When you enter Factory Theatre for Facts, interesting Middle Eastern music is playing. Right away, you feel as if you have left SummerWorks and entered the West Bank.

Facts is the story of two detectives investigating a murder. One detective is Israeli, the other Palestinian. The victim is an American archaeologist teaching in the West Bank.

Yossi (Richard Greenblatt) is the Israeli detective. Khalid (Sam Kalilieh) is the Palestinian. Both actors are tremendous. They are of that rare calibre where they don’t appear to be acting, they are the characters. Be on the lookout for Law & Order: West Bank on your TV soon!

Yossi really frightened me near the end when he was holding the gun.

I am a lot like the American archaeologist in Facts. I am largely without religion. I haven’t been to a church service of any kind or bothered to read any kind of religious document. I am ignorant of the details of all/all religions. I love baseball statistics, but when someone says “King David” I wonder if that is a new take-out joint around the corner.

I mention that because there are some weighty religious discussions between Yossi and Khalid. Being so ignorant, I was a bit lost during them. Most people won’t be.

Yossi and Khalid interrogate Danny (Alex Poch-Goldin). Danny is an American Jew. Poch-Goldin is also outstanding. Danny is a confrontational, hateful man. Poch-Goldin makes him easy to hate.

Facts is superbly written and directed by Arthur Milner. The play introduced me to how ridiculous that part of the world is. Sectors and checkpoints are foreign to me. So is freedom for one group of people but confinement for another.

Facts is so well written that Galit, who we never see or even hear, is an interesting character. We know of her through what the detectives say to her on the phone.

Everything works so well together that I really was in the West Bank for 80 minutes. My eyes have truly been opened.

The Arabic version of Facts will tour the West Bank and Israel in September 2012. I wish everyone a safe journey.

Details: 

• Facts plays at Venue A: Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst Street)
• Showtimes: Fri. August 10, 5:00 PM, , Sat. August 11, 10:00 PM, , Tues. August 14, 5:00 PM, Wed. August 15, 7:30 PM, Fri. August 17, 5:00 PM, Sat. August 18, 2:30 PM
• All individual SummerWorks tickets are $15 at the door (cash only). Tickets are available online at http://ticketwise.ca, By phone by calling the Lower Ossington Box Office at 416-915-6747, in person at the Lower Ossington Box Office (located at 100A Ossington Avenue) Mon. – Sun. 12PM-7PM (Advance tickets are $15 + service fee)
• Several money-saving passes are available if you plan to see at least 3 shows

-photo of Arthur Milner, Alex Poch-Goldin, Richard Greenblatt and Sam Kalilieh