Noura Reviews
MetroWeekly- Somewhat Recommended
"...A glimpse into the psyche of a woman caught between two identities — that of Iraqi refugee and successful American immigrant — Heather Raffo’s Noura is a heartfelt, emphatic play. But while Raffo works hard to give context to her main character’s angst, there’s an ongoing vibe of expository that keeps the play and its emotions at arm’s length. There’s no doubt that Raffo must set the cultural stage if we are to understand Noura’s powerful urge for family and her past life choices, but we must also believe that these are genuine people caught in life’s messy crosshairs. Here, there is too much pontificating — largely through Noura’s outsized personality — for there to be room for genuine connection and pathos."
Theatre Bloom- Highly Recommended
"...In 1879 when Henrik Ibsen premiered his play A Doll's House he probably didn't imagine that today, nearly 139 year later, it would be the inspiration for a new work about a modern Iraqi-American family who welcome an Iraqi refugee into their home for Christmas. But that is exactly what has happened, Heather Raffo has brought Ibsen's work to new life with her play Noura, now playing at the Shakespeare Theatre Company's Lansburgh Theatre as part of the Women's Voices in Theater Festival."
DCTheatreScene- Somewhat Recommended
"...What is so frustrating is that every part of the play works, but fully assembled, it is at war with itself. Raffo constructed the play after spending years running workshops for Arab American women in New York City, and every element - Noura's loneliness, Tareq's unthinking sexual hypocrisy, Maryam's resolute efforts to control her life - rings true. But notwithstanding Joanna Settle's canny direction, and fine performances by the cast - in particular Raffo herself, and Elouahabi as Tareq - it does not hang together. The characters are authentic, the dialogue is authentic, the stories are authentic, but there is no through line, and the play's denouement seems like just another left turn in the narrative, rather than a satisfying catharsis."
BroadwayWorld- Recommended
"...While I personally thought Danai Gurira was more successful in dealing with complex issues of identity in her play Familiar (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company's entry into the aforementioned festival), I would still recommend this play to audiences desiring something really unique. I hope Ms. Raffo, who impressed me in her play Nine Parts of Desire, continues to work on this play and make it even better. There's definitely a good foundation from which to build."