Scripts Not Guns

The conflict between Jews and Muslims seems endless and irreconcilable, but maybe that's because it continues to be a conflict and not a collaboration. Perhaps if the leaders of the respective factions would concentrate on how they could work together to solve their pressing needs, there would be more progress. As always, the arts succeed where the the guns fail. The Arab-Hebrew Theatre is a collaborative effort by two theater companies to produce thought-provoking work together and separately that addresses the reality of life in the West Bank. The group demonstrates their talent tonight with a staged reading of Ilan Hatzor's Masked. This story of three Palestinian brothers who have different feelings about Israel -- one's a guerrilla in hiding, one's a dishwasher in Tel Aviv who is suspected of being a spy and their youngest brother is a simple butcher in town -- makes no overt political statements, but instead offers three different viewpoints from one side of the conflict. The Arab-Hebrew Theatre presents Ilan Hatzor's Masked at 7:30 p.m tonight at the St. Louis Ethical Society (9001 Clayton Road, Ladue; 314-442-3283 or www.brownpapertickets.com). Tickets are $10.
Tue., Nov. 19, 2013