A British Embassy worker, an American engineer, a network journalist and a freelance photographer are held captive in Iraq; as death draws close, each hostage must decide what he’ll do to survive.
Winner of the Primus Prize from the American Theater Critics Association
“…provocative and wonderfully threatening.” — Edward Albee
–Charles McNulty for LA Times * THE...
A British Embassy worker, an American engineer, a network journalist and a freelance photographer are held captive in Iraq; as death draws close, each hostage must decide what he’ll do to survive.
Winner of the Primus Prize from the American Theater Critics Association
“…provocative and wonderfully threatening.” — Edward Albee
–Charles McNulty for LA Times * THE BEST OF 2007 – Top 10 List – “EM Lewis’ beautifully acted hostage drama, set in war-torn Iraq, left out the political preaching, but slowly opened up into a metaphor suggesting both the necessity and futility of hope.”
CRITICS CHOICE! –David Ng for LA Times
“EM Lewis’ new drama at the Blank Theatre Company, tells a story so topical that it feels as if the play was co-written by CNN…”
GO! –Deborah Klugman for LA Weekly
“…the question of who we are beneath our posturing lands with such force, it jangles the nerves long after the play has ended.”
CRITICS PICK! — Gerri Garner for American Radio Network
“Lewis’ story is a sobering dose of reality, that is almost unbearable, it seems so real…”
Don Shirley for LA CityBeat
“EM Lewis’s harrowing horror story… isn’t about Iraq – it’s about a descent into total vulnerability.”
Les Spindle for IN Magazine
“EM Lewis’ hard-hitting new play sears with a disturbing sense of gritty realism…”
CJ Johnson for the Los Angeles Journal
“…a charging, intensely intimate 90 minutes… intelligent and often acerbic dialogue makes for a succulent feast of a script.”
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Johnna Adams:
26 Sep. 2019
“
One of my favorite plays, ever. So beautifully human and timeless. The reading I saw is seared into my heart. These deserves to be an American classic and I recommend it highly! ”
Ross Tedford Kendall:
20 Sep. 2019
“
Uncompromising, stark, and somehow keeping hope in the face of brutality. The war may have passed into history, but human nature and human dignity will keep this play relevant for years to come. ”
Aleks Merilo:
21 Jan. 2019
“
Gritty, desolate, painfully human. While the characters exist in the closest thing imaginable to hell on earth, the playwright keeps the audience engaged with the heartbreaking hint of hope. To hold the audience engaged through such a dark situation is a herculean feat that the playwright seems to execute effortlessly. Lewis also sets up a brilliant structure, isolating 2 narratives until they blend seamlessly. ”