The Freedom Theatre’s Acting School students are preparing for their new production, an adaptation of Ghassan Khanafani’s Men in the Sun. The play is directed by Josh Perlstein, Professor of Theatre at Central Connecticut State University.
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“Today we mark the anniversary of the assassination by the Israeli Intelligence Service of one of Palestine’s greatest sons. Writer, artist, intellectual, politician, Arab Nationalist and most of all, Palestinian patriot, Ghassan Khanafani. The Freedom Theatre presents a tribute to his life and work. Included is one of his most powerful short stories. We believe that the world needs to listen as much as possible to the voices of Palestinians, who have given indications of what our focus should be on, and who refuse to be passive subjects of a narrative dominated by Israeli words and deeds, but who deserve to enter into the awareness of all who are interested in their situation, and to maintain the role of protagonists in their own story. When the Mossad killed him together with his 9 year old niece, they informed the world that they had killed a Guerilla, which was the language used back then for militant patriots, and the world either rejoiced or yawned. Today we honour him as one of the greats of his people.”
Josh Perlstein
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Men in the Sun tells the story of Palestinian refugees who dream of reaching Kuwait in order to find lucrative employment there. With the money they earn they hope to help their impoverished families left behind in the refugee camps. But the route out of Jordan, across Iraq and into Kuwait is a hard one. The refugees require the assistance of people smugglers and there is the ever-present hazard of being ripped-off and fooled by dodgy middlemen and guides who take you to the wrong place and then run away.
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The play will open at The Freedom Theatre on July 27 and will be shown at other Palestinian theatres during the month of September.
Performance Schedule:
31/07/10 at 17.00
02/08/10 at 12.00
08/08/10 at 17.00
The production is supported by Qattan Foundation, UNFPA, SIDA and Freedom to Create.
Please contact us for more information: [email protected].
