Critical Acts 167 Harah

Acts ), The Freedom Theatre, Alrowwad, The Alrowwad, ), Freedom Theatre, 3 r devote themselves specifically Ashta ala Khamis Nassar notes, Theatre scholar Hala Khamis Nassar notes, Theater “Palestinian theatre artists constantly ques- “Palestinian theatre how- They do so, work. tion the role of their on the basis of whether it is original not ever, but rather in terms of what is or authentic, - effective in countering the cultural annihila (2006:16). tion under the present Occupation” West While there are other theatres in the Al-Kasaba, Bank (including El Hakawati, Theatre, and Al Yes ShiberHur, and “cul- a Theatre calls The Freedom to what “beauti- Alrowwad calls and tural intifada,” All three theatres address a ful resistance.” wide range of current political issues within haven and provide a safe Palestinian society, They attempt and learn. “play” for children to to give children a sense of normalcy without and they foster normalizing the Occupation, critical and creative thinking among chil- preparing them for a dren and young adults, post-Occupation society. Performing Arts Journal, and several edited books. sha- Given 2 Theater Journal, create theatre by — : “‘soldiers and 1 The Theatre of Roots: Redirecting the Modern Indian Stage (Seagull, 2009),

The Freedom Theatre in the ref- The Freedom —

r in Ramallah Ashta “Intifada” means uprising. The first intifada lasted from 1987–1993 and the lasted roughly from 2000 “Intifada” means uprising. The first intifada lasted to 2005. of 14 (Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, in PASSIA Bank, 39.4% of the population is under the age In the West 2011:367). Children living in refugee camps 2011:367), and 7.9% of children suffer from chronic malnutrition (PASSIA 2011:367). In the Jenin Bank (PASSIA such as those in Jenin and Aida make up 37.2% of all children in the West camp, roughly refugee camp, 58% of the population is under the age of 18 (Mer Khamis 2011b); in the Aida refugee 66% of the population is under the age of 18, and about 45% are under the age of 15 (Abusrour 2011). www www.shiberhur.org, www.alkasaba.org, See the following websites for more information: www.pnt-pal.org, .alharah.org, www.yestheatre.org. 2. 3. 1. ,’ where confrontations are staged and sticks where confrontations are bab,’ and Coca-Cola cans are magically transformed ‘funeral,’ Or canisters. into guns and tear-gas plas- where girls are carried wreathed in black (1991:10). tic bags on the back of their peers” Bank not only West The Occupation of the affects every aspect of children’s daily lives, children And but of their imaginations as well. under 18 make up roughly half the population of the occupied Palestinian territories. and for children and young adults as well as and for children and young adults as well adult audiences. these realities, it is not surprising that three these realities, West of the most important theatres in the Bank Alrowwad ugee camp (outside the city of Jenin), Aida refugee camp (outside ), in the and Erin B. Mee is author of Antigone on the Contemporary World Stage (Oxford University Press, 2011). Her and coeditor of Antigone on the Contemporary World articles have appeared in TDR, The Public Theatre, Theatre Workshop, She has directed at numerous theatres including New York company Sopanam. erinmee1@ the Magic Theatre, and in India with Kavalam Narayana Panikkar’s gmail.com

Scholar Graham Usher lists the most popular Scholar Graham Usher children during the games among Palestinian first intifada (1987–1993) Palestinian Theatre in the in the West Palestinian Theatre Erin B. Mee The Cultural Intifada The Cultural Critical Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/DRAM_a_00194 by guest on 27 September 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/DRAM_a_00194 by guest on 27September 2021 168 Critical Acts after theSix-Day War. Nakba homes inandaroundHaifaduringthe1948 16,000 peoplewhowereexpelledfromtheir The JeninRefugeeCamphasapopulationof Freedom Theatre The Alrowwad CulturalandTheatreSociety) perform Figure 1.StudentsofAlrowwadCulturalandTheatreSociety 7. 6. 5. 4. [For moreonTheFreedom TheatreandthemurderofMer Khamis,seeMee2011 many bodieswereburiedinmassgraves. 18 April.Thedeathtollisdisputed,because bodieswereremovedfromthecampbybothIsraelisandPalestinians; been operatingfromwithinthecamp. Itofficiallyendedon11April,althoughtroopsdidnotbegintowithdraw until (IDF) invadedJeninwithtanks,infantry, commandoforces,and assault helicopterstowipeout“terrorists”whohad The BattleofJenin,partOperation DefensiveShield,beganon1April2002whentheIsraeliDefenseForces casualties. to ),andtheGolanHeights(whichhadbelongedSyria).Thewarended on10Junewiththousandsof and theSinaiPeninsula(whichhadbelongedtoEgypt),West BankandEastJerusalem(whichhad belonged The Six-DayWar referstothewarbegunbyIsraelon5June1967inwhichtookcontrolof GazaStrip reclaiming theirproperty. and numerousothercountriesaroundtheworld.Israelhasbarredtheserefugees fromreturningtotheirhomesor Palestinians andtheirdescendentsarenowdividedbetweenJordan,Gaza, theWest Bank,,, Israel, forced fromtheirhomesorfledinthe1948Palestine War as540villagesweredepopulatedanddestroyed. These The Nakba(al-Nakba,thecatastrophe)referstodisplacementofanestimated 700,000Palestinianswhowere 4 (in , “catastrophe”) andin1967 The Doll,directedbyIssaAbusrour. (Courtesyof 5 Inthecamp, 70%of film, photography, creativewriting, and theatre. end, The Freedom Theatre teachescourses in crimination andviolence(TFT2010). To this artistic movementdedicatedtoeradicatingdis- goal wasfor The Freedom Theatre tocreatean cameras, andmagazines,” saidMerKhamis. His should becultural, withpoetry, music, theatre, Battle ofJenin, Khamis 2011b). Duringthe2002 the populationisunemployed(Mer Theatre in2006. Zubeidi opened The Freedom Jonatan StanczakandZakaria Mer Khamisandhiscolleagues the conditionsunderwhichJuliano ment, andrampantmalnutritionare secure housing, highunemploy- by Israelisoldiers. Poverty, lackof imposed, andhomeswereinvaded homeless (again), curfewswere 1 outof3peoplewererendered destroyed orpartiallydemolished, third intifada, thecomingintifada, (TFT 2010). “We believethatthe we aregoing, whowewanttobe” Who weare, whyweare, where or reconstructthisdestruction. ical. Ourdutyasartistsistorebuild tures, [both]political[and]econom- our identity[and]socialstruc- The Israelissucceededtodestroy with poetry, music, theatre, cameras. ple intheirstruggleforliberation venue tojointhePalestinianpeo- assassinated on4 April 2011, “is a who ranthetheatreuntilhewas Theatre,” declaredMerKhamis, — Ed.] 6 1,400homeswere 7 “The Freedom “The Critical Acts 169 George Orwell’s 8 (2011), which I saw on 17 March which I saw (2011), TFT’s production of Alice frames Lewis TFT’s production 9 TFT has a three-year training program in three-year training TFT has a (2009), and Lewis Carroll’s Alice and Lewis (2009), Animal Farm in Wonderland 2011. dren and teenagers, and they provide a much and they dren and teenagers, than portrayal of Palestinians more nuanced media. projected in international the image in Jenin to means for young adults They are a tell — and therefore their control — stories. adaptations of the and has performed theatre, Ghassan Khanafani’s famous Palestinian writer Men in the Sun (2010), Carroll’s familiar figures within the story of an Carroll’s familiar figures within the story Alice’s father insists that she arranged marriage: he slaps and when she protests, Ahmad, marry on bright red lip- Alice tries Left alone, her. stick at her dressing table and dances around Her dream-time comes fantasizing about love. to an abrupt end when her mother violently the Alice’s hair into a tight ponytail for yanks demonstrating that women engagement party, can be and often are part of enforcing tradi- tions that subjugate them and their daughters. - - Figure 2. Mad Hatter’s tea party with the White Rabbit. (Courtesy of The Figure 2. Mad Hatter’s Freedom Theatre) — [refuge] photo anthology, reflects the strength and endur

