Religious freedom not only means making the choice to worship who you want and how you want, but also, importantly, choose not to practice religion at all. Kareem Fahmy explores its choices in the urgency of sports dramas American fastingdirected by Reginald L. Douglas, with the production of the Charged Theatre Alliance, which will feature a DC region premiere.
Khady Salama (Gigi cammarato), a college basketball genius in the heart of American fastingand prefer to exercise the freedom to play the ball without worrying about religion. She was raised Muslims by her parents of Egyptian immigrants, but she does not practice Islam and does not particularly equate with faith. She equates her team with a victory on the court where she rolls into the NCAA Tournament, aka March Madness.
Her hair is woven into tight, sporty pigtails, Cammarato swings around the controlled strength as hell-winning Khady. While she doesn’t impose the height or physicality of an elite baller, she still exudes a serene aura of a player ready to hustle harder than anyone else.
I’m sure Khady cares more about being an NCAA champion than being a religious role model. The fact that March Madness coincides with the Holy Month of Ramadan does not bother her.
But then heading into the tournament, her respectful mother Suzan (Ragad Mahulhu) crashes the press conference and announces that Kadi will in fact respect their faith through the fasting of Ramadan. The team’s savvy coach (Renny Elizabeth Wilson) seizes the opportunity to hype Kadi as the first Muslim woman to lead the team to the NCAA Championship.
Fahmy’s script sharply closes the current university sports landscape where media hype and oversized expectations promote a star-making machine that enriches and exploits young people like Khady. Focusing on lasers, focusing on her future success, she is willing to play with them, even if it means forging her faith.
As the tournament progresses, only her boyfriend, Gabe (Travis Xavier), knows where she truly stands in religion. However, he is far less confident about where she stands in their relationship. Xavier conveys the supportive and good nature of a man hidden by doubt and anxiety. At one point, the tension on both sides spills over a heated argument played with sincerity by Xavier and Kammarat.
The cast may be doing too much in McLuff’s case. This play allows for relatively few outlets for humor. Much of the comedy is carried by Wilson’s coach, who matches the hub arrogance and ambition Cuddy, and the achievements of Wilson and costume designer Sydney Folkpa are completely reliable as the combination of Drill Selgen, sports psychologist and TV soloist who presents today’s NCA star coach.
The actual gameplay is interpretive rather than realistic, presented as a mini dance solo, choreographed by CyaniniCole and properly performed by Cammarat. Observations of athletes’ flagrant skills are registered, but dance does not produce much emotional effect.
What is most convincing and reveals about how, as Khady argues, sports men are becoming more and more welcome as gladiators and heroes, while women are often treated like sideshows, is the actions from the court. But like men, women can play hard and strive to win at any cost.
“I believe in myself,” Cuddy insists. That’s the American way.
American Fast (★★★☆☆) Until April 13th, Theatre Alliance, Dr. SW. Tickets are $40 and offer discounts for students, seniors and military personnel. Call 202-241-2539 or visit www.theateralliance.com.
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
