‘KNOCK KNOCK’: Niv Petel. Photo: Tai Kwun Centre for Arts & Heritage, Hong Kong

Special Event Review

KNOCK KNOCK
Written & Performed by Niv Petel
Artistic Advisor: Maia Levy
Set & Costume Designer: Rhiannon White
Original Light Design by Oliver Bush
United Solo Festival on Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street
(212-239-6200), www.unitedsolo.org
http://www.knockknockplay.co.uk/

By Scott Harrah

Israeli performer Niv Petel’s one-man show Knock Knock is a provocative depiction of what a parent experiences raising a child in Israel, a country with mandatory military service starting at age 18. Mr. Petel performed the show in New York on November 12^th as part of the 2018 United Solo Theatre Festival before continuing on to Philadelphia.

The show opens with Mr. Petel humming a haunting, eerie tune while via expressive mime, pretends to be a soldier sewing himself up. It is a jarring opening to the show but sets the grim tone for a sober subject: The reality of any parent raising a child in Israel, knowing that, because of compulsory service, all children can die once they reach 18 and go into combat.

Mr. Petel portrays Ilana, an army liaison officer. He faces the audience as Illana, as if we are her son, Elad. We see Illana act out through mime, dialogue, props like hats and sunglasses and simple lighting, the early days of Elad’s life. To portray Elad as a baby, Mr. Petel has a towel wrapped up cleverly to look like an infant.

In this world where every child is destined to be a soldier, Illana is a metaphor for most Israeli parents. The story focuses on Elad’s life as a baby up until he is old enough for combat. We see Illana’s frustration about the inevitable as Mr. Petel performs numerous short physical sequences. Although it’s not always clear what he is doing—with his fluid body movements and staccato sound effects—he is like an ebullient Middle Eastern version of the late Robin Williams.

Some of the most powerful, moving scenes involve Ilana making a video call to Elad when he is finally away serving and she is unable to reach him. The horror on Illana’s face is heartbreaking.

The title Knock Knock refers to the job Illana has in the military. She must knock on the doors of parents and inform them that their child has been killed in combat. For a solo show actor as gifted as Mr. Petel, it is truly a treat seeing him act out Illana and Elad and hearing all his own sound effects. He’s often like a human jukebox, able to replicate different types of music and sounds.

Expository narrative is needed to bond with the audience because it is such an intimate experience. Some spoken background information might make the show more accessible to U.S. audiences because most Americans are unfamiliar with how the Israeli military works and may not know all the political details of what it is like to live in Israel, a country in which Illana says people either learn to live with the fighting or “in spite of it.”

Knock Knock ultimately has a universal theme that has nothing to do with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It shows what parents of all nationalities, ethnicities and religions experience when their child is either sent off to war or placed in some type of danger.

Published November 16, 2018
Reviewed at November 12, 2018 performance.

‘KNOCK KNOCK’: Niv Petel. Photo: Chris Gardner

‘KNOCK KNOCK’: Niv Petel. Photo:Tai Kwun Centre for Arts & Heritage, Hong Kong

‘KNOCK KNOCK’: Niv Petel. Photo: Tai Kwun Centre for Arts & Heritage, Hong Kong

‘KNOCK KNOCK’: Niv Petel. Photo: Tai Kwun Centre for Arts & Heritage, Hong Kong

‘KNOCK KNOCK’: Niv Petel. Photo: Tai Kwun Centre for Arts & Heritage, Hong Kong

‘KNOCK KNOCK’: Niv Petel. Photo: Tai Kwun Centre for Arts & Heritage, Hong Kong

‘KNOCK KNOCK’: Niv Petel. Photo: Tai Kwun Centre for Arts & Heritage, Hong Kong

The post ‘Knock Knock’: A child & the military in Israel appeared first on StageZine.

‘THE NEW ONE’: Mike Birbiglia. Photo: Joan Marcus

THE NEW ONE
Written by Mike Birbiglia
Directed by Seth Barrish
Through January 20, 2019
Cort Theatre
138 West 48th Street
New York, N.Y.
212-239-6200, www.thenewone.com

By David NouNou

The New One focuses on a hilarious rite of passage as a gentle soul regales the audience with his life ups and downs and we relate to his travails in one form or another.

The show starts with solo writer/performer Mike Birbiglia (Sleepwalk with Me) in his early 20s obtaining his first important purchase, a couch, and all the events that take place on this couch. He jokes about the diagnosis of his various ailments over the years and the comfort he got from the couch, the times he’s shared with his wife and cat on this couch, and eventually his daughter’s takeover of the couch.

Throughout this journey, Mr. Birbiglia guides us into his personal thoughts and viewpoints on his life. From the onset he warns us that he never wanted to have a child because of his weak gene pool and his dislike of children. Before he got married, he and his wife decided they would never have any kids, especially when all their friends and relatives constantly told them how kids change their life and the joy they bring is boundless. Well, as every good thing has to come to an end, their life as a duo changes when his wife announces she is pregnant.

The next stage is coming to grips with the pregnancy and the expectancy of becoming a father and all the changes it entails. Of course, there is the birth of a child, and it’s a girl. Again more changes ensue until the final resolution. This journey is a nonstop roller coaster of unbridled storytelling and Mr. Birbiglia is a consummate pro. His ease of recounting his past is consistent hilarity and his humor is never forced and in your face. He just glides, smooth as butter.

Seth Barrish, the director, has paced the evening with a smooth flow and keeps everything a constant delight. The New One is a clever, insightful look at how even guys who never wanted to can become great dads. Mike Birbiglia rules.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published November 15, 2018
Reviewed at November 14, 2018 press performance.

‘THE NEW ONE’: Mike Birbiglia. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE NEW ONE’: Mike Birbiglia. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE NEW ONE’: Mike Birbiglia. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE NEW ONE’: Mike Birbiglia. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE NEW ONE’: Mike Birbiglia. Photo: Joan Marcus

The post ‘The New One’: Journey of a reluctant dad appeared first on StageZine.