Go inside the Israel-Palestine conflict with “It’s What We Do.”. (Photo courtesy of Capital Fringe)

Reminds us of: Waltz with Bashir.

Rating: Fine

The controversies surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict make it difficult arena for art, even given the human drama at its center. “It’s What We Do”: A Play About the Occupation has no interest in sidestepping this controversy, but it does manage to avoid accusations of bias and create a more authentic experience given the source of its’ text: interviews with Israeli soldiers compiled by the Israeli NGO Breaking the Silence. Their testimonials relate horror after horror Palestinians are subjected to in the West Bank and elsewhere, conveying a story that too few of us truly understand.

The show doesn’t attempt much more than it needs to. The characters are three Israeli soldiers (composites of several real voices), an omniscient narrator asking after their experiences and a rotating supporting cast who play Palestinians and Jewish settlers as needed. Their performances are earnest, but technically unpolished, and some of the staging comes off as more awkward than chilling at times. Making the Israeli voices composites gives us access to more perspectives, but it also makes their individual characters indistinct.

Still, “It’s What We Do” is worth seeing based on the script alone. At one point, one of the soldiers relates how his father in Jerusalem always takes the radio reports of Israeli military operations at face value, and as a middle-class Jew living in Jerusalem miles from the West Bank, why wouldn’t he? Without efforts like this show, it would be that much harder to hear anything else.

Where to See It: Logan Fringe Arts Space on July 19 at 9:45 p.m., July 21 at 5:30 p.m., and July 23 at 11:30 a.m.

See here for all of DCist’s 2017 Capital Fringe coverage. All shows are $17, with a button ($7) required for entry.