The Overwhelming
by J T. Rogers

Name: The Overwhelming
Brand: J T. Rogers
SKU: 9780822222781
Rating: 3.94 (66 reviews)

The Overwhelming Book Cover — The Overwhelming Cover

Highlights

Medium Cast

Female

Male

120 minsFlexible Cast SizeUnit Set/Multiple SettingsAmerican

What readers are saying

Readers appreciate the thought-provoking and daring nature of the play, noting its unique blend of fiction with real historical events. Many find the writing to be beautifully crafted and effectively address complex political issues surrounding the Rwandan genocide. Overall, it has garnered strong positive responses as a significant work in contemporary theatre.

Thought-provoking and insightfulBeautifully written and craftedAddresses complex political issuesOne mild note on pacing

Synopsis

Seizing the opportunity to research a book, Jack Exley uproots his family from Illinois to Rwanda in early 1994.

Alarmingly out of depth, Jack begins a fervent search for his dear and missing friend while his wife and teenage son find trouble of their own.

As Jack involves himself in the local politics, he discovers a pattern of brutality and beliefs that jeopardizes the lives of everyone around him.

This is a gripping story of a country on the brink of genocide.

Press Reviews

"THE OVERWHELMING strikes me as not only the best new play I've seen this year but also one of the most entertaining…Shatteringly powerful but also unexpectedly entertaining…with the atmosphere, moral urgency, and hurtling momentum of a Graham Greene novel.“ —The Telegraph (UK). ”The theatre is a tribunal whose task is to present the bloody evidence and ask what you think of yourself as a member of the human race. I have seldom seen this task performed with such unprejudiced but devastating power.“ —The Times (London). ”I loved everything about J.T. Rogers' THE OVERWHELMING.“ —The New Yorker. ”An urgent new theatrical voice has arrived.“ —New York Sun. ”THE OVERWHELMING builds to such a chilling climax, it's not a play you'll forget.“ —New York Daily News. ”Political theatre of the most gripping kind. J.T. Rogers' THE OVERWHELMING handles this daunting topic with a powerful immediacy and theatricality."
— New York Post