NYMF 2016 // A THEATRE REVIEW OF "EH DAH? QUESTIONS FOR MY FATHER"
There's a lot of one person shows out there, specifically about the New York actor's experiences in the big apple. I'm not against them in any way. The actor's life can be a facinating one, especially when faced up against discovering your roots. But at this point, I pretty much have thought that I've seen every sort of variation on this common theme. I was wrong. In EH DAH? QUESTIONS FOR MY FATHER, writer and performer Aya Aziz tells her own tale of growing up in New York City and the trials of her Egyptian-American family. Through several songs (all written and performed by Aziz) she tells her tale with a thoughful innocence and remarkable gift of enchanting you no matter what she says.
Her father was born in Egypt but fell in love with an American woman while studying in New York. They married and began to have children, creating a family in America. Both parents, as Aziz tells it, were always amazingly open and supportive of a liberal upbringing. But her Egyptian past that her father seemingly left behind, has never been a part of that upbringing. When she was a young child two of her female teachers married and this was simply normal. When she is told at a Muslim summer camp that only the man can carry the Muslim faith into the next generation, she responds with a bright eyed response, asking "What if two women wanted to marry each other? How would they pass on Islam to their kids if only the man gets to do it?" After attending this camp, she longs for learning more about her faith than she has been presented with. Lyrics like the following engross at every turn and pulse her story vividly in our minds:
“I wanna learn how to pray
I wanna learn what I can do to belong here
I wanna learn all there is to see
I wanna be a part of this part of me.”
Throughout the piece, Aziz (who shines like an Egyptian Amelie) powerfully tells her story with an abundance of humor, grace, and understanding of the world around her. At 22 years old, that's quite a feat indeed. She also has quite a knack for impersonations, as she plays all of the relatives around her. Her cousin, who lives in Philadelphia, is a perfect representation of a modern kid growing up and she goes for many laughs here. But in songs like "It's Math, It's Marriage" she also pierces your heart showcasing the very large difference between her American freedom and her cousin's restricted life if he wants to stay in the country. Director Corinne Proctor pushes the evening through with a crisp clip, never dragging and always underlining exactly what needs to be seen (or heard). The musical direction of Shawn Chang is great as well, expertly arranging Aziz and her band (consisting of Matt Chilton, Geoff Thomas and Chang himself). The only slight detraction is Aziz's upper register, which is pretty thin. Being that she's young I can assume it will only get stronger and stronger, matching her storytelling ability and sheer charm on stage. Eh Dah: Questions for My Father has sadly ended its short run at NYMF but I can't see this wonderful storyteller going anywhere. Plus this version is billed as a "workshop production" so another run is definitely in the cards). And wherever she goes, you need to follow.
MATEO'S GRADE: A
Book, Music and Lyrics by: Aya Aziz Directed by: Corinne Proctor Starring: Aya Aziz Playing at The June Havoc Theatre as part of the 2016 NYMF For More info: http://nymf.org/festival/2016-events/ehdah/
MATEO MORENO is an actor, writer, and a playwright. His plays Happily After Tonight, Within Our Walls, Bohemian Valentine and Paper Airplanes have been produced in NY and beyond. He most recently co-starred in the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway play City of Glass at The New Ohio Theatre and appeared in the workshop of Hamlet, or I Shall Mourn The Rivers at The Brick Theatre. He is currently workshopping his new play Fairground Attraction as part of Athena Theatre's 2016 Playwrighting Group. He lives in Brooklyn.