Moira Day

This intense, poetic two-hander about an encounter between a recent migrant and a customs officer may start out as a critique of the Godot-like experience of absurdist circularity that many immigrants face in confronting the official face of red tape, indifference, and bias upon arrival. However, in the expert hands of Saskatoon actors Sima Sheibani (originally from Iran), and Ohad Winkler, (originally from Israel) the conflict progressively deepens into a more tormented, nuanced drama about the struggle of both characters to find a bridge of human connection, hope and communication, however tentative, across the abyss of trauma, personal and historical memory, loss, fragmentation and displacement felt on both sides. The beauty and multi-layered density of the play and performance themselves make this production worth a second viewing. But playing out against the background of recent local as well as national and international incidents, it is undoubtedly also very much a production for the times.