{"id":4196,"date":"2009-07-06T12:32:43","date_gmt":"2009-07-06T09:32:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thefreedomtheatre.org\/?p=4196"},"modified":"2026-01-17T12:42:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T12:42:03","slug":"fragments-of-palestine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thefreedomtheatre.org\/ar\/2009\/07\/fragments-of-palestine\/","title":{"rendered":"Fragments of Palestine"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"309\" data-end=\"374\"><strong data-start=\"309\" data-end=\"372\">A Production by The Freedom Theatre (TFT), Jenin, Palestine<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"381\" data-end=\"412\"><strong data-start=\"385\" data-end=\"410\">Production Highlights<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"413\" data-end=\"712\">\n<li data-start=\"413\" data-end=\"494\">\n<p data-start=\"415\" data-end=\"494\"><strong data-start=\"415\" data-end=\"425\">Debut:<\/strong> July 20, 2009 \u2013 The Freedom Theatre, Jenin Refugee Camp, Palestine<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"495\" data-end=\"587\">\n<p data-start=\"497\" data-end=\"587\"><strong data-start=\"497\" data-end=\"520\">International Tour:<\/strong> Germany &amp; Austria, September\u2013October 2009 (KinderKulturKarawane)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"588\" data-end=\"642\">\n<p data-start=\"590\" data-end=\"642\"><strong data-start=\"590\" data-end=\"603\">Language:<\/strong> Arabic \/ Non-verbal Physical Theatre<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"643\" data-end=\"712\">\n<p data-start=\"645\" data-end=\"712\"><strong data-start=\"645\" data-end=\"655\">Genre:<\/strong> Political Drama, Physical Theatre, Cultural Resistance<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong data-start=\"307\" data-end=\"339\">Watch Fragments of Palestine<\/strong><br data-start=\"339\" data-end=\"342\" \/>Experience the energy and power of The Freedom Theatre\u2019s Acting School students in this short highlight reel of <em data-start=\"454\" data-end=\"478\">Fragments of Palestine<\/em> (2:44).<\/p>\n<pre style=\"text-align: center;\" data-start=\"719\" data-end=\"737\"><em><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0zCoqbg9ZFU\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0zCoqbg9ZFU<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/pre>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"719\" data-end=\"737\"><strong data-start=\"723\" data-end=\"735\">Synopsis<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"738\" data-end=\"907\"><em data-start=\"738\" data-end=\"762\">Fragments of Palestine<\/em> is a visceral exploration of life under occupation, told through the stories, movements, and experiences of the Acting School students at TFT.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"909\" data-end=\"1286\">A wedding erupts into a tragic exodus, funerals of martyrs unfold, and children navigate a world defined by walls, checkpoints, and curfews. Yet amid hardship, laughter, dreams of the sea, and acts of resilience persist. Through physical theatre and movement, the play transforms personal grief and trauma into a universal language of hope, defiance, and artistic resistance.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1293\" data-end=\"1317\"><strong data-start=\"1297\" data-end=\"1315\">About the Play<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1318\" data-end=\"1631\">Developed as part of The Freedom Theatre Acting School\u2019s intensive three-year training program, <em data-start=\"1414\" data-end=\"1438\">Fragments of Palestine<\/em> merges lived experience with professional theatre practice. Students from Jenin Refugee Camp contributed their own stories, reflecting the challenges of growing up under military occupation.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1633\" data-end=\"1920\">The production transcends verbal narrative, employing movement, rhythm, and ensemble work to communicate themes of resilience, freedom, and the transformative power of creativity. It is both an artistic achievement and a document of Palestinian life, identity, and cultural resistance.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1927\" data-end=\"1956\"><strong data-start=\"1931\" data-end=\"1954\">Why Watch the Play?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"1957\" data-end=\"2328\">\n<li data-start=\"1957\" data-end=\"2025\">\n<p data-start=\"1959\" data-end=\"2025\">Witness a pioneering example of physical theatre from Palestine.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2026\" data-end=\"2125\">\n<p data-start=\"2028\" data-end=\"2125\">Experience narratives rooted in reality, performed by young Palestinian artists trained at TFT.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2126\" data-end=\"2223\">\n<p data-start=\"2128\" data-end=\"2223\">Explore themes of occupation, resilience, and identity through a universal artistic language.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2224\" data-end=\"2328\">\n<p data-start=\"2226\" data-end=\"2328\">Engage with a production that has toured internationally and contributed to cross-cultural dialogue.