Reviews  

Medea Holds Forth in Jerusalem
by Irene Backalenick

There's no question that "Medea in Jerusalem," which is playing now through Sept. 4 off-Broadway (at the Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre), carries a strong political/social message. And there's no doubt as to where the author's sympathies lie. Playwright Roger Kirby focuses on the treatment of the Palestinians in Israel as second-class citizens.

Kirby has moved the Medean myth into modern-day Israel-an ancient tale that fits well into the modern mode, given its timeless themes of betrayal and revenge. That revenge leads to ever-more violent retaliation certainly applies to both eras. And to both warring groups in modern-day Israel as well.

That the Israelis have tended to look down on the Palestinians is an uncomfortable fact which even the most loyal of Israeli supporters (including this reviewer) must acknowledge. And thus it is in this piece, which is loosely based on Euripides' "Medea."

Medea, in Kirby's account, is a Palestinian who marries Jason, an upwardly-mobile Israeli. This Medea is no slouch, but an educated woman--an electrical engineer, in fact. The two get their children into the best Israeli school, which is a triumph. But Medea (the Arab outsider) is scorned and ostracized by other parents. Jason, realizing that his own status is in jeopardy, discards his wife to marry the young daughter of a wealthy, Israeli businessman, denying he was ever legally married to Medea. But Medea, like the Medea of old, gets her revenge.

Kirby's is a free interpretation of the Greek classic, couched in his own poetic language. And the traditional Greek chorus has been replaced by a background of news reports coming over the air. Much of the play is written, and staged, like a choral reading directed at the audience. Yet powerful scenes between characters also unfold, thanks to a most competent cast. Under Steven Little's direction, the players (Rebecca Wisocky, as Medea, supported by Sean Haberle, Miller Lide, Jennifer McCabe, Ariel Shafir, Alexis Underwood and Robert Wands) become a seamless ensemble.

Though modern as this week's news, there is much which evokes ancient Greece. Jane Watkins' haunting original music, with Nicolai Hart-Hansen's stage set of seemingly rough-hewn stone, sets the tone. Clearly it is a dangerous time and place-whether ancient Greece or modern Israel or both.