Dogs: A Biting Comedy

Good intentions and good ideas do not necessarily translate into good theater. Such is the case with Ido Bornstein's Israeli “comedy” about an idealistic gay director who attempts to mount an all-male, Jewish-Arab musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. There’s not one laugh in this well-meaning slog, which was inspired by a real-life cross-cultural actors’ workshop. There are, however, off-key ethnic folk songs, amateurish (and often inaudible) performances, pretentious symbolism, ugly slurs and bursts of physical violence that are meant to give the audience a visceral sense of the day-to-day conflict in the region, especially between men. Rami Kashi, in the role of a defiant Arab who becomes involved in the show after being beaten by a Jewish security guard, is the sole standout in a cast that works very hard for little payoff. It’s a unique mess, to be sure, but ultimately a real dog. (Visit our Fringe Festival page for more reviews, and fringenyc.org for more information.)—Raven Snook