Mfoniso Udofia’s “Her Portmanteau” brings the breadth and intimacy of two worlds into the intimacy of NBPAC.  Directed by Laiona Michelle, the Artistic Associate and gifted multi-faceted artist who brought Nina Simone to life at George Street Playhouse, among many other roles, this play begins with a voyeuristic view of a blended family, until we see that heart and heartache are shared experience for all. Part of the Ufot Family cycle of plays, a world of experience is held in the hands of a 90 minute play.
The lights come up on a very common experience, a woman arriving at JFK Airport, and we can quickly see she is not prepared for the cold.  She has arrived during the Polar Vortex of 2014 and as she speaks to someone on the phone to let them know she’s arrived safely, she is speaking in Ibibo, just one of the myriad of languages spoken in Nigeria.  Iniabasi Ekpeyong (Shannon Harris) is a stranger in a strange land, and her half-sister Adiaha (Jennean Farmer) has been sent to pick her up.  Their mother, Abasiama UFot, is running late in traffic.  It has been a lifetime since the sisters last met.
Shoko Kambara’s set – upper level is JFK arrives, lower level is Adiaha’s very modest one bedroom apartment, is rich in detail.  Karin Graybash’s sound design complements Cheyenne Sykes lighting design giving us the sense of real and surreal.  It is a harsh environment weather-wise and in family affect.  Gregory J. Horton’s costumes give us the sense of style of each character and Iniabasi’s arrival with insufficient warmth is immediately evident. Inza Bamba’s original music and the work of both Ebbe Bassey as language consultant and Maggie Surovell as dialogue coach seamlessly segue Abasiama’s language transitions and later Iniabasi, whom Adiaha initially thinks does not speak English.  This is very real and the music of language with it’s assonance and dissonance spoken by passionate people is pure delight.
What must it be like for a mother to leave her first born with her very traditional soon-to-be divorced husband?  Is it equal to the pain of a child who must go with her father to a strange land, where he was born and she was not?  And what of the pain of a young adult who learns that there is a great deal more to her family story than she ever thought possible.  And it all resides in a red portmanteau.
This play is lush, thought-provoking, beautifully realized and something you simply must see.  Get your tickets now, the show only runs through October 30.  Visit GeorgeStreetPlayhouse.org today!