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-start=\"2335\" data-end=\"2365\"><strong data-start=\"2339\" data-end=\"2363\">Cast &amp; Creative Team<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"2366\" data-end=\"2696\">\n<li data-start=\"2366\" data-end=\"2401\">\n<p data-start=\"2368\" data-end=\"2401\"><strong data-start=\"2368\" data-end=\"2384\">Directed by:<\/strong> Nabeel Al Raee<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2402\" data-end=\"2450\">\n<p data-start=\"2404\" data-end=\"2450\"><strong data-start=\"2404\" data-end=\"2429\">Artistic Supervision:<\/strong> Juliano Mer-Khamis<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2451\" data-end=\"2487\">\n<p data-start=\"2453\" data-end=\"2487\"><strong data-start=\"2453\" data-end=\"2470\">Choreography:<\/strong> Camilla Bakken<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2488\" data-end=\"2652\">\n<p data-start=\"2490\" data-end=\"2652\"><strong data-start=\"2490\" data-end=\"2507\">Performed by:<\/strong> Adel Massarwah, Batool Taleb, Moe\u2019men Switat, Eyad Hoorani, Mariam Abu Khaled, Faisal Abu Al Haija, Haroon Abu Arrah, Qais Al Sa\u2019di, Rami Awni<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2653\" data-end=\"2696\">\n<p data-start=\"2655\" data-end=\"2696\"><strong data-start=\"2655\" data-end=\"2668\">Producer:<\/strong> The Freedom Theatre (TFT)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-start=\"2703\" data-end=\"2728\"><strong data-start=\"2707\" data-end=\"2726\">Director\u2019s Note<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2729\" data-end=\"3122\"><em data-start=\"2729\" data-end=\"3095\">\u201cFragments of Palestine\u201d is silent because Palestine itself is often unreadable, untranslatable into words alone. Through movement, music, and light, we assemble these fragments to give voice to experiences otherwise invisible. The personal becomes universal, the intimate becomes collective. Theatre, here, is resistance, healing, and imagination fused into one.\u201d<\/em> \u2013 <strong data-start=\"3098\" data-end=\"3120\">Juliano Mer-Khamis<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"3129\" data-end=\"3162\"><strong data-start=\"3133\" data-end=\"3160\">Origins and Development<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"3163\" data-end=\"3500\">The production was conceived in 2009 as part of TFT\u2019s Acting School curriculum. Drawing from students\u2019 lived experiences in Jenin Refugee Camp, the play reflects both personal and collective memory. TFT collaborated with international volunteers and trainers to develop a performance that is simultaneously local and globally resonant.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"3507\" data-end=\"3546\"><strong data-start=\"3511\" data-end=\"3544\">Concept and Artistic Approach<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"3547\" data-end=\"3840\">\n<li data-start=\"3547\" data-end=\"3642\">\n<p data-start=\"3549\" data-end=\"3642\">Uses <strong data-start=\"3554\" data-end=\"3574\">physical theatre<\/strong>, <strong data-start=\"3576\" data-end=\"3588\">movement<\/strong>, and <strong data-start=\"3594\" data-end=\"3607\">mask work<\/strong> to convey emotion and narrative.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3643\" data-end=\"3758\">\n<p data-start=\"3645\" data-end=\"3758\">Relies on <strong data-start=\"3655\" data-end=\"3682\">non-verbal storytelling<\/strong> to cross linguistic barriers and communicate universal human experiences.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3759\" data-end=\"3840\">\n<p data-start=\"3761\" data-end=\"3840\">Blends trauma, memory, and social commentary into a coherent artistic vision.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-start=\"3847\" data-end=\"3883\"><strong data-start=\"3851\" data-end=\"3881\">Political &amp; Social Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"3884\" data-end=\"4180\">\n<li data-start=\"3884\" data-end=\"3985\">\n<p data-start=\"3886\" data-end=\"3985\">Set in Jenin Refugee Camp, a densely populated site shaped by decades of conflict and occupation.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3986\" data-end=\"4105\">\n<p data-start=\"3988\" data-end=\"4105\">Explores the effects of military occupation, systemic oppression, and societal trauma on children and young adults.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"4106\" data-end=\"4180\">\n<p data-start=\"4108\" data-end=\"4180\">Theatre serves as both cultural resistance and a tool for empowerment.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-start=\"4187\" data-end=\"4216\"><strong data-start=\"4191\" data-end=\"4214\">Performance History<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"4217\" data-end=\"4603\">\n<li data-start=\"4217\" data-end=\"4322\">\n<p data-start=\"4219\" data-end=\"4322\"><strong data-start=\"4219\" data-end=\"4240\">Jenin, Palestine:<\/strong> July 2009 \u2013 multiple performances during the Children &amp; Youth Theatre Festival.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"4323\" data-end=\"4483\">\n<p data-start=\"4325\" data-end=\"4483\"><strong data-start=\"4325\" data-end=\"4352\">Germany &amp; Austria Tour:<\/strong> September\u2013October 2009 \u2013 venues included Theater Willy Praml (Frankfurt), Dschungel Wien (Vienna), Schauspiel Leipzig (Leipzig).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"4484\" data-end=\"4603\">\n<p data-start=\"4486\" data-end=\"4603\"><strong data-start=\"4486\" data-end=\"4509\">Audience Reception:<\/strong> Acclaimed for its emotional depth, innovative physical theatre, and universality of themes.