In-house literature about the production of Pangs of the Messiah says the play presents Israelis and the Middle East conflict in "a myriad of complexities." It is precisely these complexities that hang in the air, like the fallout from a bomb, during Pangs of the Messiah.
Lerner avoids the temptation to demonize, leaving us with a sorrowful meditation on how it will all end. “Questions are over,” Shmuel says early on. “Maybe there’ll be some answers.” Maybe. But Lerner’s play cautions that the answers we get may not be the ones we want.
Pangs of the Messiah is curiously pitched somewhere between political thriller and family melodrama... [It] is not only a good play by a strong international writer, it’s also an experience that’s good for us as Americans right now.
Lerner has written a script with Chekhovian nuance... And frankly, the script it so compelling, you won't find yourself focusing on anything but the issues of the play, crucial concerns of the moment.
Playwright Motti Lerner builds his riveting drama as explosive events find the settlers quickly at odds with the Israeli government... The complex arguments are evenly presented leaving audiences to arrive at their own conclusions.
