| « Chicken, Only 500 Miles Away | Popskull Tapping Tomorrow » |
Review Thu Mar 12 2009
Hungry for Less, I Guess
Seeing The Arab-Israeli Cookbook, the DCA Theater's newest production, was an endurance test for me, as I had to sit for a very long time to watch a cast of actors sweat out the everyday violence of living in Israel and the West Bank while cooking fragrant dishes onstage, which kept my attention but gradually made my thoughts turn to my next meal.
The play had a very bare set design, with a small kitchen setup (complete with prep space, a working sink and a few hot plates) serving as a main area of action. The cast skillfully played mutiple roles in a series of short scenes: a retired teacher and her beer-loving husband trying to live out their golden years in East Jerusalem while shootings take place at their front gate; a hummus maker who uses illegally procured tahini for his wares; a falafel shop that is briefly under siege when a well-meaning but naive customer leaves his backpack on a table, inciting a bomb scare; a gay couple who still tries to enjoy the city nightlife despite the heavy security, and a former New Yorker whose friends can't understand why she stayed, even after her husband is killed.
Every character has a sad story to tell about the ongoing violence, so tears are often shed and many moments are tense throughout the performance. Their devotion to food, however, brings a lot of levity to the play. They still have to eat, despite the horrors of the past and the equally grave predictions for the future, and they eat quite well: I was smitten with a humourous monologue that describes the recipe for hummus, and a mother making a pressed casserole of vine leaves, rice and vegetables for a family dinner.
The play runs over a bit, with a few unnecessary new stories being woven in during the second act: as time dragged on, I found myself getting hungry and losing focus, much to my embarassment. The play is based on real stories and interviews--here I was, watching people recount stories of car bombings and dead children while the smell of falafel and cooking casseroles lit up the background. I felt a little manipulated and unsure of the take-away message. Surely it can't be to chow down while the world falls apart.
The play runs until April 5 at the DCA Storefront Theater at 66 East Randolph. Ticket price is $15-23.
