From Tel Aviv to Ramallah
"Some people see life and they paint it — I experience life and I beatbox it," says Yuri Lane.
theater/hip-hop
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"Some people see life and they paint it — I experience life and I beatbox it," says Yuri Lane, to explain why he chose a hip-hop vocal format to tell a story based on the Israel-Palestine conflict. The piece, From Tel Aviv to Ramallah, was inspired by a trip Yuri and his wife took while visiting in the Middle East, where they found things very different than what's presented in the media. "Everyone is used to seeing all the headlines and images of the suicide bombings and the occupation, and so they have this idea of how things are that is not real," says Lane, who asserts his show is "not political, but it's certainly a slice of life."
That slice focuses on the lives of two young men — one Israeli and the other Palestinian — who have everyday hopes and dreams that turn out to be more similar than they are distinct. Lane also portrays about a dozen other characters, each with their own soundtrack and rhythm. Projected video adds context and brings the two worlds to vivid life, but beyond that it's just Lane, who dances, mimes and offers vocal gymnastics, to include an impressive array of sound effects. "I have a whole symphony of sound," he boasts. "There's no prerecorded music."
Fri.-Sat., Feb. 9-10, 8 p.m., $25, Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St., 215-925-9914, www.paintedbride.org.
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