An Autobiographical Drama

The Cave

Sadieh Rafai’s autobiographical drama is laced with humor and plenty of moments from real life. The thing that makes this play so unique is that Rafai depicts a family story about told through the eyes of a young Palestinian-American teenaged girl. Dema, played with extraordinary depth and understanding by Aaliyah Montana, has a lot to cope with, not the least of which is simply surviving puberty. 

Jamil (nicely played with feeling by H. Adoni Esho), a Palestinian immigrant, his American-born wife, Bonnie (portrayed by the magnificent actress and ARO’s Artistic Director, Kirsten Fitzgerald), and their two daughters Dema and Noor (a wise and wonderful Milla Liss), have just moved from Las Vegas. Following the tragic murder of Bonnie’s young nephew, Jamil has packed up his family and relocated to a safer, gated community in Columbus, Ohio. But Jamil has other, far more personal problems that he can never run away from, and they continue to haunt him, even in his new home.

Set during the 1990’s against the backdrop of the first Gulf War, Rafai’s play, directed with style and passion by Alex Mallory, employs video footage from the barrage of actual TV news coverage. Projected over the top of Scenic Designer Sotirios Livaditis’ realistic stage setting, the film clips remind us of the continual television broadcasts during this turbulent time when Iraq invaded Kuwait. 

In addition to the constant reminder of the Middle East turmoil, Jamil is also personally suffering. His mental health is severely declining. This dear Palestinian man, who is a husband and father, tries valiantly to carry on his life in a normal fashion, showing love to his wife and devotion and care to his young daughters. But Jamil keeps hearing voices whispering his name. He constantly sees shadowy figures stalking him in his home. The lights dim or go out and the phone keeps ringing with no one on the other end.

This would be a great play, just as it is. But Rifai has filled her story with a few too many unrelated details for an audience to grasp. The drama includes an appearance by Uncle Neil (talented ensemble member Guy Van Swearingen) who has ridden his motorcycle from Las Vegas to Columbus to make sure everyone is safe. He even gives Jamil a gun, just in case (Chekhov’s warning about introducing an unrelated weapon into a play is relevant here). Then he’s interviewed by his niece Dema about his experiences in the Viet Nam War, which doesn’t seem to have any bearing on the main story. 

Gail, a nosy neighbor lady (played with great comic skill by Ashley Neal) comes off as sweet, but naive and clueless. She arrives, just as Jamil’s family are moving in, to bring Bonnie and the kids some homemade treats. She pops in again later to discuss a Sally Field movie, then to give Bonnie a Crucifix necklace, to warn Jamil to mow the lawn and then to attempt praying with Bonnie for the family’s safety. Grandma and Grandpa also arrive unexpectedly (the always wonderful Natalie West and John Judd) injecting the play with some much-welcome comedy, but not really furthering the plot in any way. The arrival of Omar (played by Omer Abbas Salem) seemed like an unnecessary interruption, although the character adds another element of conflict for Dema. And the constant Video Projections (Designed by Eme Ospina-Lopez) eventually become more distracting than informative and only serve to interrupt the storyline.

This production is Directed with so much empathy and fire by Alex Mallory. It’s performed by a talented cast of skilled and focused actors and supported with technical expertise by a crew of gifted theatre artists. But the audience soon becomes overwhelmed after over two hours filled with too many extraneous details. 

Sadieh Rifai’s autobiographical drama is definitely a story worth telling, particularly during this sad and unsettling moment in our country’s history. The empathy her play evokes for the Middle Eastern immigrant, for mixed marriages in America, not to mention her powerful portrayal of how mental illness can destroy a life, is truly compelling. However, some judicious editing would strengthen this play. The inclusion of so many minor incidents, while interesting in themselves, only dilute the playwright’s main idea and loses the focus.    

Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented January 30-March 16 by A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells St., Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the box office, by calling 312-943-8722 or by going to www.aredorchidtheatre.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.