Genre: Dance
Written by: Roland Reed, based on the poem by Vazha Pshavela
Directed by: Paata Tsikurishvili
Choreographed by: Irina Tsikurishvili
Performed by: Paata Tsikurishvili, Irina Tsikurishvili, Nicholas I. Allen, Shannon Dunne, Catherine Gasta, Irakli Kavsadze, Greg Marzullo, John Milosich, Geoff Nelson, Armand Sindoni, Mike Spara, Nathan Weinberger.
Running time: Two hours
Web site: synetic.org

The opening scene of Host and Guest, a stunning meld of dance and drama from DC-based Synetic Theater, could be an allegory for Palestine. Two strangers in tribal robes with their rifles alert tiptoe through a dusty land alight with gunfire. There is a standstill. Weapons are lowered so the men may drink water. Then a bang and one man lays dead. The place portrayed is Georgia, not Palestine, but the themes of religious loathing, revenge, hospitality and betrayal fit the history of many lands. With just sticks and bodies, the company creates a deer hunt through a windy forest, a Matrix-style fight between the Christian guest and an angry Muslim mob, and an army of soldiers galloping into war. There are a few quibbles with the script, which keeps the lines but not the cadence of the epic poem. But it's hard to fault the folks at Synetic for their depiction of a timeless cycle of hatred when such art is so desperately needed.—Jada Yuan

• Where: The Michael Schimmel Center
• When: Fri, Aug 13 at 5 p.m.; Sun, Aug 15 at 6:30 p.m.; Wed, Aug 18 at 10:30 p.m.; Fri, Aug 20 at 4 p.m.; Sat, Aug 21 at 8 p.m.