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.)

I have wings in my mind that help me soar and fly,
   to places where the Israeli army cannot catch me.
It is the idea of having my own ultimate and lofty place
  to which I can aspire, to free myself and leave the chaos behind.
I sing and fly with the birds, reaching the horizon and beyond,
Creating my own world, my own concept of life.
The salvation of escaping through he borders is to have
  a deeper awareness and appreciation of life.

I had never thought about what drama could be until this experience. I had the mistaken impression that acting is about “pretending” and “faking” in front of others. I soon realized that drama could be so much more!

It was a learning experience for me to stand on stage and perform as a “different me,” in a situation I have never lived. My thoughts upon seeing how the world looks through another person's eyes are hard to articulate. It is not easy to forget everything surrounding you while you’re in the spotlight. What I discovered is that I love the idea of performing another me, but not me.

My performance, "Concept of Life," was inspired by the drama classes themselves. In addition to my writing, I discovered another “weapon” to help me fight and to survive. I learned that acting gives me the space to reconsider things from other perspectives. Drama is a “place” where I can escape from my worries. Borders no longer exist in the world of drama. Drama sets me free and gives me inner wings that transport me anywhere I may wish to go. Drama and its essential ingredient, imagination, imposes no limits on one’s thoughts and feelings. Drama can give one a whole new existence.I love my video, even if it has many errors. We met for three times to record the videos, because unfortunately there were always power outages, with electricity only four hours per day. The last time we tried was our lucky one. We woke up early and had our breakfast in the place we used to meet for drama classes. We also were in the middle of final exams and it was raining. I had a sore throat and tonsillitis, which made my voice crack. But still, I love my video.

They were sweet days, even under the pressure of power outages. We became family, “drama's family,” as I call it.

Posted February 29, 2016