Tranquila

The Y.M.C.A. in Jerusalem (a historic edifice which is far prettier than many hotels we've seen) is hosting a series of newly released and provocative plays, one of which we saw tonight. "Tranquila" is a story set entirely in a Ecuadorian hospital room, where an Israeli who has lost the use of her leg travels between reality and hallucination, life and death. The performance is a combination of acrobatics, comedy, and drama, and incorporates three languages (English, Spanish, and Hebrew), puppetry, trapeze, rope-and-ring contortion, and fantastic (both wonderful and full of fantasy) costuming. While the story may not have been as compelling as desired, both of us were impressed by the seamless incorporation of these many techniques, as well as the troupe's ability to convey a story whose spoken words were incomprehensible to thirds of the audience at a time.