I caught The Bright River last night, and I have to say this is far and away the best independent theater production I've seen, ever. The production consists of four performers/musicians on stage, giving everything they've got for 90 non-stop minutes. It's a production of the "Travelling Jewish Theater," so keep an eye out for it drifting through a theater near you. Elements of Dante's Inferno, Kabbalah mythology, traditional klezmer, jazz, beatboxing, oral histories, commentary on Iraq, improvisation -- except that it all works. Stopping just shy of going over the top, sensible enough to avoid patronizing cliches, it still manages to feel raw, emotional, involving. The ending left the audience in shocked silence -- followed by the only standing ovation where I actually felt the performers had earned it. Good stuff.