From April ’09 Spotlight: The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs has a new Randolph Street venue for “jewel box” productions called DCA Theater. The current play, The Arab-Israeli Cookbook, is a collection of vignettes based on actual interviews conducted by playwright Robin Soans in 2003. Eight talented actors each play a multitude of characters, and each voice is interesting, but I’m afraid the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Snippets of common humanity may be fine for appetizers and side dishes, but there’s no substantive main course, and I left feeling hungry, even after the post-play Q&A.
The Arab-Israeli Cookbook runs through April 5. For tickets, call (312) 742-8497, or visit: http://www.dcatheater.org.
