Al-Awda - Voices of Resistance and Liberation

On Sunday, Otober 16th & Monday October 17th the AlJisser Group, The Kazbah Project and Nibras Arab American Theatre Collective presented "Acts for Palestine" a series of one-act plays by Palestinian playwrights for the benefit of the art exhibit "Made in Palestine." It gave New York audiences a chance to experience Palestinian theatre.

The first play was a solo performance entitled "Pressing Beyond In-Between." It was about a Palestinian girl who was raised in America. She describes praying in a mosque and her visits to Palestine. In her first visit she describes the bus rides and the checkpoints. In her second visit she wants to stay and be a freedom fighter. She describes these as her most memorable moments.

The second play was "Between Our Lips" by Natalie Handal who is also a poet. Ayat (the heroine) is arrested for murder. A journalist from The New York Times whom she was in love with in the past returned to interview her. He hoped to get her new representation because he did not think she was the type who would murder. They reminisced about their past lives and their married lives. The person she was thought to have murdered died in her arms because he did not want to die in an Israeli Prison.

"Palestine" was written and performed by Najla Said the daughter of author Edward W. Said. It was both political and personal. It is personal in that she describes her trying to fit in in her private schools. She is from a Christian Palestine and Lebanese background. She is the only Palestinian in her schools. Most of the others are Jews. After her trip to Palestine she feels guilty about not suffering as Palestinians are suffering. She wants to suffer as they suffer and be a martyr.

The last play was "Macklubeh" in which an angel informs an old woman that she is going to die that day. She does not want to die because she does not want to die because she has always been alone. A freedom fighter hides in her house. When she hears that an Israeli soldier is looking for him she changes her mind and chooses to become a martyr.

After the plays one of the artists who is exhibiting in "Made in Palestine" showed some pictures of the art that is being exhibited. There was a tent by Emily Jacir with the names of Palestinian villages embroidered on it. There were some murals and some pictures by Palestinian Political Prisoners. There were pictures of ancient Canaanite goddesses. There were sculptures of Olive Trees, earth mounds with roses painted on them representing martyrs and one of Samia Halaby's paintings entitled "Earth."

This article may be shared, reproduced or distributed under a Creative Commons License.

Al-Awda is published monthly by New Jersey Solidarity-Activists for the Liberation of Palestine. We welcome submissions, letters to the editor, cultural works, and other proposals for publication.

Contact us: Al-Awda Newspaper
(973) 954-2521
info@newjerseysolidarity.org
http://www.newjerseysolidarity.org

New Jersey Solidarity
344 Grove Street, Suite 131
Jersey City, NJ 07302

Our editorial collective is responsible for editing, laying out and developing this publication. We are open to new members who are in accord with the mission and principles of this newspaper.

Please contact us about your upcoming events and activities of interest to readers of this publication.

Please contact us for advertising rates and information, or for material on becoming a distributor.



February 2006	http://alawda.newjerseysolidarity.org
Acts for Palestine for "Made in Palestine" by Nancy Olszewski On Sunday, Otober 16th & Monday October 17th the AlJisser Group, The Kazbah Project and Nibras Arab American Theatre Collective presented "Acts for Palestine" a series of one-act plays by Palestinian playwrights for the benefit of the art exhibit "Made in Palestine." It gave New York audiences a chance to experience Palestinian theatre. The first play was a solo performance entitled "Pressing Beyond In-Between." It was about a Palestinian girl who was raised in America. She describes praying in a mosque and her visits to Palestine. In her first visit she describes the bus rides and the checkpoints. In her second visit she wants to stay and be a freedom fighter. She describes these as her most memorable moments. The second play was "Between Our Lips" by Natalie Handal who is also a poet. Ayat (the heroine) is arrested for murder. A journalist from The New York Times whom she was in love with in the past returned to interview her. He hoped to get her new representation because he did not think she was the type who would murder. They reminisced about their past lives and their married lives. The person she was thought to have murdered died in her arms because he did not want to die in an Israeli Prison. "Palestine" was written and performed by Najla Said the daughter of author Edward W. Said. It was both political and personal. It is personal in that she describes her trying to fit in in her private schools. She is from a Christian Palestine and Lebanese background. She is the only Palestinian in her schools. Most of the others are Jews. After her trip to Palestine she feels guilty about not suffering as Palestinians are suffering. She wants to suffer as they suffer and be a martyr. The last play was "Macklubeh" in which an angel informs an old woman that she is going to die that day. She does not want to die because she does not want to die because she has always been alone. A freedom fighter hides in her house. When she hears that an Israeli soldier is looking for him she changes her mind and chooses to become a martyr. After the plays one of the artists who is exhibiting in "Made in Palestine" showed some pictures of the art that is being exhibited. There was a tent by Emily Jacir with the names of Palestinian villages embroidered on it. There were some murals and some pictures by Palestinian Political Prisoners. There were pictures of ancient Canaanite goddesses. There were sculptures of Olive Trees, earth mounds with roses painted on them representing martyrs and one of Samia Halaby's paintings entitled "Earth." This article may be shared, reproduced or distributed under a Creative Commons License. Al-Awda is published monthly by New Jersey Solidarity-Activists for the Liberation of Palestine. We welcome submissions, letters to the editor, cultural works, and other proposals for publication. Contact us: Al-Awda Newspaper (973) 954-2521 info@newjerseysolidarity.org http://www.newjerseysolidarity.org New Jersey Solidarity 344 Grove Street, Suite 131 Jersey City, NJ 07302 Our editorial collective is responsible for editing, laying out and developing this publication. We are open to new members who are in accord with the mission and principles of this newspaper. Please contact us about your upcoming events and activities of interest to readers of this publication. Please contact us for advertising rates and information, or for material on becoming a distributor.

Acts for Palestine for "Made in Palestine"