The Public Theater’s Urge for Going, written by the very talented Mona Mansour, captures the essence of every teenager’s urge to see the world. Headstrong Jamila (Tala Ashe) is a teenage Palestinian girl who is growing up in a Lebanese refugee camp. Doing well in school, and acing her exams is her only way out. However, her inspiration, her intelligent father (a solemn Ramsey Faragallah), also becomes her biggest challenge in succeeding. His tough love can remind anyone of his or her own stern father. Also, the constant noise of her uncles bickering while she’s studying is quite definitely her second problem.

  Although the play’s primary focus is on whether Jamila will depart from the refugee camp like her father had once, her brother Jul (a phenomenal Omid Abtahi) is the most sympathetic character. Through his and Jamila’s mock talk show, the audience learns of how he had everything going for him, until an incident with an impatient soldier destroyed his chances of ever leaving the camp.
The greatest twist of all was the action that went on in the making of Urge for Going. To create the set design, writer Mona Mansour and Director Hal Brooks’ visited one of these camps. Brooks, being of a Jewish descent, had to keep his beliefs veiled while touring the camp. Brooks and Mansour transcended cultural boundaries, and together created an endearing play that has their audience feel as if they were living this heartbreaking, war-struck zone themselves.