PicksInSix Review: ROAN @ THE GATES - American Blues Theater
THE LINE BETWEEN WHISTLEBLOWER AND TRAITOR
It’s no surprise that the same data systems that have made the world smaller also pose the most significant threat to our privacy. But the numbers will shock you, especially when you begin to consider the myriad ways we freely feed our own data to others, from asking Alexa for the weather forecast to asking for the best route home on a map app.
The Espionage Act, which both Edward Snowden and Julian Assange were charged with violating, was passed by Congress in June 1917, two months after war was declared against Germany. The National Security Agency was formed in 1952 and is the largest U.S. intelligence organization in terms of resources. Today, more than 20 million people have been affected by increased surveillance and mass data-collection activities enacted in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Modern technology points to a day where we will amass 100 exabytes of data in our systems. To put that number in context, five exabytes has been compared to all the words ever spoken.
So, how did this labyrinth of metadata espionage evolve, who created it and why? What happens when the scales tip and the information is weaponized against us, our families, friends and our country? And, as events of the recent weeks begin to unfold in real time, what are the consequences of telling the truth to our country, and more importantly, to those closest to us?
Answers to these questions can be found in American Blues Theater’s Chicago premiere production of Christina Telesca Gorman’s “ROAN @ the Gates,” a fascinating and absorbing two-hander—featuring superb performances by Brenda Barrie and Jasmine Bracey—about a couple wrestling over the fine line between whistleblower and traitor, and the enormous impact that exposing injustice in our society can have on personal relationships.
Life seems to be spiraling out of control for Roan (Barrie), an anguished NSA data analyst, and her civil rights attorney wife, Nat (Bracey). They live comfortably and are deeply in love, but due to the sensitive nature of Roan’s job, there are a lot of unknowns and it begins to weigh on Nat. As Roan prepares for her next trip, Nat confronts Roan on the necessity of such a high level of secrecy in the relationship. Roan asks her to be patient and not to worry.
Over the next six weeks, the situation escalates when Roan is detained in Russia—stranded, isolated and alone. Sensitive information has been disclosed that sparks an international media event and compels Nat to seek out Roan at all costs using all means that are available to her, including the FBI. As the story begins to unfold, communication between the two women becomes increasingly difficult. What is said next—and how—is at the heart of the Gorman’s intriguing love story about choices and trust that raise vitally important questions about the future of the information age in which we live.
PHOTOS|Michael Brosilow
AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
presents
ROAN @ the Gates
through February 29, 2020
Stage 773
1225 W. Belmont Ave
(773) 654-3103
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