PlanetEye

Boston has both an established theatre scene and a vibrant new play culture. The Huntington Theatre Company's main performance venue is the Boston University Theatre on Huntington Avenue, but its theatre space at the Calderwood Pavilion in the Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) practically functions as a laboratory for bringing new works by emerging playwrights to theatre audiences.

 Through May 3rd, The Cry of the Reed, a contemporary work by playwright Sinan Ünel, is being presented at the Huntington's state -of -the -art Wimberly Theatre in the BCA.  It is a story of a Turkish-American photojournalist, Sevgi, and her Canadian colleague, Philip, who are detained by insurgents in present day war-torn Iraq. 

The strained relationship between the Sevgi and her mother, Ayla,  a Sufi teacher who have not spoken to each other in ten years, makes an interesting "double plot".

The cultural divide between East and West,  and  the idea of faith versus  reason are explored  against the backdrop of Sufi mysticism and  the philosophy of the now- trendy 13th the century  Persian poet Rumi.  The whirling dervishes in the play's mesmerizing final scene capture the beauty of faith and finding inner peace.