directed by Danya Taymor (queens). The scenic design by Winston Chin (Next Fall, My Mañana Comes) is appropriately depressing and the costumes by Serafina Bush are apt. The sound design by Justin Ellington (Pipeline) makes ironic use of “Oh What a Beautiful Morning.” The lighting design by Marcus Doshi plays an important role in the production. I had to struggle to overcome my discomfort with the language; every fifth word is the N word. It’s a rough, uneven, occasionally muddled piece, but its energy is undeniable. Running time: 85 minutes, no intermission. NOTE: Spike Lee filmed a performance of the play at Steppenwolf, available to watch online by those who have Amazon Prime.