Betrayed: A Theatrical Review
Many Americans think they understand the wars in Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan. Most are completely oblivious to the facts, and wrong. Betrayed is a story that opens the eyes to a different side of the reality that few of us would ever deliberately think about, which is a good and intelligent thing.
Betrayed centers around a man named Adnan, portrayed by Pasha Bocarie, who is a citizen of Iraq. When the occupation of the country began in the early stages of the war, Adnan, and many others, took jobs working for the American government’s outpost, a location known as the green (safe) zone, helping the Americans understand the people of Iraq, and translating information that would assist in the problems the country was having. The focus is on three such persons, Adnan a Sunni, his friend Laith a Shiite, portrayed by Peter Sabri, and their friend Intisar, portrayed by Aliah Whitmore. There is also primary focus on the American diplomatic liaison, Prescott, portrayed by Andrew Patton.
The audience is given the opportunity to understand the war from the perspective of these individuals, and how they encountered, dealt with, and attempted to help the American soldiers as this massive attempt to Americanize Iraq began. There is an understanding of what price was paid by the people of Iraq, and the total since of betrayal that many of them felt as a result of American leaders making promises they were simply unable to keep.
A truly intriguing and powerful production that offers a different kind of educational value than most of us have been aware of regarding these wars, Betrayed is very much worth the time and effort.
Betrayed is offered by the Whitmore Eclectic, and runs through November 13, 2011 at the Lyric Theatre, which is located at 520 N. La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles, CA 90036. Show times are Thursday through Saturday at 8:00 PM, and Sundays at 3:00 PM. Admission is only $20, and reservations can be made by calling 818-826-3609, or logging onto the web at www.whitmoreecletic.com.
Enjoy!
Randall Gray
The California Theatre Critic
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