Past Reviews

Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C.

We Are Proud to Present ...
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Also see Susan's reviews of Seminar and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Mother Courage and Her Children

The current production at Washington's Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is a disquieting, sometimes funny consideration of personal and tribal identity through the lens of a theatrical performance. The disorientation begins when the audience enters the theater through a stage door—the lobby is blocked off—and takes seats on all four sides of a largely empty playing area. The six ensemble members are already onstage, dressed in color-coordinated rehearsal clothes.

The full title of Jackie Sibblies Drury's play is We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as South-West Africa, from the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884-1915. The premise is that these actors—three African-American and three white—want to tell the story of a largely forgotten genocide, but they keep running into problems with cultural appropriation and who can rightfully tell someone's story.

The historical context: Germany established a colony in southwestern Africa (now Namibia) in 1884 and found the Herero tribe easy to work with. As time went on and the Germans' demands became more onerous, the Herero began fighting back. This led to the German government issuing a written extermination order that forced the Herero first into labor camps, then into the desert; 80 percent of the tribe died, while the survivors were virtually enslaved. The British Empire took over the colony in 1915.

These actors, led by Dawn Ursula as their director, have decided to share the story of the Herero by dramatizing recently discovered letters written by German soldiers in the colony. But the letters say nothing about the lives of the Herero, so the actors of both races attempt to create the reality of these cattle herders through their own experiences. Suffice it to say that things don't go well, and the uncomfortable issues raised don't go away when the house lights come up for the last time.

Director Michael John Garcés has done a very good job with Drury's ungainly script, and his actors—Andreu Honeycutt, Peter Howard, Joe Isenberg, Michael Anthony Williams, the peerless Holly Twyford, and Ursula—demonstrate utter commitment to the work. The actors are also available after the performance to continue the conversation.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as South-West Africa, from the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884-1915
February 10th - March 9th
By Jackie Sibblies Drury
Ensemble: Andreu Honeycutt, Peter Howard, Joe Isenberg, Holly Twyford, Dawn Ursula, Michael Anthony Williams
Directed by Michael John Garcés
641 D St. N.W., Washington, DC
Ticket Information: 202-393-3939 or www.woollymammoth.net