The Jungle was one of the most outstanding and moving performance I have ever seen.
Although I read the NYT article beforehand and did some research as to what I should have expected, my expectation were blown away. The set was marvelous. I really enjoyed how the stage was in the midst of Salar’s Afghan restaurant, and how the audience was seated as guests in the restaurants. I also appreciated the ability the actors had to stay in character before the play started. Even before the play began, Salar would go around offering Chai tea to the guests as he would promise an excellent dining experience. This really added to the authenticity of the production.
One of the scenes that evoked strong emotions from many was the scene that showed the footage of the body of a dead little boy washed up on the shores of Turkey. His name was Alan Kurdi. He was three years old at the time of his death, as him and his family attempted to flee the Syrian civil war in 2015. I remember seeing this photo floating in the news and social media for a prolonged amount of time, and for the play to connect this photo to the stories of the refugees at Calais was very moving.
Another scene that was very powerful was when the French government began demolishing the Jungle. Personally, I would have preferred some sort of trigger warning because I was not expecting such immense theatrical productions. I was completely scared and confused when the roof was lifted. There was smoke everywhere, blaring sounds, strange lights, a scary, dark figure with a bullhorn representing the French government and finally everything went black. A couple months ago, I was at a huge concert in Central Park where there was a false shooting which ultimately started a massive panic attack and a stampede. Because there was so much going on so quickly (with no warning) and the set finally went black, this scene really mimicked the atmosphere during that event and brought back unwanted memories.
All in all, I really appreciate the message this production was trying to send. It was trying to bring awareness to the global problem of the refugee crisis and did an excellent point of addressing the causes as to why people immigrate–something that is not explained all too well in the contemporary world. One issue that I did have, although it is not connected to the play or the production value, is the sense that many people in the audience need a form of entertainment, such as this play, in order to qualify these issues as a human rights issue not a political issue. Personally I feel that we are all citizens of the world, and it is in everyone’s best to look out for others and be informed about these sort of issues. Another thing that could have been addressed to the audience members is the fact that the refugee crisis at Calais, is currently and exactly happening at our southern border. There should have been some sort of emphasis on this, as we can be helping the same refugees, who endure the same sorts of hardships in search of a better life.
Hey Karina! I agree with you on the issue of trigger warnings; I was also kind of shaken at the scene of the demolishing of Salah’s restaurant, and it would’ve been nice to have a warning about this stuff beforehand. I’m really sorry about your experience at the concert, too. It sounds like it was very scary and I hope you never have to go through that again.
I’m also in total agreement on why it’s so disappointing that a play like The Jungle is needed in the first place. I think globally the average person is exposed to so much death and destruction and graphic imagery at such a rapid rate that, whether we like it or not, causes us to become desensitized to other people’s suffering. I don’t think this necessarily means everyone is apathetic to the pain of other human beings, but we’ve become so accustomed to hearing about the bad things happening that we tend to forget that there are real people who are going through so many hardships because of politics and the like. We need to be reminded that we should care about other people even if it doesn’t benefit us, and that stuff like this really is happening in our backyard.
Really nice job on this!