‘The Swallow’ Is A Challenging Conversation About Identity And Acceptance

A thought-provoking drama about two strangers brought together by grief, The Swallow gradually reveals the complicated truths hidden beneath an ordinary voice lesson, exploring identity, family, and how we remember the people we love.

Specific events in time affect all of us. Whether global, national, or personal, the details of the experience are burned into our brains. Whether it’s the Kennedy assassination, the Berlin Wall coming down, or a marriage proposal, we store the details in the scrapbooks of our mind. We collect new information from others, and we imagine the event from other people’s perspectives. And no matter how much time goes by, the impact never leaves us.

The Swallow is about Emily, a strict vocal teacher who has just met new student, Ray. Ray hopes to sing the hymn “The Swallow” at his mother’s memorial in a few weeks, and he has a history of singing in a choir, but needs some practice. As the two begin to talk about breathing techniques, diaphragm use, and lung health, the conversation shifts from Emily insisting that Ray give up smoking to much deeper, more passionate subjects about each of their lives.

Written by Guillem Clua and directed by Laine Rogers, The Swallow seems like one thing on the surface but is something completely different underneath. It references identity, belief systems, religion, and freedom, as well as the shooting at The Pulse nightclub in 2016.

The set is a living room painted deep purple, with matching drapery that separates this room from the next. There is a 1983 festival poster near the door, stacks of records on the floor, lovely old-timey photos on the wall, a small sofa decorated in a flowery pattern, and a piano. It gives the feel of someone who has lived a comfortable life and chooses to keep things the way they always have been.

Starring Jim Nally and Michelle McKenzie-Voigt, the two actors are on stage for almost the entire show. They make full use of the stage, with small sections of monologue influenced by a memory or thought highlighted in a spotlight center stage.

I found some tonal shifts jarring, particularly in the first act. One argument escalates into raised voices and, ultimately, shouting. If it were me (or many other people), I would have asked this person to leave. It would have been the end of a conversation with the stranger in my home, and thus, the end of the play. The fact that they keep interacting feels almost unlikely.

The dialogue also feels choppy at times, with words or phrases that don’t seem true to the characters you are getting to know.

That said, the show’s core conversation is hugely resonant, and I was grateful to watch it play out the way it did. There is a difference between loving a child that you’ve watched their entire life and loving the person that they really are. This is an issue many are facing today, and it needs more attention.

Younger generations want to be seen and accepted for who they are. Older generations, raised by the generations before them when this was normal, cherish childhood photos, the items they’ve collected, and vacation memories. There is an endpoint where authentic conversations stop, silence or small talk takes over, and the connection the parent believes exists becomes a relationship of sadness for the child. That doesn’t mean that the love isn’t there, but loving a memory never feels like enough to the person standing in front of you.

The Swallow isn’t what I expected when I read the synopsis, and I was intrigued as the narrative slowly revealed their commonalities. It may not always find an easy rhythm, but the questions it raises about love, identity, and whether we truly see the people closest to us are notable and worth considering.

Trigger warning: frequent mentions of gun violence.

The Swallow runs for 90 minutes with no intermission.

Open Space Arts The Swallow Chicago Review – The Swallow is playing at Open Space Arts through 9/27/2026. Tickets can be purchased on the Open Space Arts website or by calling (773) 773-7837. Open Space Arts is located at 1411 West Wilson Avenue in Chicago.