Project director's note: Seven of our writers recently participated in a drama workshop led by Hossam Madhoun and Jamal Rozzi, who run Gaza's Theater for Everybody. Theater is a rarity in Gaza, so this was a special treat — an opportunity to explore another mode of self-expression. The workshop culminated in an exchange with London's Az Theater, where viewers watched videos of the young performers reciting a peice of their own creation that expresses what "freedom" means to them, and then engaged in a Q-and-A. This is the third in a series, focusing on the poems the youth wrote and their performances. (The series begins here.)
Beyond the horizon, under the sun,
in the heart of the skies, tranquility lies.
It has the enjoyable warmth of the sun, of a stove on a windy day.
Eternal light it gives, reaching one’s soul.
Identical to the music of a violin, it resurrects your buried body.
It offers you a life; not any life, but the one you always desired.
Soaring over all the oceans without a mere pause..
An eagle you become once it touches you.
Freedom!
The first time I stood on a stage was almost three years ago when a group of English literature students from IUG [Islamic University of Gaza] decided to produce something in the annual show. We practically did everything for the play, titled the “Cursed Chair,” including writing the scenario and script and training ourselves to perform the roles.
We did receive a little help from one of the professors at IUG, who assisted us with us the “masterpiece.” I was the main character in the play, dramatizing the role of a king who did his best to make his sons – Hamas and Fatah – reconcile. Although I had no experience in performing on a stage, it felt different to be there. It was an indescribable feeling when you knew deep in your heart that all the people in the hall were there to watch you; they were there because they thought you might do something novel. And we did!
The new experience, the workshop led by the Theater for Everybody, broadened my vision even more of what drama can do. People in Gaza are less interested in drama, and I would love to see them sparked by it, rather than wasting their time smoking shisha in coffee shops, for example. It would be a great idea to link drama to education, because kids especially could better relate to topics when they are approached creatively. Perhaps this could be a start.
