Play About Demonstrator's Death Is Delayed [Rachel Corrie]

New York Times ^ | February 28, 2006 | JESSE McKINLEY

[West Coast Conservative]

A potential Off Broadway production of "My Name Is Rachel Corrie," an acclaimed solo show about an American demonstrator killed by an Israeli bulldozer while trying to stop the destruction of a Palestinian home, has been postponed because of concerns about the show's political content.

The production, a hit at the Royal Court Theater in London last year, had been tentatively scheduled to start performances at the New York Theater Workshop in the East Village on March 22. But yesterday, James C. Nicola, the artistic director of the workshop, said he had decided to postpone the show after polling local Jewish religious and community leaders as to their feelings about the work.

"The uniform answer we got was that the fantasy that we could present the work of this writer simply as a work of art without appearing to take a position was just that, a fantasy," he said.

In particular, the recent electoral upset by Hamas, the militant Palestinian group, and the sickness of Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, had made "this community very defensive and very edgy," Mr. Nicola said, "and that seemed reasonable to me."

The play, which received strong reviews in London, follows the story of Rachel Corrie, an idealistic American demonstrator and Palestinian-rights activist who was crushed to death in March 2003 in the Gaza Strip.

The play was written by the actor Alan Rickman, who directed the piece, and Katherine Viner, a journalist at The Guardian newspaper in London, who pieced together snippets of Ms. Corrie's journals and e-mail messages to create the script. And while the show had not been formally announced, Ms. Viner said yesterday that she and Mr. Rickman had already bought plane tickets to see the production at the workshop.

[Steve_Seattle]

"The uniform answer we got was that the fantasy that we could present the work of this writer simply as a work of art without appearing to take a position was just that, a fantasy," he said.

In other words, the Jewish community told him what any idiot should have known without even asking. This play was INTENDED to take a position. What other purpose could it possibly have?

[pissant]

Worthless traitor bitch.

[dinasour]

The play would have flopped like a pancake.

Naw, the Brit's have real crush on Rachel.

[oldleft]

Here's a picture of a bunny with Rachel Corrie on it's head.

[Sloth]

[American_Centurion]

Critics have said that the play's ending was pretty flat.

[lilyred]

Another peace protestor--as someone else said--"on the wrong side."

[facedown]

...has been postponed because of concerns about the show's political content.

Suuuuuuuuuuuure.

[ErnBatavia]

The real reason for the delay -- sales are flat.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

I want to try out for the part in the play for who drives the bulldozer.

[Caipirabob]

Let me guess on why there's a delay: they fired the chorus because they only sang in b-flat?

[jazusamo]

It's too bad she was killed but it's no ones fault but her own, and possibly her parents who try to make her a hero but didn't seem to install any common sense in her.

[pissant]

LOL. I'm sure it would be a hit in Seattle and San Fran.

[jslade]

[Sloth]

Knowing what we do of her parents, I think this all goes back to how she was razed.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel.

..................

[Sloth]

Knowing what we do of her parents, I think this all goes back to how she was razed.

[pissant]

I'm sorry that her parents raised such an idiot. All life is valuable, until you become an adult and choose to side with our enemies. Then death is too good for you.

[Sloth]

Arghh, try to make a good pun and it gets ruined by double posting...

[HiTech RedNeck]

Yeah, Caterpillar should offer to sponsor their show