Spike Lee’s production of Antoinette Nwandu’s allegorical play ‘pass over’ presents issues of racism and white supremacy in an entertaining way that leaves the audience captivated yet unsettled using a single prop and a few heartfelt performances. The story sets on the block of 64th and Martin Luther King Drive where two homeless black men, Moses and Kitch exchange humorous banter and dream of better days ahead. They talk about what they’re going to do when they get to the “promised land”. The dialogue is playful, and we see the full spectrum of emotions from both characters. Happy about the days to come, yet sad about those they’ve lost to police violence. The two are approached by a cheery white man dressed in a white suit who questions their use of the N-word, “saying if I don’t get to say it, you don’t get to say it.” Gun shots are heard, and the white man is standing while the two black men are taking cover. The man leaves them a basket of food and exits the stage. One of the men tries to leave the corner and a police officer immediately stops him. The play concludes in a shocking way when Kitch is shot by the man in the white suit who returns in the last scene.
This play is riddled with symbolism, seen immediately in the set design. 64th alludes to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which outlawed discrimination based on race, and Martin Luther King obviously was instrumental in the Civil Rights movement. They mention things like crossing over the Jordan River into the promised land, Passover and the name Moses, which are all referring to Moses delivering God’s people out of Egypt (slavery). Also, the first white man to enter the play was named Master which has slavery implications. Major themes addressed in this play involve the interaction two black men and two white men. The play depicts a white power view and an othering by the white men over the black men. The black men are slaves to the white men. They hide in fear and recognize their lower status and the slave-master relationship. Physically they can’t leave the corner, but maybe this represents a socioeconomic bondage as well. This play asks us to question our power structures, and calls to dismantle oppressive establishments like the police to give equal treatment to all races.