The Dream Up Festival at Theater for the New City
presents
Throes Theater's

SIMPLE AS LIFE AND DEATH

Written & Performed by MEIRAV KUPPERBERG & ALEXANDRA ZELMAN-DORING
Directed by KEREN TZUR

Set Design: KEREN TZUR
Dramaturge: ERAN SHADAR
Lighting Design: ALEJANDRO FAJARDO ARBALAEZ
Video: ROAN BIBBY
Production Manager: ALEXANDRA ZAJACZKOWSKI

Theater for the New City
155 First Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 868-4444 or www.smarttix.com
August 17 through August 24, 2014

In SIMPLE AS LIFE AND DEATH we eavesdrop on two female friends in New York City: Efrat, visiting from Israel with an open-ended return ticket, and Anne, who’s not sure she likes that “open-ended” thing. They are catching up on each-other’s news, yet each seems to be holding something back.

It is serio-comic, with an overall melancholy tone. We do learn the Hebrew word for “nipple.” Efrat has food issues, Anne has a cat allergy. Yes, you’re way ahead of me. Efrat has a cat. Not with her, but cat dander seems to be emanating from her every possession. Anne sneezes, Efrat starves. But their friendship continues as the personal secrets start to come out. Appropriately, in a play about two Jewish women, mama drops by for a quick visit (translation: to pry). This would be appropriate for all ethnic groups, actually. Mama’s visit can always be a mixed blessing. Especially when she drops in unexpectedly.

Anne has a very difficult personal decision to make. Neither Efrat nor mama are any help. It’s obvious that Anne is a strong, independent woman, and will make her own choice regardless of what others think.

Animal lovers should close their eyes and cover their ears during the wildlife video shown on the big screen at the rear of the stage. It inspires the women to create their own short video, “National Geographic: Humans”.

Half the fun of this play is the never-ending reconstruction (literally) of the set. Beds, tables, couches, stools, and kitchen appliances all come and go and come again. Everything is made entirely of jumbo Legos. The characters stack and unstack and reassemble these on a non-stop basis as they talk about past, present, and future. If only they could reassemble their lives as easily.

-Karen D’Onofrio-