Omar Bakry’s Superman and Serena Explores the Impact of Repressed Childhood Trauma on Adult Lives

“I am Superman…I am Superman. I am…not Superman.”

This is the mantra of Fredrick Mullen (Alex Chilton), a well-known psychiatrist obsessed with a perfection that can never be achieved and facing a life spinning out of control. Sporting a tousled toupee, he keeps a statue of his childhood hero on his desk as a reminder of what he aspires to. He even has an assistant named Lois (Joanna Stone). His office wall is filled with awards; a picture frame with “APA” scribbled on it is at the center, as if he is willing the recognition into existence. “You’re next” he says to the phantom achievement. His wife Jane (Sarah Voigt), sick of his narcissism and his obvious infidelity, is leaving him and taking the kids with her. He later phones the mistress he’d just denied having, sleazily instructing her to remove her dress—but in keeping with his obsession, he insists she fold it perfectly.

Harrowing flashbacks to Fredrick’s childhood manifest as interludes. A bed with Superman sheets is flanked by a poster of the hero, and the same statue that would grace Fredrick’s desk years later. We see young Fredrick (Jacob Schmidt) with his verbally abusive alcoholic father Ryan (Robert Lomberto). Ryan demands he finish his 10 pushups, warning him that if he doesn’t strive for perfection, he will grow up to be a loser.

In the midst of this a new patient appears that will change his life forever. Salma (Inji El Gammal) is a Muslim woman trapped in a life completely controlled by others. “I need someone to save me,” she admits. “This can’t be the way life is supposed to be.” She is haunted by lengthy gaps in her memory—blackouts where she has no recollection of events. She has a reasonably good first session with Fredrick; they even bond over their love of chocolate cake and the beach. But when she returns for a follow-up visit, she is a changed woman—literally. Calling herself Serena, she wears a slinky black gown and a new personality, challenging Fredrick in a way no one has done in a long time. Inji El Gammal is extraordinary in playing the dual role, changing her face so dramatically as Serena that she genuinely seems like a different—and dangerous—person.

Salma’s mother Dawlat (Samar El Zein) and her desperate husband Jeffrey (Ahmed Sabry), the very people she says control her life, appear unexpectedly on separate visits to Fredrick’s office, exasperating the already on-edge doctor further. Meanwhile, her unknown third enemy, Serena, is wreaking havoc on Salma’s life, literally destroying the one thing that gives her peace.

Determined to achieve that elusive super heroism in both life and work, Fredrick decides the path to helping Salma is through hypnosis. The lights dim and Salma regresses to childhood, braiding her “friend” Serena’s hair while she faces the real-life demons that begin to consume her. As screams are heard outside Fredrick’s office, events accelerate to a shocking conclusion.

Superman & Serena is a gripping and at times devastating psychological thriller that shines a black light onto the long-term effects of childhood abuse and trauma. It is expertly written by Bakry and beautifully interpreted by the immensely skilled cast.

Superman & Serena is directed by Vincent Scott, with lighting and set by Gus Ferrari. It runs at the American Theatre of Actors through January 21, 2024.