Blue light rippled across a pile of clothes, creating ocean waves on the stage of Pomona College’s Seaver Theater. An unnamed teenager broke the silence, opening the play.
“Where I come from is far away from here.”
“Anon(ymous),” a play directed by Sylvia Cervantes Blush, ran for six shows from November 16 to 18 on the mainstage at Seaver Theater. Naomi Iizuka, the playwright, adapted Homer’s “The Odyssey” to tell the story of a refugee finding his way back to his mom after they were separated by a storm during the journey to the United States.
The main character, who goes by Koo Ri, Nobody and Lan at different points throughout the play, is lost and confused about his past and identity.
Meanwhile, his mother Nemasani has found work in a sweatshop. The manager of the sweatshop, Mr. Mackus, wants to force her to marry him.
At the end of the play, the main character rediscovers his name, revealing the meaning of the play’s title. His name is Anonymous (Anon). With the help of a family who takes him in and vanquishes Mr. Mackus, he remembers his past and finds his mom.
Dark, contrasting patches on his outfit visually represented Anon’s journey to his mom and his efforts to claim his identity. Costume designer Monica French described the process that went into the play’s visual language and storytelling.
“Conceptually, I wanted to illustrate the mother/son relationship through the use of negative space, which was apparent on Anon the whole show and revealed on Nemasani’s costume at the end,” French said. “When Anon and Nemasani are reunited, the ‘void’ in both costumes would complete each other – they would find their missing part.”
“There’s so much meaning in representation,” Mallery said. “I hope for those who have seen the show, I hope that they come away… knowing that there’s space in this theater department and there’s space in theater, in the world, for our stories to be told.”
By the end of the play, Anon has returned home, reunited with his mom and remembered his past. According to attendee Charles Brainin PO ’27, the play’s catharsis came not only from Anon coming home but from him finding his voice.
“I thought the piece about how they were all anonymous and he is [Anon(ymous)] was a very powerful part of the play,” Brainin said.
In telling a story of a refugee, the play identifies with those who are nameless and oppressed in American society. Jadyn Iinuma HM ’26, who played Nemasani, expanded on this key theme of the show.
“The play is … about giving humanity and voice to a group that American society oppresses,” Iinuma said. ”For audiences to walk away with this idea that there’s humanity in each person … It’s a powerful message to look at people who are in completely different walks of life.”
For the cast and crew, it was critical to acknowledge the play’s potential for appropriating a refugee’s experience, while also attempting to do it justice. Aydin Mallery PZ ’24, who played Anon, discussed how the production wanted to represent its characters’ stories respectfully.
“The world is in a crisis,” Mallery said. “There are multiple wars going on and that was something we had a lot of conversations about … because we never wanted to ignore that, and I think I really wished to give voices to those people, while also being respectful … The work that we did in preparation for that was based on empathy.”
To have these tough conversations, Blush explained she wanted to prioritize creating a welcoming environment for experimentation and growth.
“I learned to give space for actors to talk to me … It’s ok to say you’re sorry and even as a leader you’re going to make mistakes … I felt room to do that,” Blush said.
Part of this safe space stemmed from the diversity of the cast. Malena Rivera PO ’24 felt a sense of solidarity and comfort working with fellow international students and people of color. Rivera plays Naja, the goddess who guides Anon on his journey.
“I’m not used to working with people [for whom] English is their second language as well,” Rivera said. “Being in that community felt very rewarding and just like at home. We were all open to making mistakes … It just felt like a very safe space to play around with the characters that we had and learn from each other.”
For Mallery, “Anon(ymous)” not only gave voice to its characters but also created a space for the cast and the audience to feel seen and heard.
“There’s so much meaning in representation,” Mallery said. “I hope for those who have seen the show, I hope that they come away… knowing that there’s space in this theater department and there’s space in theater, in the world, for our stories to be told.”
Facebook Comments