"As Dean has written these characters, though, they don't really expand much beyond their functions as allegorical emblems...As a result, 'Heartland' comes off as an adult after-school special: something that is 'good' for us, even if it is less than memorable dramatically. The three performers do what they can to bring this glorified history lesson to life...Much of the play's impact relies on the conviction the actors bring to their characters."
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The trouble with Heartland is that the characters seem to have been shaped to fit the plot, rather than the other way around, resulting in a drama that feels contrived and preachy… Overall, Heartland is a well-intentioned piece undone by its tendency to sermonize and spell out its idea. It is so convinced of its own right thinking that it leaves the audience with little or nothing to discover for itself.
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"On the one hand, it is a tender love story that unfolds in the midst of war. On the other, it is cry of rage against one aspect of that war, a 'j'accuse' aimed at agencies of the United States government that, in the interests of national security, added fuel to the fire that has blazed for decades in Afghanistan. With 'Heartland,' you cannot get one without the other...The scenes in Afghanistan, where Geetee and Nazrullah meet, are as sweet and warmhearted as in any well-written romantic comedy, and love proves that it can bloom under even the harsh conditions of a battle zone."
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While Gabriel Jason Dean’s Heartland is an enlightening play about Afghan culture mentioning the classic poet Rumi and the contemporary novelist Atiq Rahimi, some of it will still be opaque to American audiences. On the other hand, it also reveals how American involvement in other countries may have the opposite effect of that which is intended. The fine production, however, makes this a compelling though subtle story of an extended family in its understated way.
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"Hope blooms even in the darkest and cruelest of times in 'Heartland'...The dark moments cast a quick shadow over the play, like a cloud moving over the sun. Under the direction of Pirronne Yousefzadeh, however, the play is primarily playful and snappy, and most scenes are infused with tremendous humor."
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