‘Blood’ creates political satire

Instead of giving in to an abusive government, the victims in “Parentheses of Blood” decide to take a stand.

The play by Sony Labou Tansi focused on the terrors of government injustice and was performed at the Wells-Metz Theater as the last show of the Theatre and Drama Department’s fall season.

The play continues at 7:30 p.m. today through Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday.

“No one has seen laughter disappear from a situation,” Director Edris Cooper-Anfiwoshe said. “Satires are not always ‘ha-ha’ funny. You have to pay for the laughs.”

Although the freedom fighter Libertashio’s death is explicitly understood, there is a rule against acknowledging his absence. Soldiers then overtake Libertashio’s home.

With guns pointed at their heads, his four daughters and cowardly nephew challenge the soldiers. The control by the soldiers drives the family members to the point where they are numb.

The political unrest is shown as the soldiers ruthlessly rape the daughters and mutilate the nephew by cutting out his eyeball, followed by his ear and right hand.

However, the seriousness is taken down a notch as the soldiers prance around like hooligans.

“It was intense how the darkest side of human nature was combined with necessary comedy,” audience member and freshman Allison Vollmer said.

The audience could not help but laugh as the character of the fool, played by junior James Moffatt, walked behind the commanding sergeant with childish mockery and spit rice from his mouth between bites of food.

“His behavior was very Johnny Depp-esque of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’” audience member and freshman Kasie Ashton said.

Besides being a comical figure, the fool could take part in the emotions of others. He squirms and falls down as the nephew, played by graduate student Shewan Howard, is being disfigured.

Pinning them up against wooden planks, the soldiers grant each family member a last request before death.

The second daughter Aleyo, played by senior Elizabeth McKinney, wishes to be married and the sergeant grants her wish.

A doctor and his bride joined the festivities of Aleyo and the Sergeant’s wedding along with the priest needed to bless the vows.

But tension prevails in the forced togetherness of enemies.

The tormented nephew wails “Long Live Libertashio” to remind the partiers that there is nothing to be celebrated, because their death is near.

And by going against the rule about mentioning Libertashio’s name, the nephew begins the revolution by turning the tables and intimidating the soldiers.

Progressively, the wedding party chants along with the nephew, which enrages the sergeant who has the ears of all the party-goers removed.

Numb to real humanity and desperate for an understanding of their situation, the victims question their existence.

“If we are in pain, we are alive,” Aleyo says.