With just a projector, a few pieces of cloth and a gurgling soundtrack, this solo show by Ifrah Mansour submerges the audience in a mysterious alternate world. She is on her knees, praying, when there's a loud knocking on the door — the first of many. Where is it coming from? What does it mean? A poet, playwright and performer, Mansour is spellbinding, using her eyes and limbs to communicate fear, sadness, desperation. She darts across the stage. She dives into what might be the ocean. It all adds up to a portrait of grief, beautifully textured. After Saturday's performance, she invited questions from the audience. What was the banging on the door, a young boy asked. "That's the great mystery," Mansour answered, smiling. "You get to come up with your own meaning." (7 p.m. Wed., 4 p.m. Fri. Aug. 11, 2:30 p.m. Sat. Aug. 12, Rarig Center Xperimental, 330 21st Av. S., Mpls.)
JENNA ROSS
