"In Defense of a Play" - a letter by Harold Pinter, others

[bloom]

A letter to the editor of the New York Times -

In Defense of a Play

Published: March 22, 2006
To the Editor:

Re "Theater Addresses Tension Over Play" (Arts pages, March 16):

We are Jewish writers who supported the Royal Court production of "My Name Is Rachel Corrie." We are dismayed by the decision of the New York Theater Workshop to cancel or postpone the play's production. We believe that this is an important play, particularly, perhaps, for an American audience that too rarely has an opportunity to see and judge for itself the material it contends with.

In London it played to sell-out houses. Critics praised it. Audiences found it intensely moving. So what is it about Rachel Corrie's writings, her thoughts, her feelings, her confusions, her idealism, her courage, her search for meaning in life — what is it that New York audiences must be protected from?

The various reasons given by the workshop — Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's coma, the election of Hamas, the circumstances of Rachel Corrie's death, the "symbolism" of her tale — make no sense in the context of this play and the crucial issues it raises about Israeli military activity in the occupied territories.

Rachel Corrie gave her life standing up against injustice. A theater with such a fine history should have had the courage to give New York theatergoers the chance to experience her story for themselves.

Gillian Slovo
Harold Pinter
Stephen Fry
London, March 20, 2006
This letter was also signed by 18 other writers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/22/opinion/l22corrie.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Democracy Now today has Katherine Viner on (co-editor of the play) - as well as representatives of the the New York Theater Workshop who decided to pull the play. Ends with Rachel's parents comments.

[BiggJawn]

1. I think the "circumstances of her death" is valid.

Can't have a play in the US that depicts Sharon's government as a bunch of thugs who run over young women with armour-plated bulldozers, after all. The American Zionists who infest PNAC and positions in the BFEE wouldn't like it.

The story of Rachel Corrie runs counter to the popular American Myth of "po' widdle defenseless Israel".

Hope somebody else reads this thread before it gets shuffled off to the I/P Ghetto...

[truth2power]

2. I'm reading it and I agree...

Calling the Israeli Government on its human rights abuses is the "third rail" so to speak.

[bloom]

3. I think this issue - the non-playing of the play

says more about the US /New York City than it does Israel/Palestine.

This is about censorship HERE.



I did add the letter to post in I/P on the subject (that got moved) as well.

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4. Links:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=124&topic_id=119237&mesg_id=119646

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x119149


Todays Democracy Now:

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/03/22/1435259

[Stephanie]

5. There's an event in NYC tonight: The Words of Rachel Corrie

From email:

The Words of Rachel Corrie

When: 8:00 PM Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Where: Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive, New York, New York
Suggested Donation of $20

Hosted by: Amy Goodman and James Zogby


Participants include: Cindy & Craig Corrie, Howard Zinn, Vanessa Redgrave,
Anthony Arnove, Huwaida Arraf, Brian Avery, Nirit Ben-Ari, Leila Buck, Kia Corthron, Sherif Fam, Suheir Hammad, Leonard Hubbard (from The Roots) with A. Marcy Francis (Vocalist), Brian Jones, Liz Magnes, Malachy McCourt, Betty Shamieh, Jonathan Tasini, Zafer Tawil, Tom Wallace, Ora Wise, and
Maysoon Zayid

Participating by video: Maya Angelou, Patti Smith, Eve Ensler, Mariam Said, Najla Said

On March 22, New York City will hear the words of Rachel Corrie at the
Riverside Church in Manhattan. Rejecting efforts to silence Rachel's voice, a growing list of performers, writers, academics and activists will read selected writings from Rachel Corrie, and honor her through poems and songs. They will discuss the context in which her words were written, and the pervasive climate of fear in which they have been suppressed.

Rachel was a human rights activist and gifted writer. She was crushed to
death by an Israeli Army bulldozer as she tried to protect the home of a
Palestinian pharmacist from demolition in Rafah, Gaza Strip, on March 16th, 2003. Rachel was 23.

