International Encounter on Grindr
COVID-era story depicts realities of long-distance fl ing
BY DAVID KENNERLEY
During the age of COVID, much of live
theater has migrated online, with
varying degrees of success. Readings
over Zoom, while presented in
earnest, often fail to transcend the boxy format.
Actors who live miles apart and may never have
met in the fl esh strive to create chemistry. Viewers
are distracted by books and knickknacks
on shelves, unmade beds, or a pet gone rogue —
things that have zilch to do with the story.
“Borders,” a brashly gripping two-hander by
Nimrod Danishman, is one of the rare winners.
First produced in 2019, the drama has been
wholly revamped for the online medium. Under
the inventive direction of Michael R. Piazza —
not the former Mets catcher of the same name
— the results are truly extraordinary.
The Tank, a performing arts presenter, has
teamed with Dirty Laundry Theatre and New
York’s LGBT Community Center to produce
“Borders,” a play about two men from quite different
worlds who meet on Grindr and conduct
a fraught courtship. The split-screen format is a
natural fi t for a piece about bridging the divides
that separate us.
“Borders” opens with a horned-up Boaz (Eli
Schoenfeld) chatting with George (Adrian Rifat)
on Grindr. We see a barrage of texts pop up,
along with the telltale “brrrlippp” tone, and the
faces of the men separated by a split screen —
Boaz on the left and George on the right. Although
we can see the duo, they cannot see
each other. Emojis abound.
George starts salivating when Boaz sends
dick pics (blurred for this production) and a
hookup seems imminent. But there’s one major
glitch. Even though they are only 20 kilometers
apart, it turns out that Boaz is in Israel and
George is in Lebanon. The border is separated
by a wall patrolled by armed guards, the product
of a decades-long series of bloody military
clashes.
Over the course of the 70-minute piece, the
two men fl irt, share deep secrets and, against
all odds, begin to fall in love. Even if they could
overcome the physical barrier, they are up
against daunting ideological and emotional barriers
as well. Society dictates that they should
be enemies. While Israel is generally accepting
of homosexuality, Lebanon, predominantly
Muslim, is not.
They dream of meeting in a queer-friendly,
neutral territory, like Berlin. But can their virtual
relationship survive in the real world?
The performances are strong, though at
times too pronounced under the unfl inching
gaze of the camera. Schoenfeld brings a playful
The online drama uses a split-screen format.
intensity to Boaz, as he describes coming out
to his family at age 14. As embodied by Rifat,
George easily shifts from being utterly smitten
by this sexy young student to showing anger
over risking it all to pursue this fragile relationship.
The heat they generate, despite the many
obstacles between them, is palpable.
The multimedia drama is enhanced by savvy
visual fl ourishes. Instead of standard static
talking heads, the actors video themselves with
their smartphones — lying in bed, padding
around their apartment, brushing their teeth
THEATER
DIRTY LAUNDRY THEATRE
— often shifting the camera angle and lighting.
Despite being shot in the actors’ own homes,
it feels like we are getting a taste of the characters’
lives. The shaky, extreme close-ups of
their faces and glimpses of cracked ceilings and
piles of clothes add to the authenticity. There’s
an edgy voyeuristic element that intensifi es the
immediacy.
Occasionally we see videos of exteriors, like
shots of their contrasting homelands, soldiers
patrolling the border wall, or a glorious
full moon — all framed as if captured on their
smartphones.
Although set in the Middle East, the themes
in “Borders” are universal. The piece recalls
the recent debacle of the former US president’s
ill-conceived attempt to build a huge wall
along the Mexican border. What’s more, in
this relentless COVID pandemic, as the entire
world grapples with the harsh limits of social
distancing, the drama resonates all the more
deeply.
On February 24 at 6:30 p.m., actors and
those involved in the production of “Borders”
will huddle for an online panel discussion about
virtual connections. The event, dubbed “Queering
the Middle (East),” is free but the suggested
donation is $10. Those interested in attending
can get tickets at gaycenter.org/borders.
Borders | The Tank, Dirty Laundry Theatre,
New York LGBT Center | Livestream performances
through February 27, accessible on demand
through March 13 | For info and access, visit
thetanknyc.org | Tickets $10-$30
DIRTY LAUNDRY THEATRE
“Borders” revolves around a Grindr encounter between two individuals
from different countries.
GayCityNews.com | February 25 - March 10, 2021 25
/borders
/thetanknyc.org
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