‘Baba’ invites audiences to step into an immigrant’s shoes at a dire time

In the program notes for Williamston Theatre’s production of “Baba,” co-founder and executive director Emily Sutton-Smith addresses the power of storytelling in building human connections, an idea strongly supported by the beautifully executed Michigan premiere of Denmo Ibrahim’s play.

“Baba” is a tender story of father-daughter love, loss and reconnection. The play employs a cast of one: Sarab Kamoo plays Mohammed, or Baba, in act one and his daughter, Layla, in act two.  Act one is set in the 1980s at the office of U.S. Passport & Immigration in New York City. Baba, an Egyptian immigrant, is trying to get a passport for his U.S.-born daughter so that he can take her back to Egypt. What ensues is a series of visits that highlight the inefficiency and near-cruelty of a typical government agency that almost succeeds in unraveling the jovially optimistic Baba. 

Baba is a sweet and attentive father, beaming with pride over his daughter while managing to keep her occupied through hours of wait time. Eventually, he opens up about his strained relationship with his wife, yet he maintains his optimism through the heartache, singularly focused on the goal of getting that passport and taking Layla home.  

Act two takes place 30 years later. Layla enters the airport, headed to Cairo for the first time. She wrestles with reconciling the vision she’s had of her father with the truths that have been revealed in the wake of her mother’s death.  

Director Tony Caselli’s staging is clever and engaging. Kamoo is both cast and crew, never leaving the stage even as she transitions between characters. Baba disappears into a nondescript woman who resets the stage for act two, who then morphs into Layla. The transformation becomes part of the story itself as Layla emerges from being an invisible child to a fully formed woman setting out on a journey of discovery. 

Kamoo is simply outstanding. Her Baba is jovial and charming, joking with the others waiting in immigration office purgatory and supplicating himself to the faceless bureaucrats in increasing desperation. Her Layla is chock-full of complex feelings, nervous and doubtful, but also hopeful. One of Kamoo’s greatest talents is her ability to cry on command because this story requires plenty of tears, both sad and happy. 

Whether Williamston Theatre’s creative team foretold the value of “Baba” as it planned the 18th season more than a year ago or not, the show ended up being an excellent choice. “Baba” is the kind of story that most Americans could benefit from experiencing right now, as the Trump administration’s assault on immigrants — even actual citizens who might look like “the other” — continues. Although we hear media soundbites about the trauma caused by these actions, a story like “Baba” reminds us that behind each of these cases are real human beings, parents and children who have identities, goals and dreams, who love each other and are forever changed by the damage done by separations and deportations.