BWW Reviews: ULYSSES ON BOTTLES : Top Shelf

Ulysses on Bottles

Written by Gilad Evron, Translated by Evan Fallenberg, Directed by Guy Ben-Aharon; Scenic/Props Design, Ronald J. De Marco; Lighting Design, Scott Pinkney; Costume Design, Charles Schoonmaker; Sound Design, David Remedios; Production Stage Manager, Adele Nadine Traub

CAST: Daniel Berger-Jones, Ken Cheeseman, Jeremiah Kissel, Will Lyman, Karen MacDonald

Performances through April 26 by Israeli Stage in association with ArtsEmerson: The World on Stage at Jackie Liebergott Black Box, Paramount Center, 559 Washington Street, Boston, MA; Box Office 617-824-8400 or www.artsemerson.org, www.israelistage.com

Israeli Stage, in association with ArtsEmerson: The World on Stage, presents its first full production with the North American premiere of Gilad Evron's Ulysses on Bottles in the Jackie Liebergott Black Box at the Paramount Center. Producing Artistic Director and Founder of Israeli Stage Guy Ben-Aharon directs a stellar cast of top-shelf Boston actors in this important play examining conflicting values around the plight of Palestinians living in the embargoed Gaza Strip and Israel's rights and responsibilities in the highly-charged situation.

Over the course of five seasons, Ben-Aharon has commandeered an impressive wealth of local talent to take part in his new play staged readings for Israeli Stage, German Stage, Swiss Stage, and Austrian Stage. In November, 2012, he celebrated the company's second birthday with a reading of Ulysses on Bottles featuring Jeremiah Kissel, Johnny Davenport, Will Lyman, Karen MacDonald, and Samuel Dinnar. Kissel, Lyman, and MacDonald are back to reprise their roles, and they are joined by Ken Cheeseman and Daniel Berger-Jones. As powerful as the prior staging was, this production is enhanced by the additions to the cast and the production values crafted by Ronald J. De Marco (scenic), Scott Pinkney (lighting), David Remedios (sound), and Charles Schoonmaker (costume).

Taking advantage of the stark black box theater, the set is situated in the center, surrounded on all four sides by risers for the audience. A substantial, square wooden table and three chairs are the focal point of the space, and arrays of clear plastic bottles (with lights inside) are suspended overhead on each side. Depending on the lighting and the characters in the scene, the table may be in the home of Saul Izakov (Kissel) and his wife Eden (MacDonald), in Saul's law office with his associate Horesh (Berger-Jones), or in the jail where his client Ulysses (Cheeseman) is being held. An Israeli-Arab literature teacher, Ulysses is arrested for attempting to bring books (specifically Russian literature) into Gaza on a raft made of bottles in defiance of the Israeli blockade. He is seen as dangerous by the State of Israel, as represented by Lyman's military man Seinfeld, and Saul defends him pro bono, in spite of knowing that Ulysses is prepared to stand up for his beliefs rather than settle for a deal.

Cheeseman and Kissel both give intense performances and are the anchors of Ulysses on Bottles. As the title character, Cheeseman quietly persists in carrying his message of fairness and freedom, arguing that not allowing people to read is tantamount to not feeding them. Ulysses seems to come from an apolitical stance where his only concern is for humane treatment, and his incredulity is sincere. Kissel balances the duality in Saul's life, where he legally supports the position of the State, but personally admires his client's steadfast devotion to his cause.

Meanwhile, Saul is under pressure from Horesh (a brash, swaggering Berger-Jones) who wants to become a partner in the law firm, and from Eden, who is badgering him to participate in a fundraiser. MacDonald capably conveys her machinations and frustration with Saul who is far from willing to comply with her request. In her attempt to look like more than a dilettante, she thinks that getting him to sing and dance is her trump card. Although the argument seems like a distraction in the middle of the serious aspects of the play, the surreal outcome is a metaphor for the disparate realities of life on either side of the border.

Evron painstakingly lays out a range of positions via his characters, but none of them is locked into a hard-and-fast philosophy. Rather, they are open to questioning the morality of their own side, as well as that of the other. Even Ulysses takes the time to weigh the options that are presented to him, and we can virtually see him balancing the choices on the scales of justice. It is to Evron's credit that he invites us into the arena to wrestle with this dilemma without providing any easy answers. It is to the credit of Guy Ben-Aharon, Israeli Stage, and ArtsEmerson that they bring such a provocative work to the Boston theater community and trust that there will be an audience that is ready to have a discussion about the hard questions it raises.

Photo credit: Paul Marotta (Ken Cheeseman, Jeremiah Kissel)

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