Another admirable solo show at the New York International Fringe Festival, Dirt is the timely story of an Iraqi immigrant and his struggles as a stranger in the strange land of NYC. Desirous of assimilation yet hyperaware of his physical and cultural differences, the tragic, conflicted character of Sad leads us through a beautifully scripted one-man rant on racism and how it destroys from the inside out.
Through the extremely capable, charming performance of Christopher Domig, we are taken deep into the scraping-by world of rose vendor 'short-for-Saddam' Sad, exposing his self-hatred for his name, dark complexion and suspiciously large pores. He adores the English language and the pale white hands of those in the western world. So desperate is he for acceptance that he refuses letters from his mother and berates himself for soiling public toilets with his foreign waste. His inward repulsion is made all the more horrific as he elevates white American culture to impossible, illogical heights, purchasing the best English-Iraqi dictionary possible with his meager savings and pledging to turn over his Iraqi roommate should the Secret Service arrive. Betrayal is a minor sacrifice should it lead to even a crumb of acceptance.
Dirt was the most performed solo show in 1990's Austria, Germany and Switzerland, and you can see why. The script by Robert Schneider (well translated by Paul Dvorak) is tight, timeless and gripping. The show plays at The Players Theatre Loft Space at 115 MacDougal St., 8/18 @ 8:45pm, 8/19 @ 5pm, 8/21 @ 4:30pm and 8/22 @ 8pm. $15.
1 comment:
sounds very interesting.
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