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Palestine 2007 - Theatre-of-the-Oppressed Season
“Building Bridges…Breaking Barriers”
By Joviana E. Stephan
Outside the Cultural Palace in Ramallah, and despite the cold weather, the energy charging the air was palpable. Inside the front doors, Ashtar team members have the flutters as they watch the crowd arriving. The scene is the opening of the First International Theatre-of-the-Oppressed Season, “Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers,” which was held on April 12 at 7:00 p.m. The two-hour ceremony hosted gloriously vibrant presentations of Yalalan Group for Music and Singing and El-Funoun dance troupe, plus Ashtar’s forum play, “Stories of Seeh Shishaba Village.” At the same time, before opening the doors, the audience enjoyed exterior shows and theatre images that were presented by Ashtar’s students and Action Theatre Group from Germany.
The Season, which is mainly sponsored by the European Commission, tantalizes theatre lovers with promises of offerings that are extremely varied and unique. It will be in full-force during its three-month duration, as it presents plays from Germany, Spain, Belgium, and Brazil, in addition to five different plays of Ashtar Theatre. Forty-five performances will be held in various cities throughout the West Bank and will target youth, schools, universities, women’s groups, and the general public. Using the Theatre-of-the-Oppressed techniques as a social development tool, the plays address socially sensitive issues related to violence, child labour, early marriage, and others.
The Season is thus the zenith of a long and steady programme and comes at a time when Ashtar Theatre is taking a huge step towards its goal of becoming the centre of the Theatre of the Oppressed in the Middle East. Ashtar has already expanded its program venues to regional countries such as Jordan and Egypt.
Joviana E. Stephan is the Administrative Director of Ashtar.
The founder of the Theatre of the Oppressed, Augusto Boal, expressed himself at the opening ceremony in the following words, which were delivered by His Excellency, Mr. Arnaldo Carrilho, Ambassador of Brazil, Representative to the PNA:
Ashtar understands that the fight for the right to have their own state, their own land in their own country, is not separable from the fight for the rights of women. The crimes committed against Mona in the play, “Story of Mona” is, at the same time, realism and a metaphor of crimes committed against their entire people.
This Festival that begins today is of extraordinary importance, not only because it will show the audiences the production of many groups coming from different parts of the world, but because it will take place in Palestine. A festival like this is dialogue, and it is through dialogue that we can teach and learn.
I always say that I love peace, but I also understand that the worst enemy of peace is passivity. This Festival is an action, an important action to show Palestinians our solidarity. We also dream of a Palestinian State with which we can fraternally dialogue and exchange ideas, experiences, and hopes.
We must fight oppression wherever it exists, and that is what Ashtar is doing with its important work and active presence. We all, at the Centro do Teatro do Oprimido do Rio de Janeiro, wish you, Palestinian men and women, old and young, all happiness and freedom.
Augusto Boal - Rio, April 2007 | |
