Rachel Corrie play debuts in Israel

[oberliner]

A play about the US activist Rachel Corrie, who was killed at the age of 23 by an Israeli army bulldozer in Gaza, will be performed for the first time in Israel tomorrow, on the fifth anniversary of her death.

The single-actor play My Name is Rachel Corrie will be performed in Arabic in Haifa, northern Israel, before touring the country and the occupied West Bank.

The play is based on Corrie's diaries and emails edited by the actor Alan Rickman and the Guardian journalist Katharine Viner. It has been translated into Arabic and adapted by the director Riad Masarwi and the actor Lana Zreik, who most recently appeared in the film Lemon Tree, which won the audience award at last month's Berlin Film Festival.

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/theatre/drama/story/0,,2265582,00.html

[LeftishBrit]

1. Good

The reactions should be interesting.

It's usually better to allow views - even those opposed to your culture or country - to be heard, than to shut them out. (See my post on the thread about the Paris Book Fair.)

[MaryCeleste]

2. Its been panned, even in receptive areas

At least one rapid closing

[msmcghee]

3. I saw this play in Seattle when it was here.

I didn't find it particularly anti-Israel - although it was about anti-Israel ideology in the mind of a young woman. (Added on edit: It was probably more about pro-Palestinain ideology in the mind of a young woman.) I think most people who see the play understand what her position was on the conflict and don't learn any new reasons to "hate Israel" from the play - no matter which side they are on prior to seeing it.

For me, it was really about the strength of strong beliefs in the mind of an ideological young woman and what those beliefs motivated her to do. Of course, others might take away a different message. I certainly did not take away a "Oh, those damned Israelis killed this poor young girl" message. OTOH - if that was someone's belief before they went in I can see how that could be reinforced by watching the play as it certainly was not pro-Israel in any way.

I think using art to explore conflict is good because violent conflict lives so completely in the realm of strong emotions in our minds and art can bypass all the intellectual crap that we try to use to justify those strong beliefs. I enjoyed the play on that level.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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[subsuelo]

6. Or, a hatred of her that got her killed

[ProgressiveMuslim]

5. Here's a photostory. Seeing pictures of that kid being dug out of a dirt pile

is absolutely enraging.

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article1248.shtml

I'm so glad Israel-supporters abhor the use of violence.