Thursday May 18th – Sweden “[almost equal to]” Playwright: Jonas Hassen Khemiri

[almost equal to]

Country - Sweden

Playwright - Jonas Hassen Khemiri

Translator - Rachel Willson-Broyles

Director - Anna C. Bahow

Synopsis - How much do you earn? Who do you serve? In Jonas Hassen Khemiri’s recent play ≈ [Almost Equal To] we encounter a number of people who are colliding with the economy surrounding them.

Martina dreams about growing her way out of the contemporary economic system; Mani wants to crush it. Andrei is looking for a job; Freja is seeking revenge. They all invest money in postage and pine nuts, fake bubbles and perfumes, strollers and utopias. Everyone seems invaded by numbers. How are we, our eyes, our words, our bodies affected by the economic system that surrounds us?

≈ [Almost Equal To] is a funny and brutal play that tries (and fails?) to give the audience a maximized entertainment value for every dollar invested. Premiered October 23, 2014 at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, and was performed until spring 2016.