Biblical story of Job produced as a hip-hop musical

JOB: The HipHop Musical modernizes the biblical tale of Job into an anti-corporate, rap-music allegory -- a potentially frightening prospect with an impressive outcome.

Right from the start, Montreal natives Eli Batalion and Jerome Saibil clicked.

It was obvious from the first time they worked together, producing a radio play about Chanukah for a seventh-grade project at Bialik Hebrew Day School, that they shared a goal: they both wanted to work to their full potential on the play and the many assignments that would follow.

"We realized we were both distinct in wanting to put in serious effort into these projects and make them original, creative and funny," Batalion said recently in an interview.

Their ambition paid off. Since their first creative collaboration 10 years ago, the duo has written, directed and produced movies, videos, plays and songs. In 1998, they formed a production company called Foqué dans la tête Productions.

This summer, Batalion and Saibil, both 22, have been travelling across Canada showcasing their play JOB: The Hip-Hop Musical, an adaptation of the biblical story of Job that has received rave reviews.

"The lyrics are mile-a-minute fast and can't-stop-laughing funny," wrote Richard Ouzounian, theatre critic of The Toronto Star in his review of the play.

"Batalion and Saibil have created a new theatrical form, and it's ready for Off-Broadway," wrote Amy Barratt of The Montreal Mirror.

In the original story, Job is a God-fearing, upright man who shuns evil. When the Lord decides to test his loyalty, Job loses his family, his possessions and his health. He suffers greatly but remains true to God. In response to Job's loyalty, God doubles his possessions.

In Batalion and Saibil's adaptation, rappers MC Cain (Saibil) and MC Abel (Batalion) retell the tale in the context of contemporary corporate life. The vocabulary of the play includes academic words and references not typically heard in hip-hop musical - the pair rhyme "epistemology" with "apology," and words like "volition" and "circuitously" are sprinkled throughout the script, as are mentions of literary classics such as James Joyce's Ulysses, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye.

These references are telltale signs that the duo is fresh from the world of academia. Both graduated from Brown University in May - Saibil earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy; Batalion earned bachelor degrees in philosophy and psychology.

The play reveals the pair's Jewish roots not only because of its biblically inspired plot, but also because the script contains Jewish in-jokes. At one point, the main character Job Lowe and his wife Prof. Lowe are discussing Lowe's fall from grace at work - he has lost many of his benefits, his salary has diminished and he eventually loses his job.

"I think I smell something fishy," Prof. Lowe says. "If we appeal it, could there be some kind of wishy-washy way we can stop them from squishing you like a potato knishy?"

In another scene, the pair engages in what appears to be Russian dancing, singing "Yiih, yiih" as they squat and kick out their feet. Saibil said they got the idea for this choreography from Fiddler On The Roof.

Their version of the tale ends with Job and his boss going for falafel.

Saibil and Batalion have used Jewish references before, including in two of their previous Fringe Festival plays: Everything You Wanted to Know About Yourself But Were Afraid to Ask Freud (2001) and Carl Rosensweig, How Was Your Vasectomy? (1999).

While comedy is an important part of many of their productions, Saibil and Batalion say that their work is about more than just making people laugh - it has artistic purpose.

"We are trying to send a message or teach something or provoke a thought," Saibil said.

"We try to do things people have not done before. At the very least, the goal is to provoke audience members to re-evaluate previous conceptions."

With JOB: The Hip-Hop Musical, one of their goals was to change people's opinion of hip-hop music. The pair believes they have succeeded in altering theatregoers and reviewers' pre-conceived notions.

"People may have dismissed hip-hop music as a loud, obnoxious form of music. Now, the reviewers have said they appreciate it," Saibil said.

Today, as Batalion and Saibil make the transition from full-time students to full-time artists, they are confident in their ability to continue producing though-provoking productions.

"We are occasionally dissuaded, told the entertainment industry is really tough," said Batalion.

"[But] our previous success is testimony to the fact that we can make a living from it, so we are going to keep on going."

For upcoming shows by Foqué dans la tête Productions, check out their Web site at http://FDLTproductions.com.

— Simone Joseph