There's something strangely comforting and yet oddly disturbing about watching Barbara Rappaport chop an onion.

There's a ritualistic way that the old woman prepares her dinner, humming about the apartment, rustling about her pots and pans. You'd almost think it was a typical day in the life of an ordinary woman. Until you notice how she avoids the window.

Actually, by the time this scene takes place, we're already in somewhat of a sinister mindset. It's the opening of Act Two of Honey Brown Eyes, a powerful world premiere at Theater J exploring the impact of the Bosnian conflict on everyday citizens. Honey Brown Eyes takes war and makes it personal, forcing the audience not to deal with war in abstractions, or measured in body counts, but by seeing true disruption of innocent lives that should be separated from the devastating acts.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the shockingly brutal first act, where a woman (Maria DeSanti) is in a faceoff with a soldier (Alexander Strain) in her own home. The scene first is shocking with how artfully it portrays the feeling of being violated, and as the play progresses, the emotions run far higher as we begin to learn about the characters as individuals (though the coincidental personal connections between the characters can feel a little too convenient).

Playwright Stefanie Zadravec is really doing something impressive here, drawing us in so intimately into the world these players inhabit, a world that would seemingly seem rather similar to ours, if not for the interrupting atrocities. Her words are brought to life by a powerhouse cast; DeSanti is particularly affecting as the titular character who forces Strain to face his consciousness. And it's refreshing in a season where political theater is the norm to see a thoughtful treatment of a conflict that has been rather underserved artistically.

Honey Brown Eyes runs through Nov. 30 at Theater J. Tickets are available online