My first thought upon leaving Compass Theater tonight was that Glyn O'Malley's Paradise should be immediately followed by a talk-back session. It would have been stimulating to hear from people who lived through the Intifada in Israel in 2002.
The story is based on a Palestinian, Ayat al-Akhrase, and an Israeli, Rachel Levy, two 17-year-old girls caught in the terror of the time. Director Alice Cash, herself 17, chose a most difficult task of bringing a hard-driving play to the Resilience of the Spirit Festival. The story parallels the lives of two teenagers.
Sara (Charlotte Ostrow) and her mother, Shoshana (Dana Hooley), are Israelis. Sara has been living in the United States and recently moved to Israel to be with her mother. Fatima (Gabriela Espinal) is being visited by her cousin, Omar (Daniel Myers), who also lived in the U. S. They are Palestinian.
Shoshana is a very protective mother of a very adventurous teenage photographer. Sara captures the flavor of Israel and its diverse peoples. She often ventures into dangerous areas. Likewise, Omar, who has romantic eyes for Fatima, is very protective of her. He is especially wary of Bassam (Ryan Murphy), a militant Palestinian.
The relationship between Sara and her mother is completely real and could take place anywhere. In Israel, however, even a slightly rebellious teen can be seriously problematical. Ostrow and Hooley are a perfect match, convincing us or their closeness.
Drama requires changes. In Paradise, it is Fatima who changes. Watching Espinal transition through the play as the influence of Fatima's cousin is balanced, then overtaken, by the influence of Bassam is awesome. She is very subtle throughout the change.
Myers' Omar moves from cajoling to ranting as his lovely cousin succumbs to Bassam's way of thinking.
Murphy's Bassam is just plain scary. His portrayal is that of a classic radical. Bassam believes strongly in his cause; however, he can only see change through terror and hate. His performance is absolutely convincing.
The set consists of four panels, some with graffiti on them. One is used to project some of Sarah's photos. O'Malley's play is really a vast series of short scenes unfolding the fast-moving story. Bassam has solo tirades, while the Palestinian couple and the Israeli family have the pleasant moments and their conflicts. Thus, there is very little action and a lot of exposition. In this story, telling it works.
Director Cash cast professionally. With a simple set, many scenes changing locations from Jerusalem to a Palestinian refugee camp, it all works. Transitions between scenes are almost instantaneous. Her cast is convincing in their actions and emotions. In some plays one is happy for the experience. In Paradise, one appreciates the experience and has learned much more about the difficult interaction in Israel.
