Smooth Life
Jessica Litwak
Tonight I went to see a very intimate immersive theatre piece performed by Husam Abed with puppets made by his wife Reka Deak who also ran the film, slides and video. While he performed he also was cooking a delicious chicken and rice which he fed us at the end. Billed as "A non-traditional documentary and puppet performance for eight spectators with a culinary surprise at the end" the play requires the audience to engage with the issues, the performance and each other in a very authentic way. Unlike the highly structured small audience pieces in the festival, this one leaves room for improvisation and it creates a kind of genuine awkwardness- a little uncomfortable and therefor quite moving. Palestinian Husam Abed was born and raised in a refugee camp in Jordan. In a charming and evocative way he tells the stories of his family in the context of the political events in his country over the past 30 years. The puppets are rough and whimsical and he and his wife are filled with warmth and kindness. Shukran.