— At that moment I understood

At the same time, Mer Khamis was deter Mer Khamis time, At the same - Men in the Sun, directed by Josh Perlstein, opened on 7 September 2010, marking the anniversary of the assassina artist, intellectual, and politician Ghassan Khanafani by the Mossad, the Israeli Intelligence tion of Palestinian writer, Service. and click on “watch it.” For video clips of these productions, visit www.thefreedomtheatre.org As we passed by a military checkpoint As we passed by a military trip to Bil‘in] I [on a photojournalism camera and the flash was playing with my He thought that I went off at a soldier. of him was taking a photograph He and the rest of the soldiers. window opened the panicked, from and grabbed the camera [...] He ordered me to get me. down from the bus and started He was very to ask me questions. He asked who the cam- angry. era belonged to and lots of other I told him I hadn’t questions. photographed him; I’d just been testing out the camera and tak- He ing pictures of my friends. wasn’t convinced until he had searched the camera and found there was no photograph of him in it. and how powerful the camera is, how much Israeli soldiers fear it! I had thought that soldiers were the most powerful people in the But now world because of their weapons. I realize that they are also scared of me (TFT 2011a:3) and my camera. 9.

8. mined to empower the youth of Jenin. Jenin. the youth of mined to empower , a in Jenin Girls Young by Photography Captured: by 15–18 collection of photographs published under studied photography year olds who opens Theatre, The Freedom at Mustafa Staiti Arqawi Dina with a statement by 16-year-old of the camera: about the political power Like the Captured a 2007 collection of short stories and photo essays by children who took writing and The Freedom photography workshops at Theatre These ance of people in the refugee camp. books are a published record of life in Palestine as seen through the eyes of Palestinian chil- Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/DRAM_a_00194 by guest on 27 September 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/DRAM_a_00194 by guest on 27September 2021 170 Critical Acts between unmarriedmenandwomen: thiswas lion toincludetheprohibitions againstcontact seductively together, expandingtheirrebel- Alice joinshimonthetabletop, andtheytango conservative citiesintheoccupied territories. ity thatareprevalentinJenin, oneofthemore free fromtherestrictionsofheteronormativ- ance: clearlytheMadHatterwantstobreak stereo­ dance thatcelebratessomeofthemoreovert He kicksteacupsoutofthewayinacampy Freddy Mercury’s “I Want toBreakFree.” walks hiswayacrossthetabletotuneof George–style pants red leathergloves, acape, andsparklingBoy tights, red-and-white-striped Hourani) —in Theatre’s work. The MadHatter(Eyad fies whatissoimportantabout TheFreedom Wonderland freedherfromthering. freed Wonderland fromtheOppressor, and Alice tells Ahmad thatherengagementring will notmarryhim:inthelastlineofplay, to realityandconfronts Ahmad, tellinghimshe ship rolethat Alice hasrefused. Alice returns emerges, takesshape, andacceptstheleader most oftheplayinacocoon-likewebgauze, desire foramessianicleaderandhasspent White Queen, whoembodiesthesubconscious cha getchagetcha!” Eventuallythe I’mgonnafindya/ get- Another / she lip-synchstheBlondiesong “One Way or that sheliterallytakesovertheentirestageas power andpersonalityaresooverwhelming Queen, theirrevolutionfails. The RedQueen’s they donothavealeadertoreplacetheRed free themselves. Wonderland rebels, butsince she urgestheinhabitantsof Wonderland to (Micaela Miranda)topower. Alice refuses; engagement ringandrestorethe White Queen Red Queen(Maryam Abu Khaled)withher her destiny:shewillfree Wonderland fromthe rock Caterpillar(Mo’menSwitat)whoreveals front ofawrithing, hissing, black-cladpunk- revolving stagebytheRabbituntilshelandsin enting: sheisspunaroundandona Alice’s journeydowntherabbitholeisdisori- (Rabe’a Turkman)to Wonderland.takes Alice ment isabouttotakeplace, a White Rabbit ing ahijab, isgivenaring. Butastheengage- At theparty, Alice, theonlywomannotwear The MadHatter’steapartyexempli- types ofhomosexuality, suchasflamboy- — struts, vogues, andcat- - - actors” hetoldmelater. “To createanaudienceisharderthanto son nexttoyouwhiletheshowisgoingon. kin seedsandnoexplainingtheplaytoper not aweddingor TV show:noeatingpump- tain speechtellingtheaudiencethatthiswas the mind” ofitsactorsand audiencemembers. The Freedom Theatre works to “de-colonize Refugee Camp. Like Alrowwad and de-culturation ofpeoplelivingintheJenin to reverseculturalethniccleansingandthe The Freedom Theatre, then, isanattempt generating conversationwithinthecamp. rent Palestinianleadership, oftenasameansof women insociety, andthestrategiesofcur assumptions aboutgender, sexuality, theroleof residents toquestionsomeoftheirdeeplyheld vides much-neededentertainment, anditasks the residentsofrefugeecamp TFT pro- showcase fortheirwork, andemployment. For a platformforthemtoexpressthemselves, a political andartisticeducationfortheactors, atre inthetruesenseofterm:itprovidesa tively onstageinJenin. Aliceiscommunitythe- had usedtheirbodiessexuallyandsugges- Jenin; anditwasthefirsttimeaboygirl time aboyandgirlhadtouchedonstagein together onthestageinJenin;itwasfirst the firsttimethataboyandgirlhaddanced Khamis 2011a) rant. It’sculturalethniccleansing. (Mer the Israelisdeliberatelykeepusigno- acy freak, butit’sasysteminwhich It’s abloodysystem. I’mnotaconspir holes, butbecauseoftheOccupation. don’t seetheatrenotbecauseweareass- Occupation. The Occupation. People live theatrebefore. It’sbecauseofthe were manypeoplewhohadneverseen atre This isbecausetheyhaven’tseenthe- ence whattheirroleinlivetheatreis. [...] spent fiveyearsexplainingtotheaudi- ple nottotalkthroughtheshow. We’ve lights; ittookusthreeyearstogetpeo- It tookusayeartobeabledimthe Before — even today[17March2011]there Alice began, MerKhamisgaveacur Ashtar, - - - - Critical Acts 171

