Sacramento play ‘Pass Over’ shows Black men striving for prosperity in violent community

A play that shows two young Black men striving to break free of a cyclical environment of community violence and police brutality has its last performance this weekend at Sacramento’s Capital Stage.

“Pass Over,” by playwright Antoinette Nwandu, is about two men, Moses and Kitch, who stand on a street corner in their neighborhood – passing the time by telling each other that one day their dreams of prosperity will be fulfilled.

It contains a biblical correlation, as the men reference the “promised land” in search for liberation and salvation from the environment to which they’re accustomed. The New Times last year wrote: “It emulates the vision and variety of its most direct sources: ‘Waiting for Godot,’ the Samuel Beckett play about tramps biding their time in eternity, and the Book of Exodus, about an enslaved people seeking the Promised Land.”

The Capital Stage production of “Pass Over” is directed by Sacramento native, Anthony D’Juan, who described the play as “poetic” with its use of metaphors. He said it unapologetically puts a certain emphasis on a portion of Black life on stage.

The play captures individuals looking for a way out, despite knowing the odds against them. The play is filled with ironic yet relatable scenes and dialogue.

“(It’s not) overshadowed by any sort of falsehood of what somebody thinks Black culture would be,” D’Juan said. “I like that this doesn’t encompass all Black culture, it encompasses a portion of it. I like the fact the guys aren’t criminals, they’re just a couple of cats on the block.”

How Sacramento audiences respond

The play is about 75 minutes with language that some might consider profane and derogatory.

Most notable is the characters’ use of the N-word with impunity.

D’juan said the play uses the word or a variation of it on 300 different occasions and all are needed to be used for the nature of this play.

“As far as the use of the N-word, that’s where they are. That (usage) is what’s around them,” said D’juan. “What I love about it is the fact that you’re putting this in front of people of all cultures, and then saying, ‘now listen, now watch, now see this.’”

D’juan, 45, said he’s received high praise and standing ovations following the play. He said he noticed, however, that some crowds did not approve of the word’s usage.

“Older black people don’t like the play, young black people don’t have a problem with it,” said D’Juan. “White folks go nuts over it,” said D’Juan.

He added that another older woman walked out because of the language and overuse of the N-word. She was white, he said.

D’juan said the use of the word is an ongoing fight that hasn’t gone away between generations, but the focus in this play isn’t on the use of the N-word.

“See that there’s a humanity behind these guys, too,” said D’Juan. “Maybe they don’t have the same journey you do, or maybe they don’t have the same dialect like you or the same vocabulary. They’re still people who have dreams, and trying to figure a way out as well,”

Whether you become caught up, feel indifferent about the ending, or loathe its rawness and authenticity, D’Juan wants people to watch, absorb the issues, and discuss.

A three-man show

Dane Troy plays the character Moses in “Pass Over,” which was his debut in Sacramento.

He’s previously performed professionally in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Milwaukee, North Carolina, and his hometown of Atlanta.

Troy graduated from the University of Georgia’s theater program.

In a news release, Troy said that he’s thankful to make his debut in Sacramento, grateful to D’Juan and the Capital Stage team for this opportunity.

Kriston Woodreaux who played Kitch, is a multidisciplinary artist from Chicago, but his recent productions have been in Austin, Texas.

He’s performed at the Austin Playhouse, the Hidden Room, Salvage Vanguard, Zach Theatre, Theatre en Bloc, and Rude Mechanicals and Greenbelt Arts Center.

Woodreaux said he appreciates the opportunity to share this story with a talented and dedicated team.

Ian Hopps returns to Capital Stage in this play as the characters Mister and Ossifer.

Previously, Hopps appeared in Capital Stage’s “Sweat,” “Luna Gale” and “Stupid F------ Bird.” He’s also appeared in Sacramento Theatre Company productions, such as “Hamlet,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Macbeth” and “The Tempest.”

Hopps is happy, after the pandemic, to do live theater in the Sacramento region again.

Capital Stage’s remaining show times are 7 p.m. Thursday and 8 p.m. Friday. The play will be performed at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday; the final performance is 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets range from$30 to $44, depending on the performance. Virtual video access costs $30.

This story was originally published April 14, 2022 at 12:41 PM.