Penumbra opens its 50th season with the world premiere of a science fiction play titled Mothership. Set in the not-too-distant future, the Earth has been all but destroyed by man, and in order to protect itself, it has turned on mankind, forcing people to flee in rockets, many of which exploded, or go deep underground to try and survive. Those who remain, the ones not allowed on the initial rocket ships, are all Black.

Now the survivors have been invited onto a sentient spaceship called the Mothership to be taken to a new planet to start over. But in order to reach that destination, the five survivors in the pod where the play takes place must grow, change, heal, and transform. They must unfurl themselves from the past in order to gain the chance to begin again.

The pod is filled with five characters, each with trauma, secrets, or unacknowledged truths they carry with them like burdens. The new planet will not accept them if they have not freed themselves from the bonds of the past and become who they truly are meant to be. This planet will not allow them to devastate it as they have Earth.

Mothership uses this future world and situation to speak to us about our world today. It’s a little on the nose, but that’s because the extrapolations from our time to the future time of this play feel as though they might be ripped from next year’s headlines. Co-authors Resmaa Menakem and Kristen Adele Calhoun infuse the story with enough humor and unique character details to keep the play entertaining and from feeling like a lesson being preached.

A strong cast helps ground the futuristic tale, the standout being Ashambaga Jaafaru as Harper. Starting out full of attitude and defiance, Harper will evolve into the group’s leader. Jaafaru is equally compelling at both ends of the spectrum.

The role of the youngest member of the pod is played in rotation by two young actors, Juliah Jefferson and Michelle Kanyugi. I saw Jefferson, whom I’d seen last season in Penumbra’s production of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. I hope she continues on with acting. I see a lot of potential in this 12-year-old, and she’s getting the opportunity in both those productions to work with some really gifted performers.

Outside of the Twin Cities Horror Festival or Minnesota Fringe Festival, we don’t often see science fiction plays. I can only think of a couple off the top of my head: Fahrenheit 451 and Marjorie Prime, both of which, at least in the productions I saw, took a very low-tech approach.

Mothership’s production design, by contrast, is very creatively executed. There are three video screens that appear to show the space through which the ship is traveling, though they are also used to visually represent some exposition and give us a somewhat distorted visual of the entity that is the Mothership’s sentient split personality. There are also unexpected transformations of the set itself that help to achieve a larger scope visually. Great work from Scenic Designer Chelsea M. Warren and Associate Scenic Designer Sebastian Zavalza. Likewise, Projection Designer Miko Simmons and Video Programmer Bevibel Harvey.

This world premiere from Penumbra is a great start to their 50th season and a rare chance to see a science fiction stage play. Under the skillful direction of Candis C. Jones, it reminds us of the path we are on, but also allows us to leave with hope.

Mothership runs through October 4 at Penumbra Center for Racial Healing. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to https://penumbracenter.org/event/mothership/

I want to alert you faithful readers to a new Website that has just started up in the Twin Cities. It’s called 79 Seconds on Stage and it is a free and full guide to local theatre in the Twin Cities.

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