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The Urban Stages has put on a play that I like to refer to as a hidden gem; on off off Broadway play that is edgy, with great writing as well as interesting. Yussef El Guindi has written a play that has almost perfect symmetry to it. He presents four characters (a square), gives us four points a view; he brings out the jealousy in the men and shows us the support by their strong woman.
On the surface you think the plot is about the book that Jason wrote (Brian Slaten), but you would be wrong. The play dives into a psychological frenzy about people. Guindi touches on political dynamite, however, thankfully, it is only a small piece of his writing by way of small barbs here and there. His writing isn't always clear but that never tips the play downward for very long as the action onstage always picks up the shortcomings of the sputtering verbiage.
As Jason becomes popular with a book he has just written, his high school friend, Amir (Ramsey Zeitouneh) is visually jealous of his friends accomplishments. As a poet he has only garnered a small prize in poetry. He and his wife, Lynn (Sarah McAfee) struggle financially as she too is a struggling artist. Although Lynn is supportive of her husband, the sexual tension between her and Jason is obvious from the start. They flirt, talk about the high school days and comment on each others looks and body.
As a war veteran, Jason is admired by Lynn and less so by Amir. It is evident that Lynn and Jason belong together. Marrying a Mideastern woman, Madeeha(Haneen Arafat Murphy), Jason introduces her to the world at the airport when she arrives into America. She is both old fashioned and yet a modern woman all at the same time. She wants to please Jason, yet Jason is reticent of her love. What is her motivation? With all the twists and turns we later find out.
Guindi is brilliant in bringing out the jealousies in humans. Pointing to each of the four we find their vulnerabilities, strengths as well as their detraction's. Each is likeable; each is detestable, but that's what keeps the audience interested in the plot onstage, and as the story grows the plot gets more and more interesting. We at times hate each character and at other times we like and sympathize with each actor. The writer makes us look at ourselves in this play. How would we feel if we were Amir? What has Madeeha been through? How torn is Lynn? Is Jason for real and what kind of torment has he been through in war torn Iraq?
In this very basic set, Elena Vannoni does an admirable job on this small stage. Very deft in making the time and place believable with the moving boards. Able to place ourselves in the realm of where the actors are at all times, her set is well done. The sound too is great. David Margolin Lawson provides the various moods in the play well. This play had many mood swings and Lawson picks this up without exception, and gives us great flow to the piece. John Langs direction for the most part has the actors clicking on all cylinders. While there are lulls at times, Langs mostly gives us a quality effort.
"People of the Book" is a play that is reminiscent of how off off Broadway used to be... quality, raw edge and good acting as well as good underground writing. Unfortunately today, off off gives us preachy, poorly written political play. But not this one! This play takes us into the depths of four lives. Each of those lives are riddled with underlying problems that slowly boil to the surface by the plays ending.
Broadway Bob, Urban Stages, off off Broadway, Obie Awards, New York City, Tony Awards, Sunset Boulevard, The Outsiders, Lion King, Aladdin, Harry Potter.
Words: 656