— ­ together with their teacher Issa — The Doll was performed by seven girls: On 19 March 2011, I saw a group of On 19 March 2011, I saw a studio production After the dances, The lights, Doll — shown without full sets, Abusrour devised The Doll through improvisa- They created the piece in 2010, tion exercises. and the students have done seven performances including the Cultural in different theatres, Theatre in The Freedom Palace in Ramallah, and Bethlehem University (Abusrour Jenin, 2011). age Abusrour, age 14; Iman Abusrour, Abeer age Aisha Karaka, age 9; Abusrour, 12; Farah age Abuaker, Tamara age 11; Abuaker, 13; Lina age 11. Abuhamida, 10; and Bara’a or costumes, as a demonstration of Alrowwad’s Alrowwad’s as a demonstration of or costumes, Students in the theatre program work. for several of whom have been taking classes five years eyes.” Alrowwad also began the first fitness pro- Alrowwad also began the first fitness eyes.” for gram for women and the first soccer team girls in a Palestinian refugee camp. Alrowwad’s students perform traditional Alrowwad including dabka. Palestinian dances, cul- and forum for, uses dabka as a form of, Several tural resistance and cultural memory. while others of the dances are harvest dances, tell the story of the Nakba: all of them embody and performing them Palestinian culture, enculturates the dancer. of - Figure 3. Students of Alrowwad Cultural and Theatre Society perform Alrowwad Cultural and Theatre Society perform Figure 3. Students of (Courtesy of Alrowwad Cultural and The Doll, directed by Issa Abusrour. Theatre Society)

Empowerment of the community and building national capacities in Beautiful and Non-violent Resistance. Promotion of human values and respect of human rights through arts and education as ways of beau- tiful and non-violent means of self-­ expression and resistance against the ugliness of occupation and its violence. (Alrowwad-acts.ps)

