Promise Land

Transatlantic Love Affair is a theater company with physicality at its core. The ensemble creates not only the connection between characters, but the set itself, with hinged elbows, squeaky-wheel voices, and expertly choreographed shapes. In Promise Land, those shapes lend themselves to an impoverished homeland, an ocean liner (complete with steerage and first class), a boardinghouse, and a factory full of flame and danger.

Without a scrap of set, the ensemble builds the world that brought millions to America's shores. And given today's political climate, that story feels all the more visceral. The hope in young voices is almost a burden to hear, knowing the risks and wounds that surely lay ahead. And as we watch the dangers unfurl and the promise of America dim with the slap of reality, it's easy to wonder how closely the story onstage mirrors the stories playing out among those who make their way to the America of possibility.

Promise carries the story, all quick 75 minutes of it, and while we witness optimism's steady unraveling, we're not left in that pit. There's survival built into this promise, and a strength that seems otherworldly. Our hero and heroine emerge from the ashes with hope and possibility still firmly in their sights and that's a message we can all use these days.

Promise Land closes its run at the Guthrie on Feb 12th.  Tickets are no longer available for online purchase due to the popularity of the show but give the box office a call to check for last minute seats!