By Mike Hoban
The Return – Written by Palestinian-Israeli Playwright Hanna Eady and American Playwright Edward Mast; Directed by Guy Ben-Aharon; Scenic Design by Cristina Todesco; Sound Design by David Wilson; Lighting Design by Jeff Adelberg; and Costume Design by Charles Schoonmaker. Presented by Gloucester Stage Company at 267 E. Main St. Gloucester for one night only on July 14 .
Despite its politically charged setting, The Return, the final production of the Israeli Stage Company’s nine-year run is, at its core, a love story – or more precisely, a forbidden love story. Skillfully directed by artistic director Guy Ben-Aharon, this exhilarating two-hander is pretty much guaranteed to produce a visceral reaction in anyone with strong views and/or an emotional attachment to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But for those without any emotional skin in the game, that detachment allows us to see this production as an examination of the inherent evil of tribalism, as played out in the lives of two people who – in a just world – would be free to openly love one another.
Set entirely within the tight confines of the waiting room of an auto repair shop, the story opens with Talia, an Israeli woman who has been out of country for nearly a decade, entering the shop and engaging the mechanic. Because he is working on Shabbat, it is clear that he is not Jewish, but a Palestinian. She begins their exchange by asking him a series of intrusive questions like “They let you work on army jeeps here?” with the implication that it seems odd that “the enemy” would be allowed to work on military equipment.
But her seemingly out-of-line questioning has an oddly empathic tone to it, as if she were more interested in his well-being than in interrogating him. The mechanic remains outwardly civil but increasing annoyed and repeatedly implores her to leave, and the eerie feeling begins to grow that she’s not really there to have her car serviced. When she calls him by his Palestinian name, Samer, and says that she may have done “something terribly, terribly wrong” to him, we begin to learn the true nature of their relationship, and the intrigue kicks into high gear.
Although the Talia/Samer relationship is far more complex, The Return is based on a real-life 2010 case where a Palestinian from East Jerusalem was sentenced to 18 months in prison for “rape by deception,” where he lied to an Israeli woman about his identity and slept with her. And while the setting is modern-day Israel, with its less-than-equal (to be diplomatic) treatment of Palestinians, this is a play that could have easily have been set in say, the South in the 1950’s or a myriad of other places where one group of humans asserts superiority over another and forbids mixing of the gene pools.
Performed on a stark white stage with zero props other than the clothes on their backs and the work towel that Samer nervously unfolds and rolls up over and over in his hands, Ben-Aharon leaves the production solely in the hands of the actors, and he has chosen wisely. Philana Mia and Nael Nacer are the protagonists, and both are superb. Mia conveys a beautifully imprecise blend of intelligence and naiveté as she unwittingly seeks to do the right thing, leaving us to wonder whether trying to right a wrong is always the best path for everyone involved. Nacer gives a highly charged but incredibly nuanced performance, as his entire essence subtly shifts through the four acts of this 65-minute drama. The stakes are much higher for his character, so much of the emotional wallop of the piece comes from his actions, and he delivers brilliantly.
The creative team of Cristina Todesco (Scenic Designer); Jeff Adelberg (Lighting Designer); Charles Schoonmaker (Costume Designer); and David Wilson (Sound Designer) also deserve high praise for creating a level of eeriness that elevates the production from a mere dialogue-driven piece to a play with a real sense of place.
Politics aside, the script by Palestinian-Israeli playwright Hanna Eady and American playwright Edward Mast, has nary a false note, and convincingly expresses the feeling that hope that can still reside in a hopeless situation. The Return is truly one of the highlights of the season to date, and should not be missed. In addition there is a 25-minute talkback after each performance, and depending on the constituency of the given audience, may make for great theater as well. For tickets and information, go to: http://gloucesterstage.com/return/
