PAST THAWTALK EVENTS

Sunday, OCTOBER 2, 2005

THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY
155 First Avenue between 9th and 10th Streets
[Following the 3:00 pm matinee performance of Desert Sunrise]

Join us for a post-show discussion following the 3pm performance of Misha Shulman's Desert Sunrise at Theater for the New City. We will be joined by Najla Said of Nibras Theatre Collective, Alexis Stern of Palestine/Israel Education Project, and Amahl Bishara of Students for Justice in Palestine. This latest round of THAWtalk will explore challenges of dialogue, the role of art and education in fostering understanding, and various ways of responding to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. The discussion will be moderated by Brian Pickett of THAW.

Written in English, Hebrew, and Arabic, DESERT SUNRISE describes a natural, simple bonding by people who are supposed to be afraid of each other. It is a drama that arises out of a chance encounter between an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian shepherd living in the West Bank. Taking refuge in a desert wadi, the two men are initially antagonistic, but each embodies an openness that exists within the majorities within both societies. They seemingly overcome their root distrust for each other until they are joined by the Palestinian man's beloved, who embodies an impermeable shell of ideology and radical zeal that neither of the men can penetrate. As the three reach into their own pasts, they not only begin to find similarities, but also begin to understand the psychological and social fabric behind their political beliefs. Using humor, music, poetry and dance the play unfolds toward its sorrowful yet hopeful ending. Over the course of one memorable night the process of mutual understanding and forgiveness begins, halts, gets rejected, but is ultimately embraced by the pained characters.

The production is inspired in part by Ta'ayush http://www.taayush.org, a peace movement that means coexistence in Arabic. The play embodies Ta'ayush's powerful message of coexistence by bringing together Israeli and Palestinian, Jewish and Arab actors, musicians and artists to work together.

All THAWtalks are free of charge.
Admission to the 3pm performance is $15.
We strongly encourage you to see the show.
For more specific information about the THAWtalk, please email: bfrancisp@hotmail.com.