1. 2. The Aida refugee camp out- Aida The has a population side Bethlehem people who come of about 5,000 villages from 41 of the 534 different or occupied in that were destroyed of them are Most 1948 and 1967. from the and are from the although some areas, Roughly north and from Gaza. Aida camp 77% of people in the with jobs, are unemployed; of those income is the average household (Abusrour US$550–700 per month who Abusrour, Abdelfattah 2011). Alrowwad (which means founded “the pioneers”) Cultural and Aida in 1998, Theatre Society in do not have the luxury “We writes: hope that we can but the steadfast of despair, make a change for our children and the gener of.” ations to come that all of us can be proud Alrowwad’s mission is: empowered “An Alrowwad envisions - Palestinian Society on educational and artis human respectful of free of violence, tic level, chil- (with special focus on rights and values, dren and women) based on the spirit of social entrepreneurship and innovation in self- expression and respect of human values” Abusrour practices what (Alrowwad-acts.ps). against the Israeli “beautiful resistance” he calls Occupation and against patriarchy by offering and the- music, courses in dance, after-school atre twice a week for middle- and elementary- video as well as courses in school age children, describes as Abusrour which and photography, “Palestine through Palestinian a way to show Alrowwad Cultural Cultural Alrowwad and Theatre and Theatre Society Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/DRAM_a_00194 by guest on 27 September 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/DRAM_a_00194 by guest on 27September 2021 172 Critical Acts 10. (Courtesy ofAlrowwadCulturalandTheatreSociety) Figure 4.AscenefromWe AretheChildrenofCamp,writtenanddirectedbyAbdelfattahAbusrour. tried todowasdestroyedbythe Oppressor:if said shewantedtostudy. Buteverythingthey another saidshewantedtoplay, andthelast justice; anotherwantedthewalltofall;still freedom; onewantededucation; their dreamsandwishes:onesaidshewanted black) steppedforwardandtoldtheaudience playground bullybecomesanaggressiveadult. perpetuated, andaboutthewaysinwhicha nected, aboutthewaysinwhichviolenceis think abouthowthetwobehaviorsarecon- ing someoneelse’schild. The scenemademe on someoneelse’stoy, andaboutanadultkill- taneously aboutaplaygroundbullystomping tive, itseemedasthoughthisscenewassimul- was simultaneouslysorealandrepresenta- the oneincharge, theOppressor. Sinceheract militaristic andfierce. Sheestablishedherselfas intense, fullofrage. Herbodylanguagewas Then sheglaredattheaudience. Herstarewas stomped onit, andkickedthedolloffstage. grabbed thedoll, threwittotheground, girl, hefty, muscular, tough, marchedonstage, doll, enjoyinghertimetodaydream. An older Translation byAbdelfattahAbusrour. One byone, thegirls(alldressedinneutral A small girl entered, dancing gently with her The Children oftheCamp(2000)beginsbypor that isstillin Alrowwad’s repertoire. We Are transformation. them. Alrowwad isnotteachingrevenge, but ing her, theytransformed her, andshejoined they liftedheruptojointhem:insteadofkill- quer her. As the Oppressorlayonthefloor, but eventuallythegirlsmanagedtocon- The Oppressorstompedonthedollagain, she recitedaMahmoudDarwishpoem: movement couldbecontrolledbyherhand. though theywereherpuppets, asthoughtheir making theothergirlsswayandundulateas motion shewavedherarmbackandforth, to beablecontroltheirminds:inslow the game. At onepointtheOppressorseemed ripped itup;iftheytriedtoplay, shebrokeup they triedtoreadanewspaper, theOppressor The Dollhasasimilareffectasanother play Patient inacountrywhereeverything A namewithoutatitle Write, Iaman Arab One ofthegirlsmanagedtobreakaway, and pushes toanger[...] 10 - Critical Acts 173 - ’s piece, r’s piece, Ashta Because doctors are not 12 The festival’s theme was: “Yes to “Yes The festival’s theme was: 11 has staged eighteen Forum r has staged eighteen Ashta [...] early mar productions covering living with disability, [...] incest, riage, violence in schools, health, child labor, and other hot issues. [...] honor crimes, touched upon Forum productions that produced twice: issues of water were the viola- highlighting once in 1998, tions of settlements towards the land and Bank; West water in the villages in the and [again] in 2007 [focusing on] the lack due to the Israeli of water in the villages, policy of separating the villages [from and Wall their water sources] with the (2011) the check points. r organizes an annual Forum Ashta In 1999 they staged a Forum theatre piece In 1999 they staged a Forum theatre piece in dealing with expired food: Jewish settlements Bank were collecting expired canned West the repackaging them food and dairy products, and selling the expired food with new labels, According to neighboring Palestinian villages. “many Palestinians were poisoned, Aoun, to and some have even died [as a result of] these (2011). actions” Theatre festival that in 2011 ran from 17–31 March in Ramallah and featured eight - Palestinian and international theatre com panies. form engages the audience to interact onstage the audience to interact form engages trans- issues, social and political with essential into commonly passive audience forming a Thus and involved participants.” pro-active in as an agent of change “stands r Ashta Artistic (www.ashtar-theatre.org). Palestine” describes the work of Aoun Director Iman the group: Positivity, No to Passivity.” No to Passivity.” Positivity, directed Health Concerns Us!” “Your titled dealt with health care by Muhammad Eid, Bank. West in the - r Ashta

determination” determination” ’s mission is “to r’s mission is Ashta ; The Gaza Mono-Logues Palestine Memories of Amal, performed by Al-Ahlam Theatre from Mi’ilya Village,

, performed by David Diamond from Vancouver, Canada; The Moon, performed The productions were: Us and Them, performed by David Diamond from Vancouver, Theatre from Hebron, Palestine; The Glass from Malmo, Sweden; Abu Al Raad, performed by Yes by TeaterReAgera Norway; Girls Are a Burden until Their Death? performed by Al House performed by Ringve School from Trondheim, Theatre from Ramallah, Health Concerns Us! performed by Ashtar Harah Theatre from Bethlehem, Palestine; Your Palestine; for the performed by Oyoun Theatre from Magdal Shams, Syria. Funding for this festival came from Foundation Quattan Foundation, and several private donors. Association, the A.M. Future, Save the Children (UK), Welfare Yousef, Director and Joker: Mohammad Eid. Actors: Heba Abu Libdeh, Ibrahim Al Afgani, Thabet Othman, Iman and Athar El Haj. Sondos Al Kawwasmeh, Hala Khoury, We Are The Children of the Camp does Children The Are We on the children’s focus in the end, not, or ideal desire for better playgrounds it deals with the entire schools; rather, con- history of the Palestinian-Israeli transformed into polit- Children are flict. much like their own ically aware adults, parents. (2006:34) Alrowwad’s next theatre piece will be based 12. 11. Productions and Training Productions and Training Founded in 1991, promote creativity and commitment for change train- through a novel combination of specific ing and acting programs and services and If [a] mar professional theatre performances. ginalized audience is unable to come to our we move our stage main location in Ramallah, - to these often remote areas to include every (www.ashtar-theatre.org). one” Theatre, Augusto Boal-style Forum focuses on which they describe as a means of promot- “a more active dialogue and commitment ing theatre This for change within the society. r Ashta for Theatre on the famous cartoon character Handala by Abusrour describes Handala as a Naji al-Ali. eyes figure who shows us the world through the the refugee “Handala, of a Palestinian refugee: remains a child who is present in every cartoon, potent symbol of the struggle of the Palestinian people for justice and self-­ (Abusrour 2011). traying major events of the Nakba and contin- events of the Nakba traying major It plays to several Aida camp. day ues to present the story of it is designed to tell audiences: but world, Aida to the outside of the children that the chil- to make sure it is also designed and remember Aida know up in dren growing As Hala came to be there. the story of how they Khamis Nassar notes: Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/DRAM_a_00194 by guest on 27 September 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/DRAM_a_00194 by guest on 27September 2021 174 (Courtesy oftheauthor) The GazaMono-Logues,directedbyErinB.Mee,23September2011. Figure 5.StudentsfromtheUnitedNationsInternationalSchoolin Critical Acts emerged fromthefactthat, as Aoun states: theatre.org). The impetusforthisproject of Gaza’schildrentotheworld” (www.ashtar- ­ “international campaigntobringthevoices ten byteenagersinGazathat Aoun callsan Gaza Mono-Logues, aseriesofmonologueswrit- care systemforallofus” (Ashtar2011). is: “what [canwe]dotocreateabetterhealth tions. The questiontheyraiseintheirprogram in whichtodebatetheseissuesandfindsolu- ication. Inthispiece, incorrectly diagnosedorgiventhewrongmed- certain medicalproblems, manypatientsare because ofsocialprohibitionsagainstdiscussing because ofthelackmedical­ given permitstoattendinternationalmeetings, 13. to spilloutthefrustration, angerand I wantedtheyouthfirstandforemost mental beingwasverydeep. Therefore its reflectionintotheirpsychology and the headsofpeopleneverdidand ground somewhatendedbutthewarin in themedia. Moreso, thewaron [W]e allbecamestatisticsofcasualties In 2010 Aoun initiatedaprojectcalledThe [See alsothearticle byKimberlyJannaroneinthisissue Ashtar createsaforum equipment, and — Ed.] Khalefa thatopenstheshow. ence isinformedinthestand-uproutineby Adi fer fromalotofdiscrimination,” theaudi - associate ofthetheatre. “Palestinians suf- for GodotdirectedbyUdi Aloni, along-time (2011), aremakingofSamuelBeckett’sWaiting but withanewproduction, WhileWaiting Logues, involvingroughly1,500­ Thirty-three productionsofTheGazaMono- depictions oftheeffectswaron­ The monologuesareextraordinarily­ nights attheairport. The airportstay we booked15daysinNew York, and3 Theatre, whenwebooked ourflight before theirflight. But we, theFreedom ple arriveattheairportthreehours Not onlyatthecheckpoints. Mostpeo- tomorrow. (2011) ple sinceyouthoftodayareleaders act ofsolidaritybetweentheyoungpeo- so thiswillnothappenagain. Iwantedan heard byotheryoutharoundtheworld, then thoughtthatthesevoicesshouldbe destruction thatembodiedthem[...]I respond toviolencewithviolence, and killed. by anas-yet-unidentifiedgunman Mer Khamiswasshotfivetimes On Monday, 4 April 2011, Juliano The Art ofResistance the Palestinian situation. hood andtoinitiatedialogueabout UN debateonPalestinianstate- was designedtocoincidewiththe School inNew York City, which the UnitedNationsInternational Logues withagroupofstudentsat a productionofTheGazaMono- On 23September2011, Idirected United NationsinNew York City. formed themonologuesat senting 30ofthesegroupsper group ofteenageactorsrepre- 2010aselect On 29 November same day:17October2010. in 33countries, openedonthe The Freedom Theatre didnot teenagers children. 13 moving

