Lidless

In some ways powerful, in others unbelievable, "Lidless" aims to blow the top off America's years at Guantánamo Bay. In dealing with one female soldier's forced forgetfulness about her time as a prison interrogator, author Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig is really dealing with our country's collective amnesia. Cowhig's drama, which won Yale University's 2009 Drama Series competition, as well as a Fringe First Award at Edinburgh in 2010, is an absorbing work that shuffles back and forth between actuality and magic realism.

At Gitmo, Alice was a participant in an interrogation tactic called "invasion of space by a female." Her job was to embarrass and harass prisoners in the search for information about al-Qaida. If she could seduce her particular charge, Bashir, she would bring him shame as a Muslim and thus break down his resistance. In order to assuage whatever conscience she might have, she takes pills that will eventually cause her to block out memories of her actions.

Forward to 15 years later, when Alice is living in Minnesota and running a flower shop, having apparently put her violent past out of her mind. Her teenage daughter, Rhiannon, suffers from asthma. Her husband, Lucas, a former druggie, also wants to forget his past. Their peace is shattered when Bashir, having been released to Canada and not yet returned to his native Pakistan, seeks them out. His mission: to remind Alice of their terrifying time together and force her to give him part of her liver to prevent his dying from hepatitis.

If some of this isn't quite believable, at least it's written, directed, and acted with fervor. Director Tea Alagi? dexterously clarifies various times and multiple locations. Further contrasting Middle American comfort with vignettes of torture and illness are Daniel Kluger's jolting sound design and original music, Tyler Micoleau's shifting lighting, Scott Bradley's austere set, and Jessica Pabst's precise costumes.

Giving passionate performances are Danielle Skraastad (Alice), Laith Nakli (Bashir), Emma Galvin (Rhiannon), and Thom Rivera (Lucas). Maha Chehlaoui does what she can with several ill-defined characters.

"Lidless" is the work of a young and promising playwright, one with a conscience. If it's not all of one piece, and if the events are not always convincing, it nevertheless makes for a purposely discomfiting evening. The emotions that "Lidless" engenders are not the classic pity and terror but anger and shame.

Presented by Page 73 at Walkerspace, 46 Walker St., NYC. Sept. 28–Oct. 15. Mon.–Sat., 7:30 p.m. (212) 352-3101, (866) 811-4111, www.theatermania.com, or www.p73.org. Casting by Jack Doulin.