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-start=\"4610\" data-end=\"4626\"><strong data-start=\"4614\" data-end=\"4624\">Themes<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"4627\" data-end=\"4815\">\n<li data-start=\"4627\" data-end=\"4656\">\n<p data-start=\"4629\" data-end=\"4656\">Occupation and resilience<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"4657\" data-end=\"4703\">\n<p data-start=\"4659\" data-end=\"4703\">Childhood and socialization under conflict<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"4704\" data-end=\"4736\">\n<p data-start=\"4706\" data-end=\"4736\">Cultural identity and memory<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"4737\" data-end=\"4779\">\n<p data-start=\"4739\" data-end=\"4779\">Community, hope, and collective agency<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"4780\" data-end=\"4815\">\n<p data-start=\"4782\" data-end=\"4815\">The transformative power of art<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-start=\"4822\" data-end=\"4865\"><strong data-start=\"4826\" data-end=\"4863\">Critical Notes &amp; Community Impact<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"4866\" data-end=\"5092\">\n<li data-start=\"4866\" data-end=\"4934\">\n<p data-start=\"4868\" data-end=\"4934\">Praised for authenticity and innovative use of physical theatre.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"4935\" data-end=\"5000\">\n<p data-start=\"4937\" data-end=\"5000\">Stimulated educational dialogue and cross-cultural awareness.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"5001\" data-end=\"5092\">\n<p data-start=\"5003\" data-end=\"5092\">Empowered students to transform personal and community trauma into creative expression.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-start=\"5099\" data-end=\"5127\"><strong data-start=\"5103\" data-end=\"5125\">Partners &amp; Support<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"5128\" data-end=\"5257\">\n<li data-start=\"5128\" data-end=\"5154\">\n<p data-start=\"5130\" data-end=\"5154\">ArtAction, SIDA, UNFPA<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"5155\" data-end=\"5202\">\n<p data-start=\"5157\" data-end=\"5202\">KinderKulturKarawane (Germany\/Austria Tour)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"5203\" data-end=\"5257\">\n<p data-start=\"5205\" data-end=\"5257\">Collaboration with Arab American University, Jenin<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-start=\"5264\" data-end=\"5288\"><strong data-start=\"5268\" data-end=\"5286\">Practical Info<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"5289\" data-end=\"5553\">\n<li data-start=\"5289\" data-end=\"5317\">\n<p data-start=\"5291\" data-end=\"5317\"><strong data-start=\"5291\" data-end=\"5304\">Duration:<\/strong> 70 minutes<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"5318\" data-end=\"5417\">\n<p data-start=\"5320\" data-end=\"5417\"><strong data-start=\"5320\" data-end=\"5341\">Content Advisory:<\/strong> Contains depictions of conflict and trauma. Recommended for audiences 14+<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"5418\" data-end=\"5553\">\n<p data-start=\"5420\" data-end=\"5553\"><strong data-start=\"5420\" data-end=\"5440\">Target Audience:<\/strong> Theatre enthusiasts, educators, youth, and international audiences interested in socially engaged performance.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-start=\"5560\" data-end=\"5594\"><strong data-start=\"5564\" data-end=\"5592\">Archival &amp; Academic Note<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"5595\" data-end=\"5824\">\n<li data-start=\"5595\" data-end=\"5684\">\n<p data-start=\"5597\" data-end=\"5684\">Continues to be referenced in studies of Palestinian theatre and cultural resistance.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"5685\" data-end=\"5824\">\n<p data-start=\"5687\" data-end=\"5824\">Inspired a 2011 documentary highlighting the transformative journey of former youth under occupation into artists and cultural leaders.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Production by The Freedom Theatre (TFT), Jenin, Palestine Production Highlights Debut: July 20, 2009 \u2013 The Freedom Theatre, Jenin Refugee Camp, Palestine International Tour: Germany &amp; Austria, September\u2013October 2009 (KinderKulturKarawane) Language: Arabic \/ Non-verbal Physical Theatre Genre: Political Drama, Physical Theatre, Cultural Resistance Watch Fragments of PalestineExperience the energy and power of The Freedom [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":57429,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-theatre-productions","category-theatre-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefreedomtheatre.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefreedomtheatre.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefreedomtheatre.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefreedomtheatre.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefreedomtheatre.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4196"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/thefreedomtheatre.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57436,"href":"https:\/\/thefreedomtheatre.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4196\/revisions\/57436"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefreedomtheatre.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefreedomtheatre.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefreedomtheatre.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefreedomtheatre.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}