Behind the Gates

Wendy Graf's powerful family drama, Behind the Gates, goes behind the walls of Mea Shearim, the Orthodox Jewish enclave outside Jerusalem's Old City. The Haredi live here, fanatical Jews who adhere strictly to biblical law and customs and who consider themselves to be above the laws of the secular and democratic state of Israel. A nation unto itself, Mea Shearim demands that its men wear black frock coats and fur-trimmed hats, its women cover themselves from head to toe and live in complete subjugation to their husbands. A taliban-like cult that is ruled ruthlessly from the top (and pays no taxes to Israel), the Haredi believe they are on a mission from God and that anyone who deviates from their dogma is an infidel, an unworthy.

Behind the Gates tells the story -- the odyssey, really -- of Bethany Leiberman (Annika Marks), a surly and rebellious teenager sent to Israel by her parents (Keliher Walsh and James Eckhouse) in the hope that a summer abroad will improve her character. At the Wailing Wall, however, Bethany is approached by a smarmy Haredi rabbi (Oren Rehany), who specializes in spotting and proselytizing troubled Jewish youth. The rabbi takes Bethany home where, attracted by the seeming warmth and coziness of Jewish family life, she eventually becomes an Orthodox convert (and is given a new name, Bakol).

When her parents learn what has happened, they fly to Jerusalem and enlist the services of an Israel private eye (Steven Robert Wollenberg) and a U.S. diplomat (Donald Stone) to help them find and "save" their daughter. Problem is, outsiders can't operate freely inside Mea Shearim. On top of that, they discover that she has been married off to a 48-year-old haredi with seven children from a previous wife!

The parents battle ferociously to surmount religious, cultural and language barriers. Their fight gives Behind the Gates the urgency, suspense and power that is the hallmark of good drama.

Graf has been lucky with her director, David Gautreaux, and with her 10-person cast (some of whom play multiple roles). She also benefits from Stephanie Kerley Schwartz's simple but effective set design (sheer curtains and stone columns). But above all, the playwright (who, by the way, is a private eye in civilian life) should thank Annika Marks, whose lead performance is both riveting and memorable.