{"id":365156,"date":"2025-03-03T20:09:13","date_gmt":"2025-03-04T01:09:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/?p=365156"},"modified":"2025-03-03T20:09:13","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T01:09:13","slug":"a-blistering-yet-tender-police-training-in-the-scenarios-at-studio-theatre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/03\/03\/a-blistering-yet-tender-police-training-in-the-scenarios-at-studio-theatre\/","title":{"rendered":"A blistering yet tender police training in ‘The Scenarios’ at Studio Theatre"},"content":{"rendered":"

Matthew Capodicasa\u2019s The Scenarios, <\/em>making its world premiere at Studio Theatre, is a blistering, raw, yet undeniably tender and compassionate take on the third rail of policing \u2014 the collision between alternate realities when armed police encounter a person who is experiencing a mental or emotional disturbance \u2014 encounters that can often lead to violence or death for the civilian, and perhaps the officer as well. Capodicasa\u2019s play is about more than meets the eye, with crisp dialogue, multiple themes, and provocative ideas.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an excellent production.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sarin Monae West (Angie), Keeley Miller (Sasha), Alyssa Keegan (Patricia), and Joel Ashur (Charlie) in \u2018The Scenarios.\u2019 Photo by Margot Schulman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The play takes place in a training room in a police station, where actors Angie, played by Sarin Monae West (they\/them), and Ned, played by Joey Collins, have been hired to enact scenarios depicting mentally or emotionally disturbed persons for officers being trained in de-escalation techniques. Over the course of a week, Angie and Ned present officers Sasha (Keeley Miller) and Charlie (Joel Ashur) with opportunities to practice deploying alternatives to the use of force. Patricia (Alyssa Keegan, they\/them) is the liaison between the actors and the police. They address the audience as if we are observing the class while they coach the actors and officers. Their goal is to help the officers learn to resist automatically cuffing someone by instead using techniques such as active listening, giving civilians space, and offering help. You can sum up this approach as fully seeing a person and not just reacting to them. Or that having humanity, empathy, and compassion matters.<\/p>\n

The entire cast is exceptional. \u00a0Sarin Monae West stands out as Angie. The role demanded extreme physicality, requiring them to switch quickly between personas and portray a range of emotions. They were by turns scared and scary, thoughtful, pensive, defiant, withdrawn, and above all, simply vulnerable when not pretending in a scenario. West is a commanding talent. Joey Collins, making his Studio debut as Ned, played funny, poignant, and full of himself, truly embodying \u201can actor.\u201d He masterfully revealed a basketful of insecurities beneath the surface of Ned\u2019s bluster. When he makes a bold move, everything spirals out of control.<\/p>\n

Much of the play centers around who has skin in the game (of pretend). Keeley Miller as Sasha fills a role that voices what some might say in seeking to dismiss the training, calling it \u201cwoke bullshit.\u201d But her character, too, might just benefit from empathy as is revealed as the play unfolds. Charlie, played by Joel Ashur, is the most enigmatic of the group, perhaps hiding behind a desire to say what he needs to in order to pass the course. Ashur\u2019s nuanced performance lets the audience fill in the gaps. For me, his portrayal was a wonderful antithesis of the super macho cop \u2014 a nod to Capodicasa\u2019s refusing to cast a villain. Keegan as Patricia was superb. Watching their incessant cheeriness and refrains of \u201cgood job\u201d play against Patricia’s utter powerlessness within the law enforcement industrial complex was stirring. Keegan demonstrated a remarkable ability to show how infuriating and rewarding change-making can be and that in the fraught world of policing, all efforts to get it right are honorable, even as efforts may fall short.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sarin Monae West (Angie) with CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Alyssa Keegan (Patricia), Joey Collins (Ned), Keeley Miller (Sasha), and Joel Ashur (Charlie) in \u2018The Scenarios.\u2019 Photos by Margot Schulman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kudos to West for movement that incorporated scrambling and crawling on the floor, leaping, hyperventilating, and more \u2014 all of it bringing vividness and richness to Angie\u2019s characterization.<\/p>\n

Lighting Designer Alberto Segarra\u2019s artistry particularly stands out at the end of the play. He softly lit the audience in waves of movement, evoking perhaps traffic lights from above or the way lights might play through cracks in concrete. This unifies the audience with the performers, allowing us all to share the experience at hand.<\/p>\n

Tiffany Nichole Greene\u2019s direction is sure. The pace mimics the speed at which the training scenarios unfold yet allows decompression from preceding intense training sessions.<\/p>\n

Matthew Capodicasa\u2019s The Scenarios<\/em> is by no means a \u201cmessage\u201d play in the sense of being didactic and preachy. While it doesn\u2019t pull punches about the importance of training for police officers engaging with people experiencing a mental or emotional disturbance, there\u2019s no soapbox, and there are no villains. But Capodicasa\u2019s immersive storytelling is<\/em> a plea for resisting superficial and quick assumptions that render people into stereotypes and abstractions. It seems reasonable to suggest that everyone could use coaching on that.<\/p>\n

Running Time: Approximately 80 minutes with no intermission.<\/p>\n

The Scenarios<\/a><\/strong><\/em> plays through April 6, 2025, in the Mead Theatre at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th Street NW, Washington, DC. For tickets ($42\u2013$95, with low-cost options\u00a0available), go online<\/b><\/a> or call the box office at 202-332-3300. Studio Theater offers discounts for first responders, military servicepeople, students, young people, educators, senior citizens, and others, as well as rush tickets. For discounts, contact the box office or visit here<\/a> for more information. On Saturday, March 29 at 2:00 PM Studio offers an ASL-Interpreted Performance. Related Special Events include:\u00a0Artists In Conversation on March 9 and March 15.<\/p>\n

The program for The Scenarios<\/em> is online here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

COVID Safety:<\/b> All performances are mask recommended. Studio Theatre\u2019s complete Health and Safety protocols are here.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Scenarios<\/strong><\/em>
\nBy Matthew Capodicasa
\nDirected by Tiffany Nichole Greene<\/p>\n

CAST
\nAngie: Sarin Monae West
\nNed: Joey Collins
\nSasha: Keeley Miller
\nCharlie: Joel Ashur
\nPatricia: Alyssa Keegan<\/p>\n

UNDERSTUDIES
\nAngie: Edm\u00e9e – Marie Faal
\nNed: Zach Brewster-Geisz
\nSasha\/Patricia: Fabiolla Da Silva
\nCharlie: Prince Bajon<\/p>\n

ARTISTIC TEAM
\nPlaywright: Matthew Capodicasa
\nDirector: Tiffany Nichole Greene
\nSet Designer: Afsoon Pajoufar
\nCostume Designer: Moyenda Kulemeka
\nLighting Designer: Alberto Segarra
\nSound Designers: Noel Nichols; Daniela Hart; Bailey Trierweiler (UptownWorks)
\nFight Coordinator: Sierra Young
\nDramaturg: Adrien-Alice Hansel
\nProduction Stage Manager: Leigh Robinette
\nCasting: Katja Zarolinski, CSA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Matthew Capodicasa\u2019s world premiere play has crisp dialogue and provocative ideas, and the production is excellent. By AILEEN JOHNSON<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":365162,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,18],"tags":[223,224],"class_list":{"0":"post-365156","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-featured","8":"category-reviews","9":"tag-matthew-capodicasa","10":"tag-tiffany-nichole-greene"},"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nA blistering yet tender police training in 'The Scenarios' at Studio Theatre - 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