Two Billion Beats: A True Display of Sisterly Love
Kenny Solosky
The other day we went to see Two Billion Beats at the Orange Tree Theater in Richmond. To summarize, the play is about two sisters who each try to help each other out with their problems in an attempt to become closer with each other. In doing so, however, the ways in which they are helping are misunderstood which causes a rift in their relationship. While that is really stripping it down to its bare minimum, I found this play to be very relatable to my own life, for I found the relationship between the two sisters in the play to be very similar to my relationship with my brother.
There really were not many negative aspects of the play, however, there was one thing that I noticed. I was not a huge fan of the layout of the theater, for people who sat on the other side of the theater saw some things that I was not able to see. For example, I was told that there was a sign over the bus stop that I was not able to see because of where my seats were in the theater. Although I did enjoy being so close to the action, I also did find that it was a little too close and that at times the actresses were only inches away from us. However, these were only minor inconveniences, and it is still a play that I would highly recommend watching.
A few things that stood out to me were how talented the actresses were. Asha, portrayed by Safiyya Ingar, was the older sister who was trying to get into a good university, although she was quite rebellious and caused some issues throughout the play. Ingar played this role incredibly, for she made it really seem like she was an older sister. She had the attitude towards her younger sister that most older siblings have but deep down she really does care for her. I also really appreciated how she was able to transition between talking to the crowd and talking to her sister. Switching intended audiences like that is not as easy as it seems, and the fact that she was able to do this so smoothly really impressed me. She was also able to stay on stage for essentially the entire play, with one short costume change at the tail end being the only time she leaves the stage. Staying out there for that long of a time is very challenging, and it really speaks to how good of an actress she really is.
Bettina, played by Anoushka Chadha, was the younger sister, and she did a fantastic job in playing this role. She gets on her older sister’s nerves all the time, just like my younger brother does, but she also cares for her older sister more than anyone else. Her annoying ticks and nagging reminded me of my brother with me, but it really shows how that is a way younger siblings can express their love.
The final thing I want to talk about was the actual relationship between the two sisters. There was one scene in particular that struck me on a personal level. Bettina gets annoyed when Asha helps the boy who robbed her, for she believes that she will help others before she helps her own sister. Older siblings express their love and care for their younger siblings very differently. Parents usually give the older siblings some responsibility in looking out for the younger sibling, while the younger sibling looks up to the older. This is what really struck me the most from watching this play, and it’s a message that is often misunderstood. However, watching a play like this where you can really see both perspectives, gives us a greater understanding of this unique relationship. The love between siblings is like none else, and even though it may seem like they are constantly at odds, at the end of the day we will do anything for them, and this play helps us understand this.
Overall, this was a fantastic play. The acting was great, the props were cool, and the storyline was easy to follow while also touching on some powerful subjects. It had a good amount of serious moments as well as some well-timed comedic relief. Plays like this tend to captivate the audience well, and with it sending such a relatable message it really gets people invested.
