Review: PIPELINE Lays Bare the Effects of Institutionalized Racism on Education Systems

What lengths would a mother go to to save her son and his future? In PIPELINE, there doesn't seem to be a limit.

Written by playwright Dominique Morrisseau and directed by Weyni Mengesha, PIPELINE follows inner-city high school teacher Nya (Akosua Amo-Adem) after her son Omari (Tony Ofari) is involved in an incident at his upstate private school that could lead to his expulsion.

It's a highly emotional work, and Amo-Adem navigates the role with seemingly relative ease. Whether Nya is trying to explain poetry to a class full of teenagers, dealing with her ex-husband, or breaking down alone at home, Amo-Adem's portrayal feels sincere, almost heartbreakingly so. Not just that, but she nails the moments of levity for Nya, helping ease some of the building tension and making the character seem that much more real.

As her son Omari, Ofari shines. He balances all aspects of the teenager trying to deal with learning who he is while dodging others' perceptions of him; his anger, his confusion, his vulnerability, and more. Ofari has mastered the casual, nonchalant approach and tone of a youth who is invested, but doesn't want to seem invested, uses - one that anyone who's been or has lived with a teenager will recognize.

The rest of the small cast is rounded out by strong supports both in terms of the story, and in terms of the performance. There's a glimpse into the strain between parents and children in Nya's ex and Omari's father Xavier (Kevin Hanchard), the lawyer who aptly believes that what his son needs is for someone to lay down the law. Omari's girlfriend Jasmine (Chelsea Russell) is a firecracker, with Russell giving her a larger than life personality and all the naivety of a teen experiencing their first love.

Nya's coworkers, security guard Dun (Mazin Elsadig) and teacher Laurie (Kristen Thomsen) give viewers a clearer idea of all the problems within the school, which only highlights the rift between Nya's world and Omari's that much more. While there's build up and interesting plot points for both Dun and Laurie and both Elsadig and Thomsen are great in the roles, it does seem like the focus on the inner-city school and its staff and students drops off suddenly to put the focus back on Nya. Given that there just isn't an answer in the real world for many of the issues brought up, the choice makes sense - however, it does make for a bit of a cliffhanger.

Repurposed set pieces and a rotating floor (set and projection design by Lorenzo Savoini) helped to create a range of different places quickly, from a classroom, to a teacher's lounge, to Nya's living room. Projections are used effectively to convey a busier school than what's shown on stage, and during a poetry lesson led by Nya the mix of projections and echoing sound (sound design by Lyon Smith) create a haunting, impactful moment centered on a work by Gwendolyn Brooks.

Morrisseau's poetic dialogue is balanced with harsh realities and laugh-inducing one liners. PIPELINE isn't a comedy, nor a tragedy; it's a realistic examination of the education system, the unfair stereotypes pressed onto Black children, and the bond between a mother and her son.

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PIPELINE runs through May 8 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House Lane, Toronto, ON.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.soulpepper.ca/performances/pipeline

Photo credit: Dahlia Katz

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