S. Shakthidharan’s Multi-Generation Spectacle Dazzles World

by David Moore

“Counting and Cracking,” a powerful, multi-generational epic, explores identity, migration, and the refugee experience. Playwright S. Shakthidharan tells the story of Radha, a fiery Tamil woman, and her son Siddhartha, whose lives are torn apart by the decades-long Sri Lankan civil war, leaving emotional scars that span generations.

Set in the tasteful opulence of NYU’s Skirball Center, the New York Public Theater show opens against a backdrop of global unrest. News reports echo deliberate lies about immigrants as displaced peoples are forced to flee their homes worldwide.

As the U.S. grapples with immigration, the question looms: Can we open our hearts to those who abandon everything familiar for a hopeful tomorrow, as Australians once did for Sri Lankan refugees?

“One language, two countries. Two languages, one country.”

“Counting and Cracking” explores language on many levels. Shakthidharan embraces multilingualism by incorporating no fewer than three languages onstage, aided by live, real-time translations. The stage becomes a whirlwind of sounds, cultures, and emotions. This cacophony, at times dizzying—like watching a Bollywood soap opera with English overdubs—enhances the authenticity and vitality of the Sri Lankan experience.

The set itself is a living entity, constantly shifting between two worlds: the vibrant, bustling streets of Sri Lanka and the subdued atmosphere of present-day Australia.

In Sri Lanka, the scenes teem with energy, with crowds coming and going. Barefoot cast and draped in saris, 19 enthusiastic actors evoke the rigid social hierarchies of the old world.

In contrast, the Australian scenes str marked by skinny jeans and Chuck Taylors in 2004. Yet, even in these modern scenes, the cultural heritage of the refugees is symbolically present as ensemble members in saris linger, reminding us of the ever-present weight of history.

Siddhartha, a 21-year-old Australian-born man, seeks balance between his Tamil heritage and his life in Australia. Though he speaks with an Australian accent, has an Australian girlfriend, and identifies as Australian, Siddhartha feels incomplete—something essential has been torn from him. He begins to consider returning to Sri Lanka to reconnect with his overbearing but distant mother and rediscover his roots.

Siddhartha’s life in Australia, while comfortable, feels like a bittersweet victory. He represents the hope that even after the horrors of civil war, future generations can escape and rebuild. Yet, the wounds of exile and the struggle to reconcile two identities run deep.

“Counting and Cracking” is an extraordinary theatrical experience that marries the political with the personal in strikingly poignant ways. Through its multilingual dialogue, vibrant staging, and deeply moving character arcs,

Shakthidharan breathes life into the refugee experience, offering a deeply resonant story of survival, identity, and belonging. It’s an EPIC experience in the theater! See it if you can, somewhere in the world.

“Counting and Cracking” –written & associate directed by S. Shakthidharan, directed & associate written by Eamon Flack, co-produced by Belvoir St. Theatre & Kurinji, at NYU Skirball, by The Public Theater, New York City.

Info: publictheater.org – to September 22, 2024.