Monday, October 16, 2006
My Name Is Rachel Corrie by Alexis Soloski
village voice "My Name Is Rachel Corrie incited much debate last spring when New York Theatre Workshop announced a delaying of its planned production. Though scheduling concerns, work visas, and conflict with the original producers (the Royal Court Theatre) were eventually cited as causes of the postponement, NYTW artistic director James Nicola stated originally that he had polled Jewish community leaders and discovered 'the fantasy that we could present the work of this writer simply as a work of art without appearing to take a position was just that, a fantasy.' With the election of Hamas and the illness of Ariel Sharon, he felt the political moment was inopportune for a work that might be perceived as pro-Palestinian/anti-Israeli."
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A short ode to Self-Censorship is called for here. I am on the ASTR-L listserve and when this play was in debate last year the list was rampant with discussion about the ideology of self-censoring. Is it appropriate for the theatre company to decide to not do this play because of the potential to raise eyebrows with the Jewish population? I am not anti-anyone, and I find it apalling that so many people in this country are afraid of getting the truth out, or individual perspectives even. It is telling that in order for this story to be told at all, it was because of the work of a Brit. Yay for Alan Rickman.
A am so pleased that they have finally decised to put this play up. It is an amazing story. Rachel Corrie worked for what she believed and we should remember her in the best way.
And the Palestine-Israeli conflict? I can't fix it, you can't fix it, this play can't hurt anymore than they already do for themselves.
People are so terrified of the power of theatre.
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