←Recommendations of Sarai's Knife

They say artists are without country, without political party, so, what do you get if you add the radicalism and rebelliousness of youth to that mix? The character of Jaeda is one smart, implacable cookie, unwilling to serve or be used by any establishment, any institution, anyone. The new generation always baffles the current one, and it is this relationship that John Minigan's play, 'Sarai's Knife', gets absolutely right. Art and protest are both so personal an act, they might be a cryptogram.

This is a thought-provoking play on so many levels, among them race and art. It's a highly visual play that would be so fascinating to see staged. I also found it very compelling to watch Sarai's journey in finding herself -- something that felt surprising and unique, as so often stories follow students discovering identity, not their teachers.

A revealing look at the toll it takes to live true to one's identity while dealing with the tension of the the world around you. Well done.

I'm uniquely positioned to jive with this play as a teacher of color who has lived/worked in majority white, "elite" spaces, but I imagine anyone would be compelled by the nuanced narrative of Aleyna and Sarai. So much truth is explored here--compromising one's identity vs. rocking the boat, the mental health impacts and emotional labor of being a POC in a white institution. The perfectly rendered (and at times maddening) dynamics in the play paint the whole socio-cultural landscape with just a few characters. Echoes of collage in the theatricality of the piece are quite effective as well.

This fascinating and challenging play explores the personal and social tensions in politically sensitive students and teachers in an art college, who are forced to come up against their own histories, as well as ever relevant racial and moral issues. Satisfying, pertinent and up to date.