Naomi Wallace has a wonderful way with language. In The Fever Chart: Three Visions of the Middle East -- being presented as part of The Public Theater's Lab Initiative -- there are spoken passages that are absolutely stunning, showcasing the playwright's poetic ability to conjure images. "Sometimes a death is more than a loss," says one character. "It's an abyss. A quiet howling."

As the show's subtitle suggests, the work is comprised of three one-acts that explore Middle East political tensions and human connections, often in dreamlike or surreal imaginings. Director Jo Bonney nicely emphasizes the heightened reality of these playlets without making them seem overly precious.

A State[...]