Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Into the woods with reid tang’s ISABEL, a surreal dive into the unsettling world gender fluidity

• By drediman
• June 21, 2024
• No Comments

Last night, reid tang’s new play Isabel opened literally on the stage of the Playhouse of Abrons Arts Center in the Lower East Side. A co-presentation by National Asian American Theatre Company (often referred to simply as “NAATCO”) and Long Wharf Theatre as part of the NAATCO National Partnership Project, the piece essentially tells the story of Matt and Harriet, two transgendered siblings of Asian descent, who decide to run away into the woods to strike out and lay claim on their lives and exist in the world on their own terms. As their Puck-like companion — and Harriet’s (or is it Harry’s?) lover — is the elusive Isabel, whose presence in their midst is a mystery even up until the bitter end of the play.

If you couldn’t already tell, Isabel is an aggressively surreal theatrical exercise through and through. In a series of succinct, deliberately opaque scenes — played with as much clarity as possible by a game all-queer/Asian cast — tang reframes and refracts notions of transgenderism, time, and storytelling genres (e.g., horror, fairytales, coming-of-age stories are all stealthily weaved into the work’s narrative fabric). Throughout, the imagery is compelling, namely as it relates to a seemingly living and breathing house, as well as a haunting lone staircase in the middle of the forest (and let’s not forget the backpack!) — such unsettlingly absurdist vibes wouldn’t be be amiss at Summerworks, which is currently drawing crowds not too far away at the wild project (in fact, tang penned Work Hard Have Fun Make History for last year’s iteration of Clubbed Thumb’s popular new play series). If there’s a takeaway from the whole affair, it’s that those brave enough to consider gender fluidity for themselves and pursue authentic lives are delving into a rabbit hole, risking never to return from whence they came.

As directed by Kedian Keohan, the disorientation begins as soon as you walk into the Abrons lobby, with the typical doorways leading into the auditorium blocked by walls of brick (I won’t spoil how audience members get to their seats). Particularly noteworthy are the production’s various inspired design elements — the set is by the ubiquitous design collective dots, but it’s the visceral lighting and sound work that truly make a lasting impression — together creating an overarching atmosphere of dread that keeps tang’s decidedly unmoored play at least tethered to a tangible visual and sonic aesthetic. For theater-goers looking for more adventurous fare this Pride Month, I suggest you check out this hard nut of a play.

RECOMMENDED

ISABEL
Off-Broadway, Play
National Asian American Theatre Company at Abrons Arts Center
1 hour, 10 minutes (without an intermission)
Through July 6