On a trip to New York City for the American Theatre Critics Association conference, my wife/editor Karin and I caught four wildly different plays at four wildly different venues.

Just having opened in September, the Perelman Performing Arts Center is an essential part of the rebirth of the World Trade Center in response to 9/11. Though it can seat no more than 1,000 patrons, its cost exceeded (sit down for this one) $600 million. It must be the most technologically advanced theater in the world, with the ability to configure into one, two, or three stages. The capabilities of manipulating the performance spaces on every possible dimension are mind boggling, and many decorative elements are simply arresting.

For its first performance commission, the Center turned to Bill T. Jones, one of the world’s greatest choreographers of modern dance and his collaborator Marc Bamuthi Joseph, who like Jones is anchored in dance, but also excels in related artistic realms. So the casual observer might be excused for expecting a dance-centric piece. And while the significance of dance in the artistic expression is undeniable, serious choreography doesn’t occur until 30 minutes into the production. Although it is easy to dismiss “Watch Night” as unfocused multidisciplinary expression, it really masks a serious, modern, sung-through opera full of pathos and diverse, powerful music composed by Tamar-kali.

Appropriate to the rich cityscape rising from the destruction of the World Trade Center, “Watch Night” fervently deals with group trauma resulting from tragic and diabolical events thrust upon two communities. The fictional storyline builds around two real-life incidents among the many that have scarred this nation physically and emotionally. The mass murders in a church with a black congregation in Charleston and in a synagogue in Pittsburgh ground the narrative. Remarkably, like the 30 Years War referenced in another play we attended, “Spies for the Pope”, these tragedies are driven by tribalism (racism) and religion. Sadly, societies seem to have learned little in these 400 years.

The play opens with considerable stridency that suggests that the whole experience that follows may be weighty and without release. However, as characters come into focus, the issues are no less grave, but the humanization allows personal connection and empathy to develop. A journalist, Josh (Brandon Michael Nase), is the key character, and his centrality to multiple situations causes some muddling in the narrative. He is not only witness to Pittsburgh slayings, but loses a brother in the killings.

Josh is conflicted in multiple ways. He is visibly black, though some other blacks confront him with the speculation that one parent is white, which is true. That parent is also Jewish, which places him in two camps that suffer discrimination. Yet, he is not portrayed as the suffering heroic but rather as driven by money rather than principles or tribal loyalty. Many people have defining moments in their lives that shape their life philosophies, and his is revealed when he is treated as black but not Jewish by a rabbi (Brian Golub). The female lead, Shayla (Danyel Fulton) also faces a moment of trial when she confronts the unrepentant white supremacist responsible for the deaths of blacks.

“Watch Night” drips with profound gravitas and will appeal to those seeking a gripping, provocative, and meaningful experience, appropriate to these disconcerting times. Those not willing to meet this challenge may not be satisfied. Production values impress, and performances are generally strong with powerful choreography of movement and dance. Especially notable is Ken Alston, Jr., who does not have a principal part, but whose clarion countertenor singing rings through the cacophony.

Interestingly, supertitles are used on occasion to emphasize important points, but plot details and the whole arc would be much better grasped if the production followed the opera house standard, even for English language librettos, and used supertitles throughout.

“Watch Night,” by Bill T. Jones, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, and Tamar-kali is produced by Perelman Performing Arts Center and appears on its stage at 251 Fulton Street, New York, NY through November 18, 2023.