‘The Discarded’: A Poetic Journey Echoing the Lives of Immigrants
When pieces of garbage being thrown onto the street of New York City, their journey begins. They may start at the same place, but they will separate at a certain point of time, and end up in different destinies — just as immigrants.
“The Discarded” ingeniously parallels the journey of discarded objects with the experiences of immigrants. Presented as part of the Global Forms Theater Festival at Rattlestick Theater that is dedicated to showcasing the work international and immigrant theater artists, this thought-provoking play weaves together documentary theatre, puppetry, and physical theater to shed light on the often-neglected lives of immigrants and the devastating consequences of the global waste trade. Directed by Tianding He and written by Tianding He, Deniz Khateri, Yuexing Sun, and Qingan Zhang, who also deliver stellar performances, the production offers a brisk 60-minute exploration of interconnected destinies.
The play commences on a bustling New York City street, where a broken glass, a ring, and a trash can engage in a conversation that effortlessly captures the essence of the city’s vibrancy juxtaposed with their own shattered existence. Their dialogue is soon interrupted by a waste picker, who abruptly separates them and tosses the broken glass into a garbage bag, while adorning herself with the ring. This recurrent theme of separation runs throughout the narrative as the “garbage friends” traverse the waste disposal process.
The second episode unfolds at a Material Recycling Center, where a discarded love letter discovers its impending journey, described by a loader machine as a “crossing point for souls to enter the afterlife.” Simultaneously, the scene transitions to a harbor, where immigrant workers construct a ship from a pre-taped paper on the stage floor. The emergence of a green origami boat evokes a sense of wonder, complemented by the workers’ colorful suitcases symbolizing their aspirations. Though dialogue is sparse in this scene, Jiaying Zhang’s ingenious set and prop design breathe life into the narrative. Hanging plastic sheets become a canvas for shadow puppetry, portraying immigrant workers squeezed together like the suitcases on their voyage across the ocean.
Upon their arrival on foreign shores, the immigrants find themselves in a developing country, paralleling the descent of the discarded items. The tearing down of the plastic sheets reveals a majestic trash mountain dominating the upstage area, its growth and meandering form evoking a sense of overwhelming presence. While the trash mountain cannot replicate the scale of its real-world counterparts in developing countries, the brilliance of Zhang’s set design lies in its ability to strike a balance between realism and abstraction, imbuing the story with a mythical dimension and timeless relevance.
Following this revelation, the discarded objects engage in a poignant conversation, sharing memories, journeys, and unfulfilled wishes. Meanwhile, the immigrants have arrived in New York, embarking on their own journeys, eagerly awaiting the fulfillment of their dreams.
“The Discarded” succeeds in delivering a profound message by skillfully intertwining the fates of discarded objects and immigrants. Through its poetic and experimental approach, this devised production serves as a captivating reminder of the interconnectedness of our lives, the impact of global waste trade, and the resilience and aspirations of those pursuing a better future. With a talented ensemble and outstanding production elements, “The Discarded” stands as a testament to the power of theater to illuminate and provoke introspection.
