Martin Moran’s, “The Tricky Part”, recently toured India, and produced by Poorna Jagannathan, it became an attempt to spark a debate that somehow still remains on the periphery of the now growing discussion around sexual violence.
Part of the Martin Moran India Tour, which also brought his other award winning play “All The Rage”, to three cities in the country— Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai, “The Tricky Part” has been directed by Seth Barrish and written and performed by Moran. It has been adapted from the book Moran wrote of the same name. The story focuses on Moran’s own life, and plays out his experiences from the age of 12 to 15, when Moran was in a sexual relationship with his Catholic boys’ camp counsellor, a much older man.
Now an actor, Moran brings on stage the memory and experience of finding the man and confronting him. He introduces elements of religion, humour, tragedy and courage, and his intimate account of his own experiences take on a life on stage that is rife with unflinching sensory and visual details.
The play won Moran an Obie award in 2004, and it’s both incredibly personal, and interestingly, universal. Fashioned as a conversation with the audience, Moran’s presence on stage is powerful, almost confessional in style. The conflict and confusion that form the basis of his narrative are palpable, and the play, as it moves forward, goes through a varying range of emotions, examining the ideas of forgiveness, redemption and reconciliation. Moran’s words speak of moral courage, and human folly, and for the audience, they take on a contemporary and contextual meaning that is independent of its own place in time and history.
Interspersed by readings from his journal, Moran’s style is both direct and detailed. He approaches both the issue and the experience with a rawness that draws the audience in. There is turmoil, confusion, anger and fear, but Moran doesn’t pick at single facets of the experience. He brings in elements of humour, seduction, love and excitement.
“The Tricky Part” has been staged countless times, and in this production, and each time, it speaks of the need to address the reality of sexual violence against boys.
