Sitting cheerfully at his desk with an Israeli flag draped behind him, Adam Schwartzbaum '07, director of the Brandeis Players' production of Crossing Jerusalem, lamented many students' disengagement from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: "The opportunity is there for you. You just have to get up out of your room and head over to the Shapiro Campus Center and become part of the conversation." Whether it was apathy or the biting snowstorm, most students seemed to turn down Adam Scwartzbaum's suggestion; Friday's performance of Crossing Jerusalem met a dishearteningly sparse audience in the Shapiro Theater. Those who did not attend missed out: Crossing Jerusalem delivered both captivating theater and a valuable perspective on Middle East issues.

Written by Julia Pascal, the play first opened in London in 2003, and the Players' staging was its American debut. In honor of that occasion, Pascal herself attended the entire run of the show.

The plot follows a day in the life of an Israeli family in late March 2002, right before Israeli forces launched their largest operation in the Palestinian territories since the Six Day War. Varda (Lauren Elias '10) is mother to Gideon (Eben Cotrelle '10) and his younger sister Lee (Lora Lorland '09), both of whom are about to enter the military as a reservist and a new recruit, respectively. Joining the family is Varda's Russian-immigrant husband, Serge (Alex Martynov '08) and Gideon's Arabic-speaking wife Yael (Linnea Sage '10).

Also present are the Palestinian brothers Yusuf (Eric Pasale '10), a hardworking young man torn between loyalty to the Palestinian cause and a peaceful life, and his younger brother Sharif (Stefan Isaac '10), a radical stone-throwing youth with an expression of intense discomfort permanently glued to his face.

The story moved at a good pace; the two groups of characters addressed personal issues against the backdrop of the violence engulfing the country. Varda's family arguments are interrupted the sound of bombs on the street outside, while Shariff cuts class to throw stones at Israeli tanks. Soon, the divisions within the Palestinian and Israeli sides themselves become clear and come to a passionate boil when the two families meet at a restaurant run by the Christian Arab, Sammy (Sam Zuber '09). As the two groups begin to argue, the moral complexities of the conflict are revealed. They address issues such as the sacrifice of national identity in exchange for peace, as well as the rightful owners of the land that is Israel. The effect was startling, so much so that even hardened ideologues would have been hard-pressed not to re-examine, even for an instant, their notions of the conflict.

The cast did a highly admirable job of illustrating these complexities; each actor and actress dripped pure emotion onto the stage. Whether it was Varda's frantic and obnoxious fussing, Gideon's disturbing account of past military expeditions or Sharif's youthful rebellion, everyone made an essential contribution to the story and its message. Even the comic relief in the form of Serge's whimsical nuggets of wisdom served to enlighten the audience.

The production was also top-notch, with excellent sets and changeovers all expertly lit to suite the mood. Varda's real estate office, infested with half-drunk cups of coffee and painted in only the dullest colors, was sure to ring a bell with anyone who has visited the country.

Although lengthy, Crossing Jerusalem flew by on the merits of its plot; as the lights came up audience members were left to ponder the play's many poingant words. With such a divisive issue, especially on a campus like Brandeis, a piece that offers such varied perspectives and opinions from both sides should not be ignored. Schwartzbaum said his hope was that "this play will create a dialogue and help people engage in the issues it brings up." He achieved that vision in spades. It's pity there weren't more people to see it.