Theater Online: This Is Who I Am

I was not planning to review this, but I fear that the rather negative review in the New York Times might prevent you from enjoying a worthwhile experience. This two-character play by Amir Nizar Zuabi is a hybrid — what you are watching online at a specific time is an actual live performance. The two characters are a father (Ramsey Faragallah) in Ramallah and a son (Yousof Sultan) in New York City who are on a video call trying to recreate the recipe for fteer, a triangular pastry filled with vegetables and spices, that was a specialty of their late wife and mother. Since they both have been unsuccessful in their separate attempts, they think that they might get it right if they combine forces. The format of a video call is the perfect setup for a 70-minute conversation, deeply moving at times, that reveals deep fractures in their relationship, misunderstandings that have divided them, as well as the trauma of living under occupation. Both actors are excellent and the direction by Evren Okcikin is smooth. I am not sure why it took five theater companies — PlayCo and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in association with American Repertory Theater, Guthrie Theater and Oregon Shakespeare Festival — to produce it, but the result is very satisfying. The fteer looked delicious too. 

 For tickets, go to woollymammoth.net. Runs through January 3.