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9/11 - The Book of Job |
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Author: By Danny Ashkenasi
Reviewer: David Roberts for Theatre Reviews Limited |
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Trying to answer the question, "Why did bad things happen to thousands of good people on September 11, 2001" is a daunting task. Trying to answer the question based on a deep understanding of the Book of Job is equally daunting. This is exactly what Danny Ashkenasi tries to do in his "9/11 - The Book of Job" which is featured at this year's New York International Fringe Festival.
  
Mr. Ashkenasi accomplishes this task, mostly with success, with his talented production team and cast. Part reader's theatre, part musical theatre, part opera, part oratorio, part spoken word, this hybrid piece of theatre juxtaposes the biblical story of job, his wife, and his "comforting" friends with the events during and after the horrific disaster we have come to call simply "9/11."
Although some of the music is derivative in nature, it is, nonetheless, original in scope and in design. During its best moments "9/11 - The Book of Job" is exhilarating as the biblical story and the disaster story counterpoint one another and provide the fugue line for each other's musical story.
If there is any downside to the performance I saw it was in the area of direction. Mr. Ashkenasi is a talented composer with impressive credentials and experience; however, he should have followed his artistic sense when he questioned whether or not he should direct the piece and should have "removed himself." It was clearly too difficult, in this reviewer's opinion, for Mr. Ashkenasi to have the distance and perspective needed to direct his own work. No where is this clearer than in the final chapter, Chapter Ten - Hope." Job's words here are "I believe in the good of mankind [sic]/I believe in the end truth prevails/It resides in our hearts and our minds/Should we seek it we'd find love unveiled."
This moment these words strive for came close, very close to reaching the heights of Jacques Brel, Mort Shuman, and Eric Blau's magic in "If We Only Have Love" from "Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris." But "Hope" fell short because it was evident the cast did not know what to do. This moment was no time for aimless movement ending in a straight line across the stage. It was a moment destined for success; however, either Mr. Ashkenasi did not know what to do for and with his cast or they failed to follow his direction.
There were several times when this "almost magic" occurred in "9/11 - The Book of Job." Hopefully the consistently strong cast will find its way in future incarnations of this powerful piece of musical theatre. The ghosts among the audience in this piece hold the power to understanding where we have been and where we are going as a society. "9/11" is worth a visit, a listen, and a taking to heart.
The original Book of Job never answered the question of why bad things happen to seemingly innocent, blameless, decent people. Job had to settle for God's great monologue at the end of the book. "9/11 - The Book of Job" does not give "final answers" either, nor does it claim to. We are left with the strong belief that "it is all beyond us" and with the Job of this musical offering we simply "melt into silence."
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A Musical Convocation in 10 Chapters by Danny Ashkenasi. Directed by Danny Ashkenasi. Bethany Porter, piano; Kim Francis, stage manager. Costume and flag design by Diane Specioso; Lighting design by Grant Yaeger; Choreography by Lynn Marlowe and Danny Ashkenasi. Presented by Fredrick Byers Productions (Edward Elder and Danny Ashkenasi) at the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts, Pace University, 3 Spruce Street (by City Call) in Manhattan as part of the 8th Annual New York City Fringe Festival. Performance schedule: Friday August 13 at 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday August 17 at 10:45 p.m.; Tuesday August 24 at 6:00 p.m.; Thursday August 26 at 11:00 p.m.; and Saturday August 28 at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $15.00 and are available by calling 212-279-4488 (888-FringeNYC outside New York) or by visiting www.fringenyc.org
WITH: Trevor Allen, Joel Briel, Brian Dougherty, Ryan Connolly, Allison Easter, Jason Lanyard, Jamie Matthews, Michele Miller, Jacqui Sutton, Mark Peters, Kathryn Velvel Jones, and Sandy York.
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