- Critical Acts 175 ­ ver at Columbia Uni­ Didi and Gogo are both played by women. Didi and Gogo are both played by women. I saw While Waiting about what he is like. Freedom, like Godot, Godot, like Freedom, about what he is like. more rumor is a remote and vague concept, than reality. Gogo is not tortured by stones in his boots but by her high heels: by socially determined and normative definitions notions of beauty, For her of appropriate behavior for women. Godot also represents freedom from gender discrimination. sity’s Miller Theatre on 17 October 2011. In a Theatre on 17 October 2011. sity’s Miller post-performance discussion the actors talked Abu For about what the play means to them. - Khaled the drama is about her personal situa are waiting “We tion after Mer Khamis’s death: waiting for waiting for something, for Godot, Beckett’s tragicomedy Taleb, For our future.” Eyad Hourani, “waiting for freedom.” is about for all of “I’m waiting said: who played Lucky, who cre- For Mustafa Staiti, us to be human.” “it’s ated the video clips used in the production, about it’s not only about sitting and waiting, respon- and start[ing] to take doing something, because all the Palestinian people have sibility, It’s about: stop wait- been waiting for a leader. ing and start doing something.”

was like a spa: it was hot, I was naked, I was naked, was like a spa: it was hot, and I got a special Security massage... I when we got on the flight, And then, “Occupied.” saw that the bathroom said have been occupying my You Occupied! bathroom for 63 years! (TFT 2011b) asks what happens to the While Waiting This monologue specifically locates the pro- This monologue specifically locates the centering the duction in occupied Palestine, production as a whole on what Didi (Maryam do while Taleb) Abu Khaled) and Gogo (Batoul while waiting for a state. waiting for freedom, This play asks who and what one becomes how to behave toward those while waiting, and how to live a sem- who share the wait, the blance of a normal life without normalizing up without giving in to it or giving Occupation, on the notion of freedom. - It exam humanity of those who are waiting. ines the ways in which Didi and Gogo fill their time with endless acts of creativity in order to survive; in this sense it is also about the power Freedom seems like it will never of theatre. Mer appear: a young girl (played by Milay Mer, Khamis’s daughter) seems to know Godot is met but she has never out there somewhere, and has no information to offer him directly, Figure 6. Didi (Maryam Abu Khaled) and Gogo (Batoul Taleb) with the Narrator (Adi Kahlifa) in (Batoul Taleb) Figure 6. Didi (Maryam Abu Khaled) and Gogo of , directed by Udi Aloni. Ramallah, 2011. (Courtesy While Waiting The Freedom Theatre’s The Freedom Theatre) Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/DRAM_a_00194 by guest on 27 September 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/DRAM_a_00194 by guest on 27September 2021 Udi Aloni.Ramallah,2011.(CourtesyofTheFreedomTheatre) Gogo (BatoulTaleb) inTheFreedomTheatre’s WhileWaiting, directedby Figure 7.Pozzo(Ramial-Awni) scaresDidi(MaryamAbuKhaled)and 176 of TheFreedomTheatre) Figure 8.PlaybackTheatreworkshopatTheFreedomTheatre.(Courtesy Critical Acts Mustafa Staitisays, But theirfocuswillbeoncreatingtheatre. As a cinemaforscreeningfilms, andalibrary. open anartscenterwithacafé, asmallstage, gram. Their planistomoveRamallahand students tograduatefrom TFT’s trainingpro- (Staiti 2011) it onstage. And we’re goingtohavefun. afraid totalkabout dangerous stuff, everything peopleare we’re goingtotalkaboutalltaboos, all to talkabouttheoppressionof women, Occupation bytheIsraelis, we’regoing Authority], we’regoingtotalkaboutthe the corruptionofPA [Palestinian Ramallah, andwe’regoingtotalkabout We areyoungcooltheatreartistsin These actorsbelongtothefirstgroupof — we’re goingtoput Abu Al-Heija: the West Bank. According to TFT actorFaisal TFT willorganizeaFreedomBusridethrough the socialfragmentationandalienation popular committeeswillhelpovercome nity groups, Bedouinencampments and towns, villages, refugee camps, commu- experiences. Communication between the ridetosharestories, knowledgeand different West Bankcommunitiesjoin also buildsolidarity, asmembersfrom ored. The useofPlayback Theatre will have itheard, acknowledgedandhon- tal humanneedtoshareone’sstoryand Theatre asaresponsetothefundamen- The FreedomBuswillutilizePlayback From 23Septemberto1October2012, rently focusedonPlayback Theatre, no theatre. The theatreitselfiscur that tourtoplaceswherethereis West Bank tocreateproductions from citiesandvillagesalloverthe a mobiletheatrethatwilluseactors The Freedom Theatre, islaunching Raee, thecurrentartisticdirectorof are underwayinJenin. Nabeelal- Meanwhile, severalnewinitiatives the revolutionin Tahrir Square. to Egyptbringlifeaccountsof Spring; in April 2012theytraveled they enactedstoriesofthe Arab communities; in Amman, Jordan, West Bank, andamongBedouin TFT hasenactedstoriesaroundthe theatre pieces. (TFT2012) experiences intoimprovised instantly transformthese team ofactorsandmusicians cal accounts, andwatchasa ories andautobiographi- thoughts, feelings, mem- audience membersshare cation. InaPlaybackevent, activism, andpopularedu- logue, traumarecovery, social munity building, publicdia- countries asatoolforcom- approach usedinover50 an interactivetheatre - Critical Acts 177

