East Is East

Arriving from the London stage, this play lies smack in the middle of the perennial noisy family farce tradition but with a few intriguing twists. Author Ayub Khan-Din injects many themes -- bi-culturalism, international politics, religious identity, inter-generational conflict -- in this loving but frank portrayal of Pakistani immigrant George Khan's household. George's marriage to his English wife Ella has produced a brood that is more accepting of their father's culture than his Muslim religion. Alternately domineering and loving, George (a very believable Edward A. Hajj) can impose his will on the youngest boy, Sajit, who until then had escaped the circumciser's knife.

When it comes to arranging two sons' marriage to the unsightly daughters of co-national Mr. Shah, everyone collectively resists. Coming toward the end, this turns out to be the defining moment for the family. Director Scott Elliott (also artistic director for The New Group) played up the rambunctious side of the Khan family; J. Allen Suddeth contributed realistic fights including George's harrowing assault on Ella (Jenny Sterlin). Both she and Christine Child as her sister Auntie Annie represented ideal casting as did cinema heartthrob Rahul Khanna (Tariq). Dariush Kashani (Abdul) came into his own in the second half to become an alternate clan head. Consisting of two messy parlors and the spotless family fish and chips takeaway store, Derek McLane's set was chock-full of early 1970s nostalgia and ideally complemented by Brian MacDevitt's lighting and Mattie Ullrich's costumes.

Peppered with colorful colloquialisms, Khan-Din's dialogue is entertaining, but the plot line might have been more realistic had the children shown less homogeneity in attitudes toward religion. Two minor complaints: George's abbreviated Muslim prayer was more theatrical than accurate, and Pakistanis of George's generation customarily would shed their shoes at the door.