“I Call My Brothers”

Recommended *** We all have heard the saying “Do not judge a book by its cover”, and while we pretty much think we know the meaning, many people have not translated this adage into how we look at people who are unlike us. Ever since 9/11 and the crumbling towers, many people have changed how they look at “those” terrorists! Even people who are NOT any danger to our society. Interrobang Theatre Project, whose mission is to  “pose worthwhile and exciting questions which challenge our understanding and assumptions of who we are and the world in which we live” is producing the Chicago Premiere of “I Call My Brothers” written by Jonas Hassen Khemiri. This is a 90 minute ( no intermission) story of a man, Amor ( played to perfection by Salar Ardebili) who  is  an Arab-Swedish citizen, residing in Stockholm, living a normal life. When a car bomb rocks the city. and it is said that this was done by terrorists ( who may or may not have been Arabs ), Amor feels the pressure of what people are saying or looking at. He has things to do and he will not let the police scare him or make him run for cover.

During the 24 hours that Khemiri shares with us, we meet Amor’s friends; three other cast members take on all of the other roles. Tina El Gamal, Gloria Imseim Gamal and Chris Khoshaba.. The play was first written as an essay about an actual incident that took place in Stockholm and as it grew in popularity, later was put into  play form. The translation by Rachel Willson-Broyels allows the English -speaking world to get into the heads on the characters and the events to which we bear witness .

Sharply directed by Abhi Shrestha on the intimate stage at Rivendell Theatre in Edgewater, on a set that is simple, yet stunningly draws the eye to the art work (Eleanor Kahn) with lighting (Michelle E. Benda) that helps in propelling the story and the fear of our hero and original music and sound (Jeffrey Levin) that once again, fits the picture being painted for us by Khemiri and Shrestha.

How does one feel when all eyes seem to be upon him, almost always accusing him of being someone he is not? How does a neighborhood and its people to react to the events?  What we see in this story can also be transferred to all of us. We hear on the news that there have been carjackings in a specific area of the city. Do we still go to that area? Do we avoid the area? What if we live in that area? How can we hide from our own friends and families? This is almost the same scenario, but for the Arab community. All of the major cities of this country also have a problem when it comes to brown skinned residents as well. Let there be an incident, of any type, and the alarms ( mental, anyway) start.

In this story, it appears that our hero is being watched. It might be real, or could it be his imagination. again, it was indeed a bombing by an Arab, do the people think it must be him! The Arab, Indians and  Pakistani communities can understand the story here. I know that the Latinos and African-Americans will as well. Many Europeans, throughout their histories have endured similar fears and nightmares, but today, it is this community that can learn from this story. Yes, it is intense ( and very real) but there is a mix of humor and realism that will give audience members pause to think about their own prejudices and perceptions. It is definitely a “think piece” and a solid 90 minutes of entertainment, and education.

“I Call My Brothers” will continue at Rivendell Theatre located at 5779 N. Ridge Avenue thru February 2nd with performances as follows:

Thursdays  8 p.m.

Fridays  8 p.m.

Saturdays  3 and 8 p.m.

Mondays  8 p.m.

Tickets are $32 ( students $16 with ID) call 312-219-4140 or www.interrobangtheatre.org

FYI the theater has 51 seats, so if this is on your to-do list, call right away.

Another FYI: Ridge Avenue is a busy , busy street so watch the parking. You can park at the Senn High School lot and the streets around Senn are pretty easy to find parking on as well. They are not a zoned parking area.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-up and click at “I Call My Brothers”.