58, 1:15–37. 58, Journal Theatre Passia Diary. Passia 2011. Affairs). of International Jerusalem. PASSIA: Theatre Workshop. members of New York 19 October. of the Jenin Produced by Friends documentary. Freedom Theatre. Published by . in Jenin Girls Young by Photography The from Theatre with support The Freedom British Consulate General in Jerusalem. Unreleased video. The Freedom Theatre and Austcare. 21 March. (press release). Bus: Ride for Justice 4:1–18. and Class 321, author. Jenin, West Bank, 17 March. Bank, West Jenin, author. 29 March. Performing the Palestinian Occupation: Experience.” Staiti, Mustafa. 2011. Statement in meeting with Statement 2011. Mustafa. Staiti, Untitled 2010. Theatre (TFT). The Freedom Captured: 2011a. Theatre (TFT). The Freedom While Waiting. 2011b. Theatre (TFT). The Freedom Jenin: [refuge]. n.d. Theatre (TFT). The Freedom The Freedom 2012. Theatre (TFT). The Freedom Race of Palestine.” “Children 1991. Graham. Usher, ©2012 2012. Fall (T215) 56:3 Review Drama The TDR: of Institute Massachusetts the and University York New Technology PASSIA (Palestinian Academic Society for the Study Academic Society for the Study (Palestinian PASSIA Mer Khamis, Juliano. 2011a. Personal interview with Personal interview 2011a. Juliano. Mer Khamis, Email to author, 2011b. Juliano. Mer Khamis, from Under “Stories 2006. Hala Khamis. Nassar, - 55, 3 55,

