Tale of two brothers

<p>After years of separation due to a family rift, the death of a father brings two estranged half-brothers together again — bringing to light old tensions, anger and a struggle for power that continues on hundreds of years later through their descendants.</p><p>It sounds like it could be the premise for a movie, but it's an ancient story shared in the Bible and the Koran about Isaac and Ishmael, the sons of Abraham. In the Bible account, God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations through a son, who would inherit the “Promised Land.” Jews and Muslims differ on which son that is: Isaac, the son of Abraham's wife Sarah, or Ishmael, the son of Sarah's handmaiden, Hagar.</p><p>Their story is an important story for the Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions and the subject of the drama/comedy “Burying Our Father: A Biblical Debacle,” by playwright Fred Curchack and starring Curchack and his partner, Laura Jorgensen. The production opens at Cinnabar Theater on Friday, Feb. 10.</p><p>“Isaac is seen as the progenitor of the Jewish faith and Ishmael of the Muslim faith,” said Curchack. “There is this amazing kind of difference in interpretation of this story. God's covenant is for one of the brothers to have the holy land as an inheritance, and that battle for who gets it is still going on thousands of years later. It's one of the most troubling global predicaments.”</p><p>In “Burying Our Father,” Curchack expands on an incident recorded in the Bible and the Koran of when Isaac and Ishmael meet after years of separation to bury Abraham in a cave. Jewish, Christian and Muslim versions of this ancient story interweave and collide in Curchack's version of what happened during that meeting.</p><p>“That cave has become one of the most revered and violently contested holy sites in history,” said Curchack. “For me, it was valuable to focus on not just the beginnings of this global situation and problem of our time, but also on the personal problem of where does one's fear and hatred of other people originate. On the serious side, this play looks at how we work on ourselves to be free of those tendencies of hatred, envy and fear. If one person can't do that in their own heart and mind, it's unlikely anyone will do it on a global level.”</p><p>While “Burying Our Father” has a serious undertone, Curchack hopes to get people laughing as well as thinking. In the play, each brother assumes that God has chosen him and his descendants to inherit the “Promised Land.” Together at the cave, they sort through their conflicting versions of the same events, seeking to discover what is real in what Curchack describes as an irreverent, humorous exploration of the similarities and differences between the Abrahamic religions and the impact of these beliefs on the lives of individuals, family, society and history.</p><p>“The play is my imagination of what happened between the brothers' during the meeting in the cave,” said Curchack.</p><p>“Burying Our Father,” features music, dance and light and shadow play. Jorgensen will be playing the role of God, while Curchack said he'll be showing off his belly dance skills.</p><p>“It's got a little bit of everything,” said Curchack. “It's funny and hopefully fall out of your chair hilarious.”</p><p>Show times are at 8 p.m. Feb. 10-11 and Feb. 16-17 at Cinnabar Theater, 3333 Petaluma Blvd. North. Tickets are $20 general and $15 for youth under 30. For information, call 763-8920 or visit www.cinnabartheater.org.</p><p>(Contact Yovanna Bieberich at yovan na.bieberich@arguscourier.com)</p>