August 5, 2013
By Catey Sulivan
A blistering commentary on the dangerous power of stereotypes. Jonas Hussan Khemiri‘s Invasion! is a challenging kaleidoscope of a play, a whirling, non-linear mash-up of chameleonic characters, charged situations and provocative ideas. There’s a thru-line in this demanding piece, but it’s not always obvious as Khemiri’s torrent of heightened poetry and charged dialogue comes rushing at you.
Directed by Anna C. Bahow and translated from the original Swedish by Madison linguist Rachel Willson-Broyles, Invasion! can be intensely challenging as it hopscotches through time, place and among characters to form a sort of verbal puzzle. In the end though, the big picture that gradually emerges from at times seemingly disconnected situations is vivid and essential. What Khemiri has crafted with Invasion! is a blistering commentary on the dangerous power of stereotypes and ignorance as well as a pointed declaration of the supercharged power of language to become a force of good or destruction.
Throughout the piece, Khemiri toys with the audience’s perception of what is true and what is perception. Events unfold in a manner that seems clear, only to be upended when they’re presented from a different perspective. The effect is emotional whiplash – both devastating and comic. Invasion! is not an easy play. Indeed, it can seem maddeningly opaque. But it is well worth the frustration, and the ideas it presents will stay with you long after the lights come up.