What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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GET GREAT BRANSON DEALS sent directly to your phone! Text BRANSON to 82928 Message and data rates may apply. Text STOP to cancel. Go to taponitdeals.com/terms for privacy and terms. FEBRUARY 9-15, 2020 WHAT'S UP! 11 Tough Topic, Compelling Tale LARA JO HIGHTOWER NWA Democrat-Gazette O ne of the most divisive election years in history was officially kicked off — with rampant chaos — in Iowa this week. The political environment of the United States is as polarized as it's ever been. In other words, it's perfect timing for the University Theatre's production of John Walch's "In the Book Of," a show that deftly illustrates the complicated layers beneath one of the controversial topics — immigration — that continues to roil our country. The fact that it showcases a cast of strong actors in the process is a bonus. Director Michael Landman — who took on last year's "Clybourne Park" — says it's no coincidence that he's signed on to direct politically relevant pieces for the past couple of years. "When I direct, I first must fall in love with the play itself," he says. "And after that, yes, the thematic similarities are not a coincidence. With such significant challenges and tensions in our country right now, I'm passionate to create theater that encourages dialogue and the possibility of change. 'In the Book Of' has characters who are in pain and fearful, leading to judgment, isolation and violence. It asks, 'Can we see each other as human beings first and embrace the possibility of peaceful, joyful coexistence?'" Inspired by an ancient story — the Bible's Book of Ruth — the plot is incisively current. In Walch's retelling of the biblical tale, Naomi, a soldier who served in Afghanistan, feels the tug of loyalty for her Afghan interpreter, Anisah, when it's time for her to return to the United States. Walch's play has proven to be remarkably prescient: Written in 2011 and inspired by that year's passage of Alabama House Bill 56 — widely considered the harshest anti- immigration bill in the nation, which, among other things, required public schools to report suspected illegal immigrant students and criminalized the transporting and hiring of suspected illegal immigrants — the script's subject matter has only become more relevant under the strict federal immigration and refugee policies of the current administration. Despite legislation passed in 2008 in an attempt to allow Iraqi and Afghan interpreters entry into the U.S. to avoid retaliation in their own country for working with the U.S. military, fewer and fewer have been granted special visas in the intervening years. The International Refugee Assistance Project estimated that, in 2014, an Afghan interpreter was being killed every 36 hours. In the current context, then, Naomi's obligation to make sure Anisah escapes peril for assisting her during her time in Afghanistan takes on an even greater urgency than it did when the play was first produced. Aware of the danger of leaving behind her friend, Naomi pledges to bring Anisah back to her hometown in Mississippi. "Be prepared — some people will hate you," she warns Anisah of her hometown, where dire economic straits have inspired some to look for scapegoats to blame for the downturn in the economy. Indeed, the next scene opens on Gail, Naomi's sister-in-law, delivering a powerhouse speech to declare her candidacy for mayor of the small Southern town, her raw, passionate manifesto as laced with xenophobia as it is with humor. (Walch often tempers the serious subject matter of his play with well-placed and 'In The Book Of' weighs who, how to be American "'In The Book Of' tells a story that grapples with the most contentious argument in America today: who should be allowed to be called 'American,'"notes actor Leah Smith. "What I love about this show, and all good theater, is that it brings the audience closer to understanding both sides of the argument and empathize with why people feel the way they do. If the people as a whole can understand and relate to where the opposite sides are coming from, that is the first step to resolving our differences. It's a story that America and the world should be hearing." Pictured are Riley Newsome as Bo Jr. and Melissa Monzabi as Anisah. (Courtesy Photo/University Theatre) FAYETTEVILLE See Book Of Page 12 FAQ 'In the Book Of' WHEN — 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14-15; 2 p.m. Feb. 16; again Feb. 19-23 WHERE — University of Arkan- sas Black Box Theater at the Global Campus, 2 E. Center St., Fayetteville COST — $5-$20 INFO — 575-4752