Sandra Laub’s solo work is a rare example of someone as comfortable switching personas as others are switching outfits.
Picking Up Stones: An American Jew Wakes to a Nightmare doesn’t seek to offer answers to a heated issue, but rather acts as a springboard for dialogue – and it does it well.
Sandra Laub may be standing alone on stage, but her deft switching between characters manages to represent voices from across the Israel–Palestine conflict. Simple but slick costume changes leave you in no doubt as to who is standing in front of you, whether it’s a New York professor, a Gazan mother, or an Israeli matriarch.
No one would ever be able to sum up every opinion and perspective, yet Laub does an impressive job of getting pretty close. Instead of seeking to provide answers and perfect reactions to horrific events, her characters instead react with genuine emotion. The stories and emotions presented are just as complex as the situation they stem from, resulting in a show that won’t leave you feeling any less conflicted than at the beginning, but perhaps better informed.
The use of stones in the narrative of Picking Up Stones: An American Jew Wakes to a Nightmare effectively ties together several disparate stories. With Laub not trying to lay out right or wrong, a gradual timeline since 7 October 2023, as well as brief glimpses of what came before, is painted. While everyone in the audience will have seen the headlines, Laub’s character work artfully portrays the human stories that need more time in the spotlight.
Those characters aren’t perfect. Many don’t react how you might wish or expect – but that’s arguably the point. The disjointed timeline is confusing at times, with only Laub’s gentle charm remaining to pull you back into where she is.
Picking Up Stones: An American Jew Wakes to a Nightmare is an impressive example of how art doesn’t need to have all the answers, tied together with truly elegant character work that will leave you wanting more.
