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live from alestine: tories Under ccupation
Performed by
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Al-Kasaba eatre and Cinematheque Nizar Zoubi, Director Performed in Arabic with English Surtitles
Reading Between the Lines Suppose the only life you know is a war-torn struggle for freedom and human rights? What if every day you face food shortages, curfews, and exploding bombs? Imagine that you can’t get to work, or school, or that you have to stay indoors for weeks without seeing your friends. Now picture that your deeply personal stories are reduced to cold words in a newspaper. Could theater be a way to tell your story? Al-Kasaba’s eater Company’s production of Alive from Palestine sets out to do just that—to tell the untold, personal stories of life in Palestine and to reclaim the humanity of the Palestinian people. In a series of tragic and comic short scenes, a small troupe of actors present a glimpse of lives impacted by curfews, checkpoints, fear, and intimidation. e actors portray refugees determined to tell their stories: a father who discovers his dead son’s schoolbag, a young couple who exchange unusual tokens of love, a man who plans his funeral because it is the only thing he can control in his life, and an
actor who portrays a “suitcase” that longs to be owned by a fancy socialite passing effortlessly through posh airports. By mixing absurdity with desperation, the actors reveal people struggling each day to hold onto their dignity and survive.
After the Performance…
• Talk about the significance of the title, Alive from Palestine. Why do you think Al-Kasaba chose the word “alive” instead of “live?”
• Discuss how the director’s choice of music, lighting, sound, set design, and stage movement helped create a world that is a mix of fantasy and reality. Discuss why you think this mix is important for telling the story.