Ten young Palestinians are using drama and satire to challenge the customs and traditions of their conservative Gaza society.

The group – five women and five men in their 20s with no previous acting experience – has created a show called “Summer Cloud” that tackles issues like unemployment, education and the difficulties of travel. Because of the tough issues they tackle and their unorthodox approach, they call themselves “Abnormal.”

The name of the show reflects “a wish for our crisis to be light and easygoing like a summer cloud,” says my twin brother, Bassem Derawi, one of the actors who also writes scripts for the show. He first began writing sarcasm and satire when he was in high school, starting with poetry and then progressing into scenarios he started acting out in front of the mirror. Some parents would have discouraged such “foolishness,” but our mom encouraged his creative instincts.

His group videotapes Summer Cloud episodes at various locations around Gaza and uploads them to YouTube, where 8,000 viewers have watched them.

Bassem and his other teammates draw their inspiration from the struggles they face in daily life. And there are a lot of absurdities to inspire them. For example, in the episode shared here, he tackles the fact that no matter what you choose to study at university in Gaza, getting a job is just a dream for the majority of youth. (The youth unemployment rate is 60 percent now.) Bassem himself majored in English literature, like most students who choose the “literary” track, and has been unable to find paying work. (There two tracks offered those who graduate from high school in Gaza: science and literary.)

“We have a lot of free time since we’ve graduated and have no jobs,” says Jehad El Helo. “This project fills our time with a bit of fun.” 

They also feel they are contributing to their society in a meaningful way.

“Acting is our way of communicating,” explains Islam Al Astal. “Acting evokes emotions and affects people in a way that opens their eyes to problems they otherwise try to deny.”

It’s not all fun and games though. The young actors have had to make due with limited resources. They made the first six episodes with just one microphone and one camera.

On top of that there are serious logistical challenges, including Gaza’s daily power outages.

“We’ve been forced to schedule our sessions around the electricity schedule,” says Bahaa Ziddan.

Gaza’s 2 million residents have suffered from inadequate power for years, but the crisis deepened in 2014 when Israel destroyed the region’s only power plant. Today, outages last an average of 15 hours a day. Even when electricity is available, it’s sporadic.

When the power goes out unexpectedly, it takes the group twice as long to tape its shows.

After uploading their first episodes, Civitas Institute, a Gaza NGO that supports youth initiatives, offered to support the group with supplies, transportation, and access to locations like cafes and restaurants.

“We believe in the power of youth and their ability to change society,” said Civitas General Manager Maher Essa, “so we do our best to help this team. We hope to offer more in the future.”

Still, the hurdles go beyond logistics.

“Satire in Gaza is difficult,” says Bassem. “It’s not easy to break with the customs and talk openly about issues.”

For example, it has been particularly challenging for the female members of the group.

“At first, my mom refused to let me participate,” says Roula Hajjo, who is featured in the episode shown here. “Then I talked to my dad, who was outside Gaza, and he convinced her. But we were forced to delete some words [from the scripts] like habibti (my love), which can be considered offensive because they are too ‘intimate’.”

Another female member of the group, Hadeel Abu Amr, says neighbors gossip when she returns home late.

“I want our society to grow and understand that girls have the right to do what they love and be the same as guys,” says Kholoud Mustafa. “This is one reason I wanted to be part of this.”

“This project raises my serotonin level, especially when I feel low,” adds Samar Al Barqouni.

As they work on more episodes of their show, the young actors hope to be picked up by a TV station, and even to find enough support to make their own feature-length film.  

When you accept that you’re “abnormal,” anything is possible.