Written by George Packer
Directed by Pippen Parker
Synopsis: Betrayed, Packer's first play, based on his interviews in Iraq and other countries, tells the story of three young Iraqis -- two men and a woman -- who are motivated by hope to go work for the Americans, until they begin to wonder who, if anyone, can be trusted. Betrayed explores the complex relationships among the Iraqis -- and between them -- and their American supervisor, against the backdrop of a war in which the hardest and most necessary thing turns out to be friendship.
NEW YORK TIMES:
"Mr. Packer’s approach to the material is eloquent in its lack of adornment, and its tone is matched by Pippin Parker’s straightforward direction. Flourishes of style are few, and theatergoers who prefer their documentary drama dressed up in exotic theatrical finery (as in the National Theater of Scotland’s excellent “Black Watch”) could dismiss it as too blunt or drearily unimaginative."
Read the whole review HERE.
NEW YORK POST:
"What might have played like a polemic isn't, since Packer has provided considerable texture along with his gripping narrative, and he resists any tendency toward black-and-white characterizations. Only occasionally does the evening feature predictable speechifying, but it can be excused considering the urgency of the subject matter. Indeed, the play is far more powerful than most of the recent spate of films that also deal with Iraq."
Read the whole review HERE.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS:
"Packer, in his first play, writes with compassion and clarity without being preachy."
Read the whole review HERE.
NEW YORK SUN:
""Betrayed" remains solidly a docudrama, a series of transcripts skillfully reassembled to reinforce a strong moral claim. It may be theater of the moment, but it is good theater about a critical historical moment. This message play gets its urgent message across loud and clear."
Read the whole review HERE.
THEATERMANIA:
"Filled with drama and urgency, George Packer's Betrayed -- currently making its world premiere at The Culture Project -- is that rare theater experience that commands absolute attention while watching it, and which continues to haunt the viewer long after the play ends. Knowing that it dramatizes the struggles of hundreds of real-life individuals whose peril has not yet abated only makes it more powerful."
Read the whole review HERE.
VARIETY:
"Packer's knowledgeable play isn't perfect, but it doesn't preach, and it goes a long way toward debunking myths like "the surge is working" by exposing the country's problems via smart, well-observed characters. With "Betrayed," Packer sometimes wanders and sometimes appears to be writing for the screen instead of the stage, but he makes sure his audience is always focused on his wounded, helpless people -- and thus, furious."
Read the whole review HERE.
NEWSDAY:
"And, yet, there is something awful about watching an entertainment about catastrophes now happening in our name, day and night, while we distract ourselves with football parades and starlet meltdowns. We feel helpless about Adnan's helplessness and I guess that's the point. But bigger theater, of course, needs a bigger step."
Read the whole review HERE.
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