Writer and performer Khawla Ibraheem explores the traumatizing psychological impact of living in war-torn Gaza in her solo play A Knock on the Roof. This photograph and banner photo by Joan Marcus.
On a daily basis, news feeds and media broadcasts are saturated with reports, images, and updated statistics about the brutal destruction in Gaza. After a while, even when there is a pause in the attacks and counterattacks, the repeated and constant exposure can numb one’s emotional response and make it harder to feel empathy for those directly affected. Writer and performer Khawla Ibraheem’s A Knock on the Roof notably highlights the real human suffering caused by war, while also challenging audiences to contemplate how they would cope with such ever-present trauma.
The solo play centers around Mariam, the mother of a spirited and rambunctious 6-year-old boy, Nour. Mariam’s husband Omar is abroad working on his Ph.D., so in addition to—among other maternal duties—making sure Nour practices Ramadan fasting, she shoulders the responsibilities of keeping him safe in a volatile world.
As Mariam, Ibraheem is the mother of a 6-year-old son and must face the precariousness of life on a daily basis. Photograph by Joan Marcus.
The particular Gaza war in which the play is set is not specified, suggesting that Gaza is perpetually in conflict. (A program note explains that the play began as a monologue in 2014, and the full-length version has been developing in collaboration with Oliver Butler since 2019.) Inhabitants, therefore, must be constantly prepared for attack, and they must be ready at a moment’s notice to seek safety. For better or worse, residents are given a short warning before an imminent assault. As Mariam explains, “You see, two wars ago, they started using a technique called ‘a knock on the roof.’ It’s a small bomb they drop to alert us that we have 5 to 15 minutes to evacuate before the actual rocket destroys the building.”
Driven by a sense of urgency, Mariam meticulously prepares for a possible calamity. She has a bag of essentials ready and practices evacuating her building, timing herself to see how far she can get in five minutes from her seventh-floor-apartment to an open area. Anticipating the added weight of her son, Nour, on her next trial run, she fills a sack with books to simulate carrying him.
Before long, the seemingly inevitable knock on the roof consumes Mariam’s every thought. Her rehearsal evacuations become more and more elaborate as she envisions different scenarios in which the strike might occur. Later, when she overreacts to an explosion coming from a television cartoon, Nour comforts his shaken mother. Mariam remarks bitterly, “Cursed is a world where a son must care for the fears of his mother.”
Directed by Butler, A Knock on the Roof captures the rising tension of living in a besieged world. The sense of normalcy, such as people flocking to a beach on a hot summer day, a child’s resistance to taking a bath, and the irresistible draw of pink cotton candy give way to the mounting horrors of war. Ibraheem is an ingratiating narrator, and she convincingly portrays all of the people in Mariam’s life. Impressively, she also reveals the psychological toll the war is taking on the protagonist as the play proceeds.
A Knock on the Roof exhorts audiences to consider how prepared they would be if they had just 5 to 15 minutes to escape obliteration by a devastating missile. Photograph by Valerie Terranova.
In addition, the play implicates the audience directly by placing them on three sides of a bare stage, with only a chair as a prop. (Frank J Oliva’s scenic design establishes a palpable sense of community.) The houselights remain on throughout much of the play, creating the impression that the storyteller is one of us, and that her story could easily be our own. Periodically, she implicates members of the audience directly, asking, “How far can you run in five minutes?” and “How many underwear would you pack?”
Mariam’s descent into near-madness is effectively reflected by Oona Curley’s lighting, which makes use of suspense-inducing, Hitchcockian shadows; Hana S. Kim’s haunting projections; and Rami Nakhleh’s atmospheric sound design. Unfortunately, the play’s climax (which will not be disclosed here) is a letdown. The writing, for the most part, exhibits restraint and does not give in to the sensationalist and graphic images one associates with works about war. The author appears to have designed the ending’s twist to shock the audience for shock’s sake, even if it seems only somewhat plausible.
If the overwrought conclusion tends to diminish the overall impact of the play, A Knock on the Roof nonetheless serves as a potent reminder of the constant fear that war instills in everyday life.
A Knock on the Roof is a co-production with New York Theatre Workshop and Piece by Piece Productions, and it is presented in partnership with Under the Radar. The show runs through Feb. 16 at New York Theatre Workshop (79 E. 4th St.). Evening performances are at 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; matinees are at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For tickets, visit https://www.nytw.org/ or call (212) 460-5475.
Playwright: Khawla Ibraheem
Director: Oliver Butler
Sets: Frank J Oliva
Costumes: Jeffrey Wallach
Lighting: Oona Curley
Sound: Rami Nakhleh
Projections: Hana S. Kim
