Presented by the New Group, casting by Judy Henderson, at the Harold Clurman Theatre on Theatre Row, 410 W. 42 St., NYC, April 7-May 8.
Tolstoy wrote famously in "Anna Karenina" that every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. But you couldn't prove it by "Roar," a domestic drama echoing the plight of many stage families in fairly familiar terms. Perhaps that's what Palestinian-American playwright Betty Shamieh intended in this work dealing with an Arab immigrant couple, Ahmed and Karema, and their teenage daughter, Irene, making their way in 1991 Detroit: that whatever our backgrounds, we're all pretty much alike within the web of family.
There are abundant references to the Middle East's devastating turmoil. The urge to retain cultural identity in an uncertain environment is another theme, one that always resonates in melting-pot America. But these elements seem secondary to the predictable and sometimes clumsily plotted household happenings, which make a lot of the script seem like carelessly written soap opera. Director Marion McClinton sets the stage for some appealing performances but does little to mask the play's deficiencies.
Ahmed, a onetime performer in Jordan, both resents and respects his wife's business acumen in making a go of their small-time shopkeeping and real estate ventures in Detroit. To compensate, he fosters their daughter's dream of becoming a pop singer, even while unsure of her talent. While not fully supportive, Karema is willing to make financial sacrifices to assist.
The family situation ignites when the wife's sister, Hala, glamorous but adrift, arrives. As a Palestinian, she has been expelled from Kuwait, and her presence awakens old romantic feelings in Ahmed.
Annabella Sciorra is a vivacious and tough Hala. Sarita Choudhury and Joseph Kamal are fine as Karema and Ahmed. Daniel Oreskes makes an effective appearance late in the proceedings as Hala's ex-boyfriend, a character that helps wrap things up in a peculiarly sugar-coated ending. In the show's least believable role, Sherri Eldin makes Irene an overly whiney teenager.