IN Series’ “Passion Plays” Offer Catharsis and Confrontation in a Fractured World
When a nation feels numb to suffering and injustice, what can rekindle empathy and compassion? According to Timothy Nelson, artistic director of IN Series, the answer may lie in the ancient art form of the Passion play. IN Series’ recent festival, Passion Plays: A Festival, presented three world premiere works – Only the Air, Passio, and For Women Serving Time – over the first three weekends of March at the Dupont Underground in Washington, D.C., and at the Baltimore Theatre Project.
Only the Air: A Stripped-Down Bach
Only the Air (March 6-8) offered a minimalist exploration of J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. Featuring new text by Joshua Borths and Shana Oshiro, and direction by Timothy Nelson, the production centered on Bach’s arias, presenting a narrative structured as a story told to a receptive listener, placing them in the role of the protagonist. The performance featured singers Colleen Daly, Carl Dupont, Joseph Haughton, and Elizabeth Mondragon, with William Matson as the reader and Joy Schreier as pianist and music director.
If the Tracks of our Tears lead us
to Christ Jesus,
let us go as one in sorrow
in our mourning joy will follow.
Passio: Testimony and Resilience
Passio (March 13-15), subtitled “Today’s Stories of Sacrifice,” distinguished itself by being created collaboratively by the cast, drawing on their personal experiences. The production, reminiscent of a “testimony service” in the Black American religious tradition, featured Alejandra Borzyk, Laila Amezian, Rajna Swaminathan, Tina Chancey, Joyce J. Scott, and Maribeth Diggle, with dreamlike staging and choreography by Diggle. The performers wove spoken word and song together, sharing stories of sacrifice for family and homeland.
For Women Serving Time: Dehumanization and Sacredness
The final installment, For Women Serving Time (March 20-22), composed by Adrienne Torf and based on the poem by Fatemeh Keshavarz, confronted the systematic dehumanization of women in prison. Directed by Nelson, the production incorporated musical elements from Miles Davis, Kurt Weill, and Gabriel Fauré. The staging utilized the imagery of the carceral jumpsuit, previously associated with Jesus in Only the Air, now occupied by the bodies of women, challenging the audience to consider the sacredness of all lives. The cast included Elizabeth Mondragon, Shana Oshiro, Carly Oard, Louisa Waycott, Melissa Wimbush, and Judy Yannini, accompanied by Adrienne Torf on piano and music direction, with Michael Barranco on percussion, Josh Carr on trumpet, Carrie Rose on flute, and Maxfield Wollam-Fisher on cello.
For Women Serving Time will also be performed at The Baltimore Theatre Project on April 10 and 11 at 7:30 pm and April 12 at 2:30 pm. Tickets for the Baltimore run are available online.
SEE ALSO: IN Series’ ‘Passion Plays’ reclaim an ancient art form for a fractured present (preview feature by Gregory Ford, March 4, 2026)
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