(T211):9–17. 29 March. (28 January 2012). program. (19 April 2012). TDR Forward.” Going Freedom, Theatre, that results from colonization and mili- from colonization and that results (TFT 2012) tary occupation. aspi- ride represents the The freedom people to be rations of the Palestinian to exer occupation, freed from an illegal and to cise rights of self-determination, decades of oppres- demand justice after ride represents as well The freedom sion. and a move- the freedom of movement Those who ride for ment for freedom. answer the call and with Palestinians and demand a free for global solidarity, (in heed that call. all must We Palestine. TFT 2012) The cultural intifada continues... As Judith Butler writes in her endorsement of writes in her endorsement As Judith Butler Ride: the Freedom Alrowwad-acts.ps. 2009. www.alrowwad-acts.ps www.alrowwad-acts.ps 2009. Alrowwad-acts.ps. April. 6 Email to author, 2011. Iman. Aoun, Passivity” “Positivity Versus r. 2011. Ashta www.ashtar-theatre.org n.d. Ashtar-theatre.org. “Juliano Mer Khamis: Murder, 2011. Erin B. Mee, References Email to author, 2011. Abdelfattah. Abusrour, Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/DRAM_a_00194 by guest on 27 September 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/DRAM_a_00194 by guest on 27September 2021 178 Critical Acts ence, hostedbytheUniversityofHaifa. Schechner andPerformanceStudies” confer ond timeattheweek-long “RS/PS: ichard Atay Citroninvitedthemtoperformitasec- in MajdalShamsOctober, andProfessor Oyoun Theatre hadperformedthepieceonce the troupe’ssoletouringperformance. The few dozenperformancestudiesscholarssaw The GazaMono-Logues. InDecember2010, a cal workinresponsetosuchharrowingscenes: to 17yearsold)performacharmingtheatri- couple andtheirtroupeoffiveactors(ages14 wartime GazaStrip. Laterthatyear, thisyoung watching YouTube videosofchildreninthe of hiswife’ssobs. It’searly2010, andshe’s young maniswakingupnightlytothesounds Shams, inIsrael-occupiedGolanHeights, a Somewhere intheDruzevillageofMajdal Kimberly Jannarone The OyounTheatre’s GazaMono-Logues A SuckerPunchofHorror University ofMichigan Press)[email protected] books areTheCrowdintheTheater andtheeditedvolumeVanguards oftheRight(forthcoming, the GeraldKahanScholar’s Prize,andhonorablementionforthe2009ASTREssayPrize. Hernext dramaturge withanemphasisin experimentalperformance.ShehaswonaCamargoFellowship, author ofArtaudandHisDoubles (UniversityofMichiganPress, 2010). Sheisalsoadirectorand Kimberly JannaroneisProfessorofTheaterArtsat the UniversityofCalifornia,SantaCruz,and ting itright. Howmanyloavesofbreaddidhe claps andlaughscongratulatesusonget- yell outtheanswershe’dsupplied: “Six!” She in aqueue, thenasksus:Howmanyhours? We in Gaza. She tells us how long her father waited own rhythm, sherelatestheeventsofoneday and remembering. Smilinganddancingtoher draws usintoaninteractivegameofcounting toward theaudience, pigtailsbouncing, and 15-year-old girl, exuberantandawkward, runs Dry icewaftsthicklyfromtherearwall. A ter intoviewamidstthesoundofexplosions. over emptyspace. A handfulofchildrenscat- atre, illuminatingbarescaffoldingperched 2. 1. iterations oftheGazaMono-Logues. —Ed.] [See ErinB.Mee’s articleon“TheCulturalIntifada”inthisissueofTDRformoreinformationsomeother artists honoringRichardSchechnerforhis76thbirthday, from19–23December2010,attheUniversityofHaifa. The RS/PS:RichardSchechnerandPerformanceStudiesconferencewasan internationalconferenceofscholarsand Lights flashinsidealittleblackboxthe- 1 - Eve Ensler’sVagina Monologues(whoseongo- ery, weanswer the bed?Drawnintorhythmofherdeliv- ping onahouse. Howmanycorpseswereon pedagogical tone, shedescribesabombdrop- get? We playalong: “One!” Inthesamemerry time Iwrotethis “by proxy” statuswouldhavechangedbythe ment. Noneofusknewatthetimethattheir us withmoreforcethananytheoreticalargu- vided atheatricaltestimonybyproxythathit answered. And thentheseDruzechildrenpro- “situation” remained, bydayfive, farfrom atrical efficacywithintheIsraeli/Palestinian before theperformance in aparticularlyheatedseminarimmediately panel attheRS/PSconference “What istobedone?” Asked innearlyevery we’ve encounteredallweektothequestion of horror. youthful lightheartednesswithasuckerpunch ing. Hereisthetoneofentireproduction: broken lessthansixmonthslater. ASHTAR Theatre inRamallah. Gaza Mono-Loguesproject, conceivedbythe the GazaStrip. They werepartofthelarger eight monologueswrittenbychildrenlivingin phy, lighting, music) Kais (thedirector)andEyasNatour(scenogra- sleepless couplefromMajdalShams This ispoortheatre, andit’sthebestanswer The Oyoun Theatre, underthehelmof — — “Four...,” ourvoicesfalter their village’srelativepeace — took twoweekstostage — the questionof- — 2 Inspiredby and argued — Amal - Critical Acts 179 “Gaza is — from gruesome to play- — characterizes the entire performance. Amal Kais, the director, expertly adapted the the director, Amal Kais, — was leading a war on us on earth and sky, and and sky, a war on us on earth was leading They food.” a vicious war on we had declared us from his tinned meals (he tells ate so many on the sharp wounded their legs bin) that kids The young actor empty cans. edges of open, flying cans tale of gluttony, delivers a comical and he him- words, marking time with his Oscar the Grouch. self behaves like a merry The to bring baked bread. “My mum asked me from Gaza to the queue at the oven stretched bombed; people The queue is Bank.” West His mum yells He manages to run home. die. but with no bread, at him for coming home a matchbox...and we’re the matches inside it”; come who wants to “I feel I am a caged bird, Kais picked out the best out but he’s besieged.” For example, hooks and used them as refrains. she threaded one line from the third mono- ran “Gaza’s fish logue throughout the scene: people were not able to / Gaza’s away...but written monologues, finding their distinct the- finding their distinct written monologues, and coaxing out the poetry, atrical rhythms, ameliorating any tendencies toward clichéd each The original monologues sentimentality. contained a signature imagistic hook (he confides to us), he will never tell her what (he confides to us), “Beans! He resumes tossing cans: happened. - This disarm cucumbers.” corn, Chickpeas, ing switch in tone ful - - hid- Figure 1. The Gaza Mono-Logues, 17 October 2010. Oyoun Theatre, Abu center back); Walaa Majdal Shams. Performers: Amal Kais (director, Halabi, Ragad Samara. (Photo Yara Saa’da, Fadi Daa’bous, Eba Monder, courtesy of Moataz Abu Saleh) — this one is a tin of vegetables. this one is a tin of vegetables. — the piece was, improbably, fun. The fun. improbably, the piece was, —

