Gabriella Sundar Singh and the Solitude of Witness – front mezz junkies, Theater News

A Frontmezzjunkies Interview: Gabriella Sundar Singh on Inheriting Chaya

by Ross

Theatre Passe Muraille has long been a home for urgent storytelling, and with Through the Eyes of God, the company once again places lived experience, moral complexity, and emotional truth at the center of the stage. Written by Anusree Roy (Trident Moon), this world premiere returns audiences to the story of Chaya, first introduced two decades ago in Roy’s celebrated Pyaasa. Now a mother, Chaya faces a world that is no kinder than the one she survived before, navigating poverty, injustice, and unimaginable loss in a system designed to fail her. What unfolds is not just a continuation, but a reckoning, a meditation on motherhood, sacrifice, and the brutal choices love can demand.

Staged in the intimate Backspace at Theatre Passe Muraille and directed by Roy’s longtime collaborator Thomas Morgan Jones, Through the Eyes of God is presented as a solo performance, that strips away excess, allowing the story’s emotional weight to land without distraction. With lighting by David DeGrow, sound design by Romeo Candido and Christine Lee, and evocative set and costume design by Jawon Kang, the world of the play is rendered with precision and restraint, supporting a narrative that moves fluidly between memory, urgency, and survival.

At the center of it all is Gabriella Sundar Singh (Shaw’s Major Barbara), who carries the entirety of Chaya’s journey alone onstage. As the sole performer, Singh embodies not only Chaya’s present crisis but the echoes of her past, the vastness of the world she must navigate, and the unrelenting pull of maternal love. It is a role that demands emotional endurance, technical rigor, and profound empathy, asking the performer to hold both stillness and ferocity in equal measure.

Ahead of the production’s opening, I spoke with Gabrielle Sundar Singh about inhabiting Chaya’s story, collaborating with Anusree Roy and Thomas Morgan Jones, and what it means to give voice to a woman whose love refuses to be silenced.

FrontMezzJunkies: Through the Eyes of God places you alone onstage for the entire journey. What was your first emotional response when you realized you would be carrying this story as a solo performer?

Gabriella Sundar Singh: My first reaction to being asked to be a part of this project was utter joy and feeling grateful. I have never done a solo show before, and although I had no context for what the experience would be like, I was surrounded by such a loving, creative team, who helped me build up the strength and grit to be able to take on this role. Particularly, our playwright Anusree Roy and our director Thomas Morgan Jones have lovingly offered so much insight into being a solo performer and crafting solo performances. Most notably, they worked together to bring Pyaasa to life (the prequel to Through the Eyes of God). Their support changed how I felt in the process and took me from a place of unknown to feeling empowered and ready to tell this story. 

FMJ: Chaya is a character shaped by loss, resilience, and relentless love. How did you approach building her inner life, especially knowing audiences may remember her from Pyaasa or be meeting her for the first time?

GSS: Whether you first met Chaya in Pyaasa or are meeting her for the first time in Through the Eyes of God, Anusree has written a story that can be universally understood, and Thomas Morgan Jones has sculpted the performance to let everyone in: each audience will experience this journey on their own terms.

In terms of finding my way to the character, it is always a challenge to shape a character who has had distinctly different life experiences from your own. You cannot manufacture life experience or reach beyond your own understanding.  My approach is always to lean into the traits, pillars, and motivations that I immediately connect to and then build from there. I was first intuitively drawn to the theme of unconditional and unrelenting love. I am lucky to have experienced such love in my life, so that has become a driving force for my portrayal of Chaya.

FMJ: This play is described as a meditation on motherhood and sacrifice. What aspects of Chaya’s maternal devotion were most challenging or surprising for you to explore in performance?

GSS: In trying to understand and connect with Chaya’s journey as a mother, I was most empowered by her ferocity and felt inspired by her refusal to give up. I grew up surrounded by so many loving and incredible women. I have been witness to so many fiercely dedicated mothers who stop at nothing to protect and guide their children. Trying to embody all of that felt overwhelming some days, but has challenged my understanding of commitment and duty to the ones I love; I am so grateful for the lessons I am learning through this show and through Chaya. 

FMJ: The production relies on restraint rather than spectacle. How do the design elements and technical choices support your performance without overpowering it?

GSS: Our creative team has been so thoughtful in their designs and execution in order to support me, the performer, and the performance itself. The lighting design by David DeGrow, the sound design by Romeo Candido, and the set design by Jawon Kang work together to create a space that is electric. The highly specific design choices influence my highly specific work, and vice versa, to create a storytelling experience that is unlike anything I have witnessed in the theatre. It’s remarkable what our team has been able to achieve, and I am excited for audiences to experience it with me. 

FMJ: You worked closely with Anusree Roy and director Thomas Morgan Jones, both deeply connected to this character’s history. How did that collaboration shape your understanding of the story and your responsibility in telling it?

GSS: Anusree and Thomas, being long-time artistic collaborators, created a really healthy and supportive rehearsal process for me. They shared insight from their previous work together and let me find my way in this new process. Knowing how much both Anusree and Thomas pour into their work and knowing how deeply they care about the artists they work with, it was easy to step into these shoes and become the storyteller. I happily take on the responsibility of honouring the work that came before me in Pyaasa, and am grateful that I get to bear the torch for this leg of Chaya’s journey. 

FMJ: After spending so much time inside Chaya’s emotional world, what do you hope audiences carry with them once they leave the theatre?

GSS: I hope audiences leave the theatre with a renewed sense of empathy and compassion for themselves and others. You never know what your neighbour/your coworker/the person you pass on the street is going through. It is so easy to make snap judgments and be so sure of the truths we hold dear, but we can never know the whole story. You may leave a performance of Through the Eyes of God feeling challenged and changed, and I think that’s a great place to be in 2026. I want to be challenged and changed every day of my life, and I hope our audiences come with open arms and open hearts and leave with questions that lead to conversation.