Love and Licenses: Gay marriage and Border Passes – Conquering Love in Israel January 6th
Artists 4 Israel, Inc. (A4I) presents one night of two plays about the finding true love and, then, controlling and regulating it within the political and religious dystopia of Israel.
One night only – New York City –
January 6, 2010 –
Discussing gay marriage and cross-border affairs, Love and Licenses is poised to shock with its honest and unapologetic portrayal of love under restrictions. In this Off Broadway production, Israel is on trial. Tempering the visceral, raw emotion with complex subtleties and nuance, however, Love and Licenses premieres two plays that offer no easy critique. Neither the critic nor the supporter of Israel will find succor for long as the plays offer insightful and thought-provoking reviews of a complex situation. And, that is what theater should do – evoke dialogue and create joyous discomfort.
Te Busco, a solo show written and performed by Amir Levi, is the coming of age story about a young man who discovers that he is destined to be the next matriarch of his family. The play journeys through his mother and grandmother’s stories of how they met their romantic partners, as he discovers how his own story relates to theirs. It’s about love, fate, destiny and most importantly, motherhood. It’s the classic coming-of-age story with a new twist. The show, approximately 60 minutes, revolves around three characters: the protagonist (Amir) and his Mexican mother and grandmother, whose words are taken verbatim to keep the authenticity of the stories.
At A Loss begins with a missing corpse and ends with a beautiful love story for those who believe in fate, albeit two generations delayed. After traveling with her grandmother across America for two weeks, an Israeli woman finds herself stuck in the small town of Goodview, Virginia with a direction-less grocery store manager and the incompetent DHL deliveryman responsible for losing her grandmother’s dead body. To add to her helplessness: they can’t understand a word she says. As the scenes go back and forth in time we learn this trip, the random meeting of the grocery store manager, and the grandmother’s death might not be just coincidences, but perhaps all part of God’s “master plan.”
Both plays are being shown for the first time on stage in their completeness. The freshness of the plays is ably handled by a talented and veteran cast and two senior directors with an eye for detail.
Hosted by Artists 4 Israel, this is a bold move for a young organization to seek such a respected Off Broadway theater to host its inaugural production. However, A4I has already attempted to understand and share the complexities of Israel through graffiti, street art and fashion and proven successful.
“Beautifully Effective, Shockingly Creative”
45 Bleecker Street Theatre
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About Artists 4 Israel, Inc. – Artists 4 Israel is a community of creative individuals working together in an ongoing, collaborative project expressing Israel’s right to exist in peace and security.
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