The children from Majdal The children from Majdal A can flies up out of a trash bin stage right. mance, which adapted several monologues into which adapted mance, with simple but whole, a dynamic theatrical sophisticated staging. and sang jumped, Shams danced, ensemble act- in an enviable feat of one actor For each monologue, ing. while would take most of the text, the others provided the scenery, The set and choruses. sound effects, simple consisted of exposed lights, make- wooden ladders and planks, and sheets that shift supertitles, waved between poles or served as props — an unassuming theatricality Ariane Mnouchkine, reminiscent of yet the differences are instruc- Théâtre du Soleil Where the tive. the Druze children were is refined, Their young bodies had ingenuous. Their an unfeignable gawky grace. performances straddled maturity swinging between strength and and innocence, In spite confidence and fragility. vulnerability, of the traumatic stories they recounted holding their loved ing from bombs under cars, raiding trash for cook- ones’ bleeding bodies, ing items ran past the flashing lights and booming ror, and seized us. sound effects, Then another The projectiles clank loudly when they hit the A little boy’s voice calls out of the bin: floor. Another cucumbers.” corn, chickpeas, “Beans, next this time with the boy’s head can pops up, He smiles and describes how the war to it. ate how they made everyone voracious eaters, “the occupation how “a hundred times a day,” ing international performances raise money for performances ing international 33 R commissioned ASHTA rape awareness), children about pieces written by first-person during the three-week-long their experiences R invited amateur ASHTA Gaza. 2008 war in simultane- different cities to stage troupes in in October 2010, ous low-budget productions and awareness of hoping to raise understanding the R’s website chronicles HTA AS the situation. but it project (www.thegazamonologues.com), Theatre’s perfor Oyoun doesn’t document the children’s natural élan broke through the ter Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/DRAM_a_00194 by guest on 27 September 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/DRAM_a_00194 by guest on 27September 2021 180 Monder, Yara Halabi, RagadSamara.(CourtesyofMoatazAbuSaleh) Majdal Shams.Performers:Walaa AbuSaa’da,FadiDaa’bous,Eba Figure 2.TheGazaMono-Logues,17October2010.OyounTheatre, Critical Acts versable milessouthoftheirvillage. They to acallfromotherchildrenliving 150untra- quences. They crafted theirpieceinresponse situation, inwhatway, andwithwhatconse- not knowwhohadalreadyspoken aboutthe weighted downbylearneddiscourse:theydid The childrenoftheOyoun Theatre werenot to ourconferencesessionswererevealing. The piecemadeanimpact. Why? Comparisons it shouldtravel. Cardswerepressedintohands. thing waspalpable ful) standingovation. The desiretodosome- after alengthy(andforsomespectators, tear of theatreprofessorsrushedthelittletroupe mance energizedtheRS/PSaudience. A mass the dead. fun ofchildhoodwiththefragmentedlimbs imagery inKais’sarrangemententanglesthe times Ididn’tknowwheremyendswere.” The on topoftheother, legsontopofheads, some- his brotherwithwhomhe “used tosleepone it turnsout, becausehisbrotherwasjustkilled, fell onthecar.” The childhasabedtohimself, another one: “A rocketfellonthecar. A rocket ment fromourstorytellersoonmorphedinto A bedtomyself!” This recurrentannounce- the happyrepetition: “I haveabedtomyself! beguiling musicality. Onesceneopenedwith The childrendeliveredsuchchoruseswith fish ranaway...but peoplewerenotableto.” There isnooneanswer, butthisperfor “What istobedone?” — the showshouldbeseen, - - entire “situation.” other words, constituteamicrocosmofthe ours. The productionanditsreception, in space patrolledbyforcesmorepowerfulthan plicity vided amomentofhope, beauty, andsim- but writtenandperformedbychildren, pro- Oyoun’s else everseethisshowfromMajdalShams? Logues hadtoured, but, really, wouldanyone promote thematerial, andotherGazaMono- none. A roomfulofprofessionalswantedto Golan HeightstotheUnitedStates?Probably them, theirdirectors, andtheirshow, fromthe Which ofushadtheabilitytobringfive Atay Citron and twopromptings about thetheatre, andaphoto. After amonth logues, acompletecastlist, someinformation anticipated. Iaskedfortheireditedmono- Logues textsmuchmoresubstantivelythanI’d their piecesfromtheoriginalGazaMono- talk-back wastough, andOyounhadadapted troupe’s historyfromjustmymemoryofthe the production. Trying topiecetogetherthe Moataz Abu Salehformoreinformationon situation intheMiddleEast, Icontacted After thinkingabouthowitfitintothelarger Border TownCrossings — Gaza Mono-Logues, coachedbyadults restricted, ultimately, toalimited that routinelyfacedpersecution. themselves weremembersofasect surrounded bybarbedwire;they children livedinanoccupiedland table problemofhow.Druze The the desiretohelp, andtheintrac- rush ofhope. subject, givingusanunreasonable dry ice, theatretrumpeditsown an impromptustagechokedwith gangly bodiesofyoungDruzeon left. Foronemoment, then, inthe fraught seminarroomwehadjust world the professional, academic, adult and energyimpossibletofindin vaulted intoitwithaninnocence — Unreasonable becauseherewas I gotthis: — certainly, atleast, inthe — also enlistingthehelpof Critical Acts 181 - - “I feel their — now appeared heartbreak- —

The protesters defied razor-wire razor-wire The protesters defied said it was The US state department More pressing things, indeed. As I write, As I write, indeed. things, More pressing on pro-­ Israeli troops have fired in the Israeli- Palestinian protesters with Syrian occupied Golan Heights, are dead. TV saying 20 state the Syrian bor fences and ditches along the 44th anniver der in Golan to mark East war. sary of the 1967 Middle (BBC “loss of life.” by the “troubled” News 2011) desire to be free, I connect to it from my desire desire to be free, to be an actress” ingly artless. another headline on my screen announces: on my screen another headline Fire on Pro-Palestinian Troops “Golan: Israel The story reads: Protesters.” about and that I had written “playfulness” The witnessed in Haifa zoomed into perspective. - The connection that I had found a bit frivo lous when a young performer explained how she related to the kids in Gaza and putting an international spotlight on this an international spotlight and putting 2011). (Kershner town” usually sleepy

gmail.com> you but any way I will send last month what you need very soon

e: Gaza Monologues Subject: R Abu Saleh

— through- Technology New York University and the Massachusetts Institute of TDR: The Drama Review 56:3 (T215) Fall 2012. ©2012 Kershner, Isabel. 2011. “In theGolanHeights, BBC News. 2011. “Golan: Israel Troops Fireon References themselves tohope. ropes intothefutureandallowing in cotton T-shirts andoverallsleaningagainst The performanceendswithfivechildrenclad the bigpicture, butithaschangedthesmall. morning. Kais’sproductionmaynotchange ­videos oftheconflictandweepinginearly like Amal Kaisearlierthisyear, Iamwatching Gaza counterparts. What istobedone?Now, in commonthantheydidbeforewiththeir duction actors hasthuschangedsincetheir2010pro- eyes+look+east&st=nyt (29May). /middleeast/22golan.html?scp=1&sq=anxious+ 21 May. www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/world Anxious EyesLookEast.” NewYork Times, east-13660311 (5June). East, 5June. www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle- Pro-Palestinian Protesters.” BBCNews, Middle Hail forthedistantland. Hailforthedream. My dreamistoliveinasafecountryeven end oftheworld. in asmallvillage, inadistantlandatthe — the youngDruze, sadly, havemore — forcing —