NEW YORK—One of the more involving one-person shows to come along in a long while is Robert Schneider's 1993 work Dirt, which deals with such things as illegal immigration, prejudice, and a man's pride, self-respect, or lack of it.
A hit in Germany where it was originally preformed, the work was translated into English by Paul Dvorak and is now making its U.S. debut. It is definitely not for everyone's taste, and what one comes away with depends on where one stands on the questions and issues raised, but there is no denying the power of the work and the messages it presents.
Set in an unnamed city (New York comes to mind), we meet Sad (Christopher John Domig), a 30 year-old illegal immigrant from Iraq.
Sad is ashamed of who he is and especially of his family (i.e. last) name, which he dares not reveal aloud, but goes down into the subway at times and screams it when a train is rushing by to drown out his voice.
Sad came to this country to find a better life, leaving behind his family, friends, the girl he loved and his newborn son.
Currently he makes a living selling flowers on the street while doing his best to remain anonymous in all things—so much so that there is someone else's name on the door of the apartment he shares and little trace of his existing even there (as shown by the sparse but very effective set which is not credited in the program).
As Sad take us through his typical day, we see the spirit-crushing monotony his life has become. He had no prospects in Iraq, but here his immigrant status pretty much precludes any legal avenue for bettering himself. Indeed much of his conversation is laced with asides and apologies to the citizens of the city, wanting to make sure he doesn't offend anybody who might cross his path.
At the same time, his inner frustrations, as well as his own bigotry, and his guilt for leaving his homeland, begin to boil over. "Just because my name is Sad doesn't mean I'm sad," he screams at one point. Another time, referring to his fellow immigrants when mentioning the "park bench people" (legal and wealthy inhabitants of the city), he notes chillingly: "Don't be afraid. They are afraid of you."
By the end of the evening, after seeing many of the indignities he faces on a daily basis (from scorn and disrespect to fear and loathing), we sees a man who is broken, angry, passionate and proud, with a future which will be decided by some as yet unknown circumstances and the effect they will provoke in him.
Domig gives a wonderful performance, bringing the character of Sad alive and essentially putting a human face on the illegal immigrant population. Schneider's script also projects various shades of gray on arguments that many people (on both sides) see as black and white. The project is aided by David Robinson's very strong direction and some good lighting and sound design-both done by Greg Borstrum.
If there is one word which best describes the entire evening, it would be "ambiguous," a deliberate choice by the author. For while we get an idea of who the character is and what drives him, we never really know which way he is heading or what he is thinking (as opposed to what he is feeling). Or even if what he says is completely true. For as Sad notes "whenever I open my mouth, I have to tell a lie."
There's also the lingering question of whether we want to be around Sad when he makes up his mind regarding the direction his life will take—a sobering thought indeed.
Dirt
Under St. Marks
94 St. Marks Place, Greenwich Village
Tickets: 212-868-4444 or www.smarttix.com
Information: www.dirt-nyc.com
Closes: April 26, 2008
Running Time: 75 Minutes
Judd Hollander is the New York Correspondent for the London publication, The Stage.
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