Valeria Is Getting Married

A mix of domestic drama and chamber play, this provocative and nuanced four-hander follows the titular Ukrainian woman over one day as she arrives in Bat Tam, where she is to enter an online-brokered arranged marriage with an Israeli man, only to suffer from a bad case of cold feet. —M.G.

Years ago, Christina entered into a private arrangement: she would receive financial resources and the opportunity to start a new life, in return for leaving Ukraine to marry an Israeli man. On the surface, Christina appears to love her new life in Israel. She adopted the customs, learned the language, and seems to have a loving relationship with her husband. From the outside her life looks so complete that her sister Valeria is contemplating following in Christina’s footsteps. Fed up with the lack of opportunity at home, Valeria has been chatting online with an Israeli man she has agreed to marry for money. Upon Valeria’s arrival, all goes according to plan. But as the facade begins to crack under the palpable tension of the arrangement, inevitable chaos ensues. A riveting drama that explores a multitude of conflicting motives and interests, VALERIA IS GETTING MARRIED is a beautiful slow burn that will keep you on the edge of your seat. —G.S.