San Diego Union –Tribune
November 29, 2003
Rated G (Reviews by teenagers)
Forty Miles from Tel Aviv
Reviewed by BENJI CAMPBELL, age 16
"Think about the hearts of our children" pleaded Salah. But her words are ignored as her husband leaves their home with a belt full of dynamite strapped around his waist.
"Forty Miles From Tel Aviv," set in a Palestinian home in the West Bank, focuses on the relationship between a husband, Malik, and his wife, Salah. A day, which at first seems normal, goes horribly awry when Malik reveals a troubling secret to his wife – he is a suicide bomber, and today will be his day to "make a difference," by bombing a room full of Jewish scholars. The perspective of the story is unique because it looks into the mind of a suicide bomber, who struggles to convince his wife that he is doing the right thing.
It would be hard to find any recent play that could top "Forty Miles From Tel Aviv." Only a brilliant playwright could have so eloquently written a story as emotionally charged as this one. Brandon Alter, at 18 years of age, is clearly gifted. The fluidity of his writing is outstanding; the dialogue flows beautifully between the two characters, often making their voices appear as one harmonious entity.
Alter delivers a gut-wrenching story, brought to life by Beeb Salzer's creatively conceived designs, intensely directed by Delicia Turner Sonnenberg. Diep Huynh and Anahid Shahrik breathe life into the characters of Malik and Salah, making an already emotional story even more powerful and believable. "Forty Miles From Tel Aviv" is a play that will be long remembered by this critic, as it will by any audience fortunate enough to experience it.
