At the end of the opening night performance of Trinity Rep’s world premiere of “Someone Will Remember Us” last Wednesday, audience members rose to their feet — in the midst of audible sighs, sniffles and sobs — and gave the eight-person cast a prolonged and well-deserved standing ovation.
A solemn but steady standing ovation that was only paused when Rachael Warren — a Trinity resident company member who plays Actor 7 and Regina, a grieving Gold Star mother whose daughter, Holly, was killed during the Iraqi conflict — hopped down from the stage and into the audience to offer ways for us, the still-stunned audience, to process the heart-break we had just experienced.
The play — on stage through Feb. 23 — brings to life the painful, powerful, touchingly beautiful real-life stories of resettled refugees and Iraqi War veterans — from our very region — whose lives have been permanently altered by war.
Written by Deborah Salem Smith and Charlie Thurston, and co-created by Smith, Thurston and Michelle Cruz, the play is carefully directed by Christopher Windom with simple scenic design by Tanya Orellana, costumes by Shahrzad Mazsheri, lighting by Emma Deane, exquisite sound by Peter Sasha Hurowitz, vocal and dialect coaching by Sade Namei and stage management by Polly Feliciano.
Along with Warren, the extraordinary eight-person ensemble cast — who move artfully off and on the stage in ballet-like synchronicity, often moving furniture as they glided along — includes Trinity resident company member Stephen Thorne, who plays thee roles (excellently, as always) including that of army chaplain and Ed, Regina’s husband and Holly’s step-father.
Ashley Aldarondo, in her Trinity debut, tenderly plays Angelica, a marine from New Jersey who was close to Holly; Allison Jones is a wonder as Millareisha, another Marine Corps veteran and another friend of Holly.
Returning guest artist Jihan Haddad plays Sara, whose displaced family ends up living in Springfield, Massachusetts, after being forced to flee Iraq.
Dereks Thomas gives powerful performances in two roles: one as U.S. Army Veteran Tyrone, and the other as Omar Bah, a journalist and torture survivor who escaped Gambia, and founded Rhode Island’s Refugee Dream Center.
“Someone Will Remember Us” also marks the Trinity Rep debuts of Josephine Moshiri Elwood who plays Wafaa, an Iraqi refugee who often speaks in her native tongue and Jade Ziane who plays Kamal, a young man adjusting to a new life in a new country.
The stories, as emotionally challenging as they may have been, were also infused with humor, love and many light moments, especially for the Rhode Island-centric among the crowd.
As Artistic Director Curt Columbus said in the program, the show is “incredibly necessary right now because it is about how people have a remarkable ability to come together after conflict.”
“It shows us that no matter what side of a conflict someone is on, people face the same struggles and consequences,” Columbus added.
Yes, war may be hell, and yes, as the Bible tells us, we will always “hear of wars and rumors of wars” but when we find community, we can find hope. When we make healthy connections, we can process trauma together. When we reach out to help others in need or others experiencing loss, sadness and sorrow, our own lives will be enriched.
When Warren hopped off the stage at the end of “Someone Will Remember Us” — a play I urge you to see — she encouraged the audience to check out two local nonprofits Trinity has partnered with for the run of the show: Operation Stand Down Rhode Island, which is dedicated to serving veterans in need; and Refugee Dream Center, a post-resettlement agency serving refugees from all over the world who now call Rhode Island home.
Former Westerly Town Councilor Kevin “Big Lux” Lowther, a West Point graduate who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, gets praise in the program in the “Special Thanks” category.
Tickets are on sale by phone at 401-351-4242, online at trinityrep.com/remember, and in person at the ticket office at 201 Washington St., Providence.