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| To The Board of Directors of The Mosaic Theater:
In December 2002, just four months before the United States invaded Iraq, over 100 theater artists, theater producers and theater technicians gathered at P.S. 122 in Manhattan to form Theaters Against War (THAW), an international pro-peace theater network with a mandate of "responding to the United States' ongoing 'War on Terror,' aggressive and unilateral foreign policies, and escalating attacks on civil liberties in the US and throughout the world." THAW now comprises more than 200 member theaters and member theater companies which represent thousands of theater practitioners across the world. Since its founding, THAW has tried to help build a pro-peace culture that holds as a priority free expression for all. In this light, THAW is compelled to express its alarm about the recent announcement that the board of the Mosaic Theatre in Miami, Florida has forced the Mosaic artistic team to pull “My Name is Rachel Corrie” from their upcoming season because of objections from vocal minority in the community. This action echoes previous shut-downs of the same play in New York City and in Canada and only adds to a growing climate of atrophied public discourse in which artists are increasingly subject to censorship based on the content of their work. "My Name is Rachel Corrie" depicts the struggle of a compassionate American young woman as she creates and commits to a meaningful, engaged life. It serves as a vital corrective to the stereotype of the apathetic American post-adolescent. That this thought-provoking play involves one of the world's most pressing problems — the six decade-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has entailed the longest occupation of a country in modern history — can only help to bring new understanding to Americans hoping to work for peace in the region. During extended runs in both New York City and Seattle, the play has helped to open up productive dialogue and has sparked growing interest in Rachel Corrie and her remarkable dedication to helping the oppressed of the world. We cannot afford to be silent about the things that matter. Had Rachel gone to a place like Darfur or Sierra Leone, she would now be lionized. What is so insidious about the Palestinian/Israeli issue that the play deals with is how impoverished the public discourse around it is in the United States. Speaking against the play's removal is one crucial step to feeding a discourse that is so clearly starved. If we cannot speak freely and thoughtfully about this conflict, we cannot hope to heal it. We recognize that certain powers will always have an eye on the artist, wanting to keep him or her confined to a corner, safely removed and politically benign. We recognize this and we resist this. We stand by our fellow artists like the Mosaic's Artistic Director Richard Jay Simon who exhibit great courage in creating bold political artwork that challenges the way we think and operate. That vital political artwork can so easily be canceled by a board of directors with an agenda is of great concern. The restrictive thinking behind such censorship, if not challenged, threatens to take firmer hold in our society. Robbed of the freedom to express a dissenting or challenging voice, the artist risks becoming, at best, a mere jester; at worst, a mouth piece for an oppressive dominant culture. In solidarity with the artistic team at the Mosaic Theater, Theaters Against War commends the courage of Mosaic Director Richard Jay Simon in his attempt to save the production of My Name is Rachel Corrie. The Mosaic's Board of Directors has positioned itself as an enemy to free expression by shutting down the planned production of “My Name is Rachel Corrie.” We call on you to reverse your decision immediately and to have the courage to stand up for free expression in an age of mounting US repression of civil liberties and free expression both domestically and around the world. Sincerely, Kathleen Chalfant, Actress |
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www.THAWaction.org • (212) 615-6964 • THAWaction@yahoo.com |