There are many ways in which the war in the Middle East has been brought into our lives, particularly over the last 15 months.  For a singular account, there is now A Knock on the Roof.  Written and performed by Khawla Ibraheem — a playwright, actor and director from the occupied Golan Heights — the piece avoids politics, focusing instead on the emotional casualties of the conflict.  Her collaborator and director is Oliver Butler, who previously worked with Heidi Schreck on the impassioned What the Constitution Means to Me.

The main character is Mariam, indicating that while the events portrayed are truthful this is not an autobiography.  She is living in Gaza with her husband, Omar, and young son, Nour, just trying to be “the cool mom” when war breaks out.  After Mariam refuses to move into the family building, her mother joins her in her small apartment.  The generational tensions add to the stress of an already fraught situation.

The title refers to the practice used by the enemy of dropping a small bomb on the rooftop to alert the residents that they have five minutes to vacate before their building will be completely destroyed.  Mariam prepares for this horror by packing a bag and practicing her evacuation, acquiring new knowledge, technique, and insight with each run.  Her cycle will be familiar to anyone who has faced a disaster that has the potential to take away “home” and everything that signifies.  The grinding anxious anticipation becomes as painful as the inevitable event.

This is not the type of one person show that makes you marvel at the actor’s ability to portray and interact with multiple characters.  Though she shifts her voice slightly when inhabiting family members, Ibraheem is a true solo performer, primarily sharing Mariam’s inner monologue.  Though the themes are heavy, the script contains moments of levity and Ibraheem makes the most of them.  Her exchanges with the audience feel warm, genuine, and even spontaneous.  She has been feeling “missing” since she gave up her studies to get married.  As she says about halfway through the piece, “I couldn’t share my real thoughts with me.”  She had wanted to move to Europe and get her Masters Degree.  Instead she has brought a sweet boy into a violent world with little hope.  Her words are a private knock on the roof: a warning of impending destruction. Much of what she expresses in her search for meaning, connection and safety is relatable. In addition to a gut-level understanding of the stresses of wartime, what we witness is a soul crushing personal reckoning.

This distinction from many first person plays becomes particularly significant towards the end of the piece when there is a jolting revelation.  The final section is so extreme that several women in the restroom — where much precious audience feedback is shared — said they found it unnecessary and even unrealistic.  While it doesn’t ruin all that came before, it certainly lessens the impact of universality of the other 95%.

The play is set against a plain brick wall (Frank J Oliva, scenic design) all the better to focus on Mariam.  Butler’s staging ensures that the entire space is used and no part of the audience is left out.  In cool colored clothes that belie her inner turmoil ( Jeffrey Wallach, costume design), she unfolds her story over the course of 85 minutes. The only prop is an armless chair which Ibraheem brings on stage with her.  The rest of the atmosphere is filled in by this vigorous actress along with lighting by Oona Curley augmented by Hana S. Kim’s effective projections. The high ceiling and lack of acoustical panels give a slight bounce to the sound, which intermittently makes Ibraheem difficult to understand.

The only side presented in the wartime setting of A Knock on the Roof is a human one.  Part of Under the Radar — a curated experimental theater festival that is playing across 30 New York City venues — it continues through February 16.  Tickets are available for as little as $30.  Performances take place at New York Theatre Workshop, 79 East 4th Street between Bowery and Second Avenue. Visit https://www.nytw.org/show/a-knock-on-the-roof/ to purchase and for more information.

Tagged: Cathy Hammer, Frank J Oliva, Hana S. Kim, Jeffrey Wallach, Khawla Ibraheem, New York Theatre Workshop, Oliver Butler, Oona Curley