Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Soho Rep’s production of PUBLIC OBSCENITIES by Shayok Misha Chowdhury gorgeously marches to it’s own drum

• By drediman
• March 10, 2023
• No Comments

Last night, I attended Soho Rep’s Off-Broadway production of Public Obscenities by Shayok Misha Chowdhury. Chowdhury’s new play — which is co-presented by the National Asian American Theater — tells the story of Choton, a Bengali American student who returns to Kolkata, India (where he was born) with his cinematographer boyfriend Raheem to interview queer locals for a vaguely specified documentary. Choton and Raheem aren’t the play’s only focal points — the work also delves into the matters of Choton’s aunt and uncle (and their housekeeper), with whom the young Americans are staying. In short, Public Obscenities strikes a unique chord, and I can’t seem to get it out of my system.

Chowdhury’s bilingual piece — its incorporation of Bangla into the dialogue is expertly and effortlessly handled (both with and without the aid of captions) — is a fascinating potpourri of a play that gorgeously marches to the beat of its own drum. It conjures an exotic atmosphere that simultaneously seduces and disorients viewers with the cadences of its own rhythms and logic. The writing throughout is invariably strong — whether in its intense naturalism or occasional poetic tangents. The play tackles many disparate themes and topics, not least of which include language, family, cinema, queerness, and class. Admittedly, the resulting product may not be the neatest of theatrical concoctions, but when is real life ever not?

Besides penning Public Obscenities, Chowdhury also directs. Unsurprisingly, his nuanced staging confidently takes its time and is perfectly attuned to the text, yielding a string passing moments that had me unexpectedly moved and amused. Indeed, I found myself leaning in and actively listening as I rarely do in the theater. Chowdhury also elicits some top-notch performances from his cast, all of whom imbue the play’s diverse array of characters with an authentic, lived-in quality that seethes with vitality and a rich inner life. As Choton, Abrar Haque perfectly embodies a young man caught between many worlds — Indian/American, queer/conservative, outspoken truth/unspoken emotions, youth/aged, personal/professional, and so forth. It’s a brilliant balancing act of a performance that stirred me in startling ways.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

PUBLIC OBSCENITIES
Off-Broadway, Play
Soho Rep
2 hours, 50 minutes (with one intermission)
Through April 9