"My Name is Rachel Corrie" is a powerful one-woman show based entirely on
the writings of Rachel Corrie. The play was scheduled to open at the New
York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) on March 22nd. The NYTW postponed the play
indefinitely sparking an escalating controversy. James Nicola, the Director of the NYTW, told the New York Times that he needed time to "contextualize the play". The play, edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner from Rachel's diaries and emails, was produced by the Royal Court Theatre in London. Starring Megan Dodds, it played to sold out audiences and wide acclaim.

In an extraordinary grassroots response to this controversy, Rachel's Words was launched by a handful of activists from a NYC apartment. In two weeks the organization has coordinated a worldwide response to ensure that Rachel's words will be heard. On March 16th, the 3rd Anniversary of Rachel's killing, her words were read at events in 13 countries, including ten locations in Palestine and Israel, and over 40 locations in the United
States.

Vanessa Redgrave "contextualized" just what the postponement meant in an interview with Democracy Now: "Rachel's voice was silenced by an IDF
bulldozer. In the play Rachel makes a speech as a ten year old about world
poverty, and her belief that the world could end poverty. The New York Theater Workshop silenced that little girl too, who is speaking
for people all over the world."

For updated information visit
http://www.RachelsWords.org/
http://www.rachelswords.org/

Participant Biographies
-Maya Angelou: acclaimed poet, historian, author, and civil rights activist.
-Anthony Arnove: editor, with Howard Zinn, of Voices of a People's History of the United States.
-Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM).
-Brian Avery: environmental and Human Rights Activist. In 2003 he volunteered with the ISM in the West Bank city of Jenin and was shot in the face by the Israeli army during an attack on a group of volunteers.
-Nirit Ben-Ari: Israeli citizen and former soldier in the Israeli military
radio station. She worked for the United Nations Department of Public
Information, Africa section.

-Leila Buck: founding member of Mixed Company, a bi-cultural theatre
collective.
-Kathleen Chalfant: Tony nominated actress.
-Kia Corthron: award-winning playwright.
-Eve Ensler: performer, activist and award-winning author of The Vagina

Monologues.
-Sherif Fam: Host of This Week In Palestine, WZBC radio, Boston.
-Amy Goodman: host of Pacifica Radio's Democracy Now! program.
-Suheir Hammad: poet, who has appeared in award winning anthologies, and in zines stapled together by queer youth collectives.
-Leonard "Hub" Hubbard: band member of grammy award winning The Roots.
-Brian Jones: has toured across the country as Marx in Howard Zinn's one-man play Marx in Soho since 1999.
-Liz Magnes: celebrated Israeli jazz pianist.
-Malachy McCourt: actor, author and writer. He has performed on Broadway and off-Broadway.

-Mariam Said: widow of the late Edward Said.
-Najla Said: a founding member and the current artistic director of Nibras, the Arab-American theatre collective.
-Betty Shamieh: Palestinian-American writer and actor. Her play "Roar" was
the first play about Palestinians to appear off-Broadway, and was selected as a New York Times Critic's Pick for four consecutive weeks.
-Patti Smith: American musician, singer, and poet.
-Jonathan Tasini: New York Democratic candidate for the United States Senate.
-Zafer Tawil: New York based oud player born in Jerusalem.

-Tom Wallace, American peace activist and media coordinator for the ISM at a crucial time following the killing of Rachel Corrie and the shootings of Tom Hurndall and Brian Avery.
-Ora Wise: American Jewish peace activist born in Jerusalem.

-Maysoon Zayid: is an actress and professional stand-up comedian.
-Howard Zinn: historian, playwright, and social activist.
-Dr. James J. Zogby: founder and president of the Arab American Institute
(AAI).

[bloom]

6. That sounds like quite an event.

I guess the play's editors are looking into different venues/different production companies to get the play going.

[SOS]

7. Cover story - this week's Nation "An American Inquisition?"

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060403/editors

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

8. I watched Democracy Now this morning

and listened to the two members of the New York Theater Workshop explain for about 20 minutes why they liked the play, why they postponed the play, and why they needed to put the play 'in context'. After hearing them go around and around and around, I still don't understand why they didn't just put on the play. I still have no idea what they meant by 'preparing the context' in which their theater goers could see the play. Why not just put it on? So what if it's controversial? We should be exposed to every point of view without fear. What happened to the free marketplace of ideas in this country?