Theater

“The Arab-Israeli Cookbook”: When wrestling with an international crisis, wouldn’t it be great if our leaders simply grabbed dinner at a restaurant and immersed themselves in the reality of the people they’re dealing with? British playwright Robin Soans took just such a shortcut to the heart of the Middle East conflict. Soans dramatizes actual interviews, under the pretext of gathering recipes, with residents of all faiths and cultures in that region. By getting them to talk about their common passion for food, this work sidesteps politics to capture moving personal histories, brought to life by director Louis Fantasia’s versatile ensemble.

-- Philip Brandes

Ends Sunday at the MET Theatre, 1089 Oxford Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 957-1152.