(left to right) Joel Ashur, Sarin Monae West, Keeley Miller, and Joey Collins. Photo by Margot Schulman.
When a cop encounters someone in a mental health crisis, do they see a person or a threat? Matthew Capodicasa’s tense dash of a play, “The Scenarios,” probes this charged question. In the strange liminal space of a week-long training, cops practice “scenarios” of police interactions with EDPs or Emotionally Disturbed Persons. This world-premiere production at Studio Theatre, builds quickly and unrelentingly to an expected revelation.
…a firm but restrained critique of modern policing…does plenty right in its debut production.
Angie (Sarin Monae West), a professional actor with a few major credits on her IMDB, takes a thankless gig, improvising volatile interactions with NYPD officers, despite her obvious discomfort. Cops opt into this week-long training on de-escalation, active-listening, and recognizing signs of mental illness for a spectrum of reasons. Officer Charlie (Joel Ashur) surprises Angie with his earnestness, sharing how important he considers the lessons of the training given the current state of policing. On the other hand, Sasha (Keeley Miller) is plainly skeptical of any real-life applicability but goes through the motions in quest of a promotion.
While smaller conflicts simmer in the background—Clinician Patricia’s (Alyssa Keegan) fears the training will be cut, fellow actor Ned (Joey Collins) is insecure about his credentials—the forefront question remains “why is Angie here?” Yet, “The Scenarios” is less mystery than tragedy, with ample hints building up to an unsurprising final act.
Harsh overhead lights shine down on the spartan training room in Alberto Segarra’s lighting design, evoking the headache-inducing fluorescence of a windowless corporate office. A few, hard plastic chairs, a trash can, and a water cooler are the limits of the functional adornment in Afsoon Pajoufar’s set design. A painted cinder block wall backdrops each scenario.
While we imagine a public park, apartment building, or local store, the events of “The Scenarios” are confined to the police building. The fiction of each scene adds comforting distance. The weapons are plastic, and the officers say “cuff” instead applying physical restraints. When rumors spread through the station, actors and officers alike begin to question just how real these scenarios might be.
Garbled static bookends each scene, resolving into overlapping fragments of police radio as the play presses on. These jarring sounds, designed by Noel Nichols, Daniela Hart, and Bailey Trierweiler, contrast with the rare moments of peace offered in the play during Angie and Charlie’s smoke breaks on the roof, with the soft distant buzz of traffic in the distance. These gentle asides let the audience, who play the observing trainees during each scenario, relax unseen, if only for a few minutes.
A careful dance of privilege and power, “The Scenarios” is a firm but restrained critique of modern policing. Although its limited runtime constrains its scope and depth, the tight pacing keeps intensity high. While the conclusion falls short of the build up, “The Scenarios” does plenty right in its debut production.
Running Time: One hour and 20 minutes with no intermission.
Advisory: Contains depictions and discussions of violence and use of herbal cigarettes.
“The Scenarios” runs through April 6, 2025 at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005. For more information and to purchase tickets, call the Box Office at 202.332.3300. Hours: Tuesdays, 2 – 6 pm; Wednesday – Thursday, noon – 6 pm (until 6:30 pm when performance scheduled); Fridays, Noon – 6 pm (until 7 pm when performance scheduled); Saturdays, Noon – 7 pm (performance days only); Sundays, Noon – 6 pm (performance days only); or go online.
