But Mr. Dodin elicits almost universally good work from his actors, whose comfort in the distinctive idiom of Chekhov easily transmits itself through the barrier of language.
A character named Edward Kirby, we read, "was a zealous jogger whose clear eyes, lean face, trim stature and universally respected work ethic belied an undeserved reputation in the hostile Chicago press for excessive consumption of wine and beer".
Starting with this almost universally accepted work of humanitarian aid agencies, there is then a whole range of forms of intervention – from economic carrots and sticks, through diplomatic pressure, all the way to often controversial forms of overt or covert assistance to independent media and opposition groups, training in forms of non-violent action, and so on.
This is to say nothing of the exclusion of the universally acclaimed work of director Ava DuVernay and actor David Oyelowo in last year's "Selma," or the long line of actors of color who over the years have been passed over for nominations or awards, many of which in retrospect appear to be egregious oversights.
Nonetheless, workers generally cannot universally refuse work they consider hazardous and still keep their jobs.
From the mid-19th century on, they were worn almost universally by working men throughout Britain but by the 1960s their popularity was beginning to decline.
Instead, the co-founders want Lift to be universally applicable, working just as effectively for dietary goals as for goals that are more within reach, like calling your brother on his birthday or drinking more water.
The lack of a universally-accepted, working definition of child labour makes it difficult to compare studies across cultures and across time.
But there also appears to have been another factor, one more universally human, at work.
