"A KID LIKE RISHI'S" AMERICAN PREMIERE

"A KID LKE RISHI" by Kees Roorda; Directed by Erwin Maas; 

                                    produced by Origin Theater Company

"A Kid Like Rishi," is a Duch docudrama about a racial profiling police killing in the Hague.

While a 17-year-old Rishi Chandrikasing was waiting for a train at The Hague Holland Spoor

station was shot by a police officer who suspected him for assaulting a homeless person who was

 never questioned. Actually he wasn't even identified. Rishi died immediately of a gunshot to the

 head. This play was also inspired by Kees Roorda (playwright), because of a personal racial

 profiling incident about his partner Rob who is black and was unfairly refused entry to the U.S.

That very experience with racial profiling never left Kees Roorda and compelled him to want to

write about the killing of an unarmed 17-year-old Rishi Chandrikasing in 2021.

"A kid like Rishi" is being produced by the Origin Theater Company.

The play is set in a long room with a big wooden table in the center. Audience sits on all sides of

the room. There are couple of microphones set up on the table and throughout the play some

scenes are projected on the walls. Three amazing actors play multiple roles.  When the play starts 

a judge, (Sung Yun Cho, superb) declares the verdict. and the verdict is, "The district court in the

Hague deems legally and convincingly proven that the defendant intentionally inflicted grievous

bodily harm resulting in the death of the victim".  But the defendant, a police officer is not

convicted even after this kind of verdict.  One can only imagine what kind of uproar and protest

 must have gone on after this horror which sounds quite familiar in many other parts of the world

where many murders are because of race and the victim's skin color.   The play presents certain

 witnessess, such as Rishi's mother played by Atandwa Kani in a heart breaking performance, - a

brilliant, sorrowful and passionate rendition of any mother who loses her young, innocent son in

 an instant, never ever to see him again.  Then there is a witness account given by a neighbor

(again played by Sung Yun Cho, who is amazing in all the roles.  Kaili Vernoff also brilliantly and

boldly portray a few parts, such as a journalist, a police shooting instructor,  all accounts gathered

from courtroom interviews and transcripts. They all perform in English translation by Tom

Johnston while the original duch transcripts are projected on the wall.

The scenography is by Guy de Lancey and it is extremely effective.

Some things, the accounts by the police, and of the bystanders are vague and murky. The most 

important fact in this case is that the victim was unarmed.  The police referes to him as a, "young

black man in a white coat."  He is shot dead instantly.  Imagine, after this kind of verdict, the

defendant, a police officer is not convicted. This is an acquittal.  Horrifying, to say the least.

'A Kid Like Rishi" is superbly directed by Erwin Maas.  It's not an easy play to direct but he is

 brilliant in his great effort, and with an extremely successful result.

This play and the whole creative team left me in awe and tears. I have been constantly thinking,

thinking about "A Kid Like Rishi" and his mother and his family and his friends amid the awful

justice system in the world.

Bravo to Origin Theater Company for bringing this important play to New York. 

Reviewed by

BINA SHARIF

ATCA

Editor/publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com

email: binashariff@gmail.com

Mobile: 212-260-6207