Written by Erik Jensen and Jessica Blank
Directed by Jessica Blank
Synopsis: In June of 2008, New York Theatre Workshop sent Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, to Jordan where they interviewed Iraqis who fled the chaos and violence that befell their country for the relative safety of Jordan. Following their visit to Amman, they crafted these conversations into Aftermath. The people whose stories are told include a dermatologist, a husband and wife team of cooks, an Imam, an Iraqi Christian young mother, a husband and wife theatre director and visual artist, and a pharmacist.
NEW YORK TIMES:
"Assembled from interviews with Iraqi refugees living in Jordan, “Aftermath” is a smart and sobering documentary drama."
Read the whole review HERE.
NEW YORK POST:
"If this play doesn't quite pack the punch of its predecessor, it's because the stories lack neat resolutions. But "Aftermath" nonetheless emerges as a valuable addition to the growing list of notable Iraq-themed dramas."
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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS:
"The stories unfold bit-by-bit over 80 minutes and are haunting and harrowing, but there's also room for humor. The staging, by Blank, is fluid; the performances excellent across the board. "Aftermath" marks a strong start to the season at New York Theatre Workshop."
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THEATERMANIA:
"Based upon interviews that Blank and Jensen conducted with refugees in Jordan, the piece occasionally struggles with the limitations inherent in the duo's project, but ultimately presents a compelling and at times disconcerting look at their subjects' experiences."
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VARIETY:
"In putting a human face on the thousands of displaced civilians who lost their homes, their families and their history in a catastrophe not of their making, this powerful piece of agitprop theater challenges us all."
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BACKSTAGE:
"Simple isn't easy, but playwrights Erik Jensen and Jessica Blank prove just how powerful it can be in their disquieting, moving, intensely human docudrama "Aftermath.""
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NYTHEATRE.COM:
"And the simple process of storytelling is helped by the clean, minimalist production (the set is a row of assorted chairs; most of the visual detail comes in the costumes) and the bracingly unsentimental acting work by the entire ensemble."
Read the whole review HERE.
