Jordans by Ife Olujobi offers an otherworldly, surreal, and comedic, look at "assimilation, racial capitalism, success, and survival" joined by none other than the overwhelming topic of rage. The show uses surrealist imagery and concepts to underscore a subject that is far too real: racism in the workplace. Micro-aggressions, violence, and all too-tangible concepts coupled with supernatural experiences lead this play to be an incredibly interesting theatrical experience.
Production History
This play, like so many others, has undergone a series of changes and adaptations as well as been quite critically acclaimed in other spaces before its' residency at The Public. Specifically, Jordans won a special commendation from the 2021 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. When looking at where this show started, according to the playwright, Ife Olujobi, they
"started this when I was 23, and I’m 29 now. It came from experiences that I was having in different workplaces."
They continue to explain in an interview with Shalene Gupta,
"The play started from a place of wanting to explore what it feels like to be the only person of color in the workplace, or one of very few. I started diving beyond my daily experiences into questions like, What is my function here? What do these people actually think of me?"
The idea of someone's presence within workplace culture, and their identity being undermined seems to be a large conversation point as this story evolved over the course of the last few years.
Ife Olujobi, in the script, has allowed for " all roles open to trans/non-binary actors, especially the lead role." Something that, personally is a breath of fresh air in terms of new work. The story as a whole is the conversation rather than a finite focus on the individual's "on paper" identity.
Prior to the current run at The Public Theatre, Jordans, under the same direction, by Whitney White, was further developed at the 2020 Sundance Institute Theatre Lab.
What is it about?
Appearance is everything, especially in the production studio: Atlas. Atlas is owned by Hailey, portrayed by Kate Walsh, an incredibly confident businesswoman who knows exactly what she wants from her team and her business. She simply does not care about the personal affairs of others. She is joined by her associates: Emma, Fletcher, Maggie, Ryan, and Tyler, all of whom are white. She has a brand, something that she truly does not want to change and emulates the "trendy, up and coming" type of business that we can see popping up in Brooklyn currently.
Jordan, a young Black incredibly ambitious woman, portrayed by Naomi Lorrain, is an assistant at Atlas. She is abused and very obviously taken advantage of by Hailey and her team
Another Jordan, a Black male Director of Culture, is hired to improve the workplace image and cultural connection, only Hailey and her team do not truly want change. As Jordan enters the scene a conflict arises. Jordan, the assistant, and Jordan the newly appointed Director of Culture, played by Toby Onwumere, are forced into a round of competition. Jordan has been at Atlas for five years now, loyal to a fault, and she wants more. She has been playing this game now and is ready for her turn. According to Olujobi, this conflict and competition arise from a situation she had seen played out before in her real-life experiences, especially in predominantly white spaces, and she states:
"If you are there for your identity to make people money, then you have to outdo each other on how it is to be Black, or whatever minority position you’re in. It forces people to feel like they have to be the only one. That is capitalism forcing us to compete. It benefits the people in charge if we are competing with each other."
They want to appear to a diverse clientele in terms of profit but they are forcing the two Jordans into a situation in which their presence and identities are crushed, even going so far as the team at Atlas not being able to tell the two of them apart despite the obvious physical differences.
As the show moves forward, life for both Jordans does not improve. They take vastly different approaches to how to create change within the space and how to stay afloat despite both of them having incredible perspectives on the questions Hailey is putting forth. They are then drawn into the complications of their dynamic relationship, forced together, and then completely torn into opposite directions.
They are left in situations that can be described as none other than surreal, and Hailey and her team are there stressing about work, paying Jordan and Jordan little mind. We end the show following a largely climatic fight with a sole survivor, rage, and anger finally toppling the tower and almost the entire team as well as their newfound client: dead.
What did you think?
I can safely say I have never seen a play quite like this. I deeply respect a playwright's ability to challenge my way of thinking and to keep me engaged while retaining a distinct personal voice. Olujobi does exactly that. Olujobi's voice demands to be heard and you can not help but become enthralled by this otherworldly universe they have created before you.
Something I find to be beautiful about this work is also deeply horrific in its meaning, is that Olujobi, as previously mentioned, intends to create art out of life. This play is not designed to make you comfortable but to address these very real-life situations and begin a conversation on how "their identities are being co-opted for things beyond [their] control" especially in these overwhelming capitalist white spaces.
Furthermore, the horror and surreal elements can be overwhelming if not completely bewildering. So much of this show was staged in a way that felt deeply connected to the world we live in yet just slightly altered and according to Olujobi, she intended for:
"The horror of the play [To not be] the violence that the white characters perpetrate onto the Black characters. The horror actually is that they do it and that nobody cares."
So many of these surreal elements, especially in the second act, threw me for such a loop while I sat in the space. It was not until afterward, following an extensive debrief, that I realized this exact truth. The white characters consistently undermine, physically harm, and commit micro-aggressions against both Jordan and Jordan. That horror was evident and so incredibly at the forefront of the conversation, it was hard to miss, but joined by the dramatic spillage of blood and orange prison jumpsuits, it was hard to stay in one place analyzing for too long.
I found this play to offer a lot. They were bold and unapologetic in their storytelling, something I must commend them for, first and foremost. It was a packed two hours that in some points had me exactly where I envisioned the playwright and director would want me, and in others incredibly lost. I deeply appreciate the artistic choice to lean into those surreal moments and to create uncomfortable situations for the characters and audience alike, yet some failed to resonate with me. With that said, I do find myself wanting to revisit this piece. It is thought-provoking, funny, and violent, and forced me to think about my own understanding of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts as they pertain to the real work situations around me. Ultimately, even if I found myself lost in the otherworldly and frankly confusing moments, I did find something to take away. I was able to see a perspective that I can not have on my own and to learn from an artist who wants to share what they have to say.
A few major standouts were Naomi Lorrain, who became the center of attention every tims she entered the stage. She showcases a raw and unfiltered sense of rage, with such attention to detail leaving me and the rest of the audience in awe. Following her run in Daphne at Lincoln Center, she leaves little more to desire as she puts so much energy and passion onto the stage.
Another stand-out was Kate Walsh. Having been a long-time appreciator of her work, I expected myself to struggle to dislike her character, she after all is inherently a bitch, in her own words. Yet, that struggle was nonexistent as she transformed this character with so much commitment and finesse that I was on board for the entirety of the run time.
Production-wise, a highlight for me was Cha See's lighting design. They really transformed the space alongside Matt Saunders's incredible scenic design. This space, that they were able to create, felt entirely transformed and multi-dimensional even in the scenes that were not quite real. They blurred the lines of realism and surrealism in exactly the way that I wanted from this production.
This show has some deeply important conversations and I can not wait to see Olujobi continue to tell on such an impressive level. While some elements ultimately did not have the desired effect for me, there was so much that did work. This company and creative team have created a vastly ambitious production with so much care and passion, it is plain to see. They care about the story they are telling, and so should you.