This Weekend: Controversial Play 'My Name Is Rachel Corrie' at Out chYonda

Denver-based political theatre collective, Countdown to Zero, in partnership with Justice First!, announces the premier New Mexico production of 'My Name Is Rachel Corrie,' the highly controversial play, in a limited run at the Out ch'YondA Art Space (929 Fourth St. SW, Albuquerque). The play was created from the personal journal entries, emails, and writings of the young activist Rachel Corrie (above right) after her death in 2003 while trying to stop an Israeli bulldozer in a Palestinian residential area in Gaza. An idealistic, curious, and passionate young woman is presented as she explores her personal world as well as that of the complex world of Middle Eastern politics.

After a critically-acclaimed run in Denver, Countdown to Zero's production will run for two performances only, Saturday, February 16, 2:00 PM, and Sunday, February 17, at 2:00 PM. This play was chosen as an artistic vehicle for community conversation. After both performances, post-show discussions will be offered in order to address the issues raised in the play and to encourage fair and honest conversation and reflection. Ticket prices are $20. For reservations and information visit www.RachelABQ.com or call 505-350-1276.

Click for info on a companion event set for Saturday at 6:30 PM at the Albuquerque Mennonite Church where artists and activists will discuss political theater and music.

Read what the press has written about Countdown to Zero's production in Denver:

• The Rocky Mountain News: Worlds collide in 'Corrie'; actress brings grace and force to Mideast drama, reviewed 11/2/07
• The Denver Post: Rachel Corrie: Staging a protest (with images), reviewed 9/28/07
• Westword: A dead reckoning in Gaza, reviewed 11/4/07

A recent article in the Albuquerque Journal's Venue discusses Rachel Corrie's life and activism, and how and why the play was created. Excerpt:

Rachel Corrie, 23, grew up in Olympia, Wash., as a fairly typical young woman with fairly typical interests and wants. The daughter of an insurance executive and amateur flutist, Corrie had been a college student and a mental health worker. She wrote in her journal about her job, boys, her parents and that she liked the music of Pat Benatar.

Corrie went to Gaza in the troubled Middle East in 2003 as a member of the International Solidarity Movement, which was protesting the demolition of hundreds of Palestinian homes by the Israeli Defense Forces. She was called a traitor by some Americans, but her efforts in the Gaza Strip came from a desire to help people, as shown through her writings. Even as young as 12, she wrote about wanting to end child hunger worldwide.

Corrie was curious, creative, funny, idealistic, sometimes contrary and she so wanted to make the world a better place, Vicki Johnson of Justice First! said in a phone interview.

"She was an intensely passionate young girl on the verge of a wonderful, great life," Johnson said.

... Corrie died in Rafah on the Gaza Strip in March 2003 as she tried to protect the home of a Palestinian family that was being bulldozed by Israeli Defense Forces along the Gaza border with Egypt. She had on earlier occasions stayed overnight in the homes of other Palestinians to try to stop their demolition. Israeli officials called her death an accident, saying that the bulldozer driver didn't see Corrie as she was pulled under the blade of the heavy machinery.

After her death, her family and friends began talking about a play based on Corrie's life. As they pored over her personal journals, e-mails and other writings, they realized there was more than enough there so she could tell her own story. Some poignant e-mails from her worried parents were included, but mostly, the play is from Corrie's perspective.

Visit the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice.

Organizations involved in Albuquerque's production of the play:

Out ch’YondA Live Arts Studio
Out ch’YondA Live Arts exists in the margins for folks who need and want to do art “by any means necessary.” It is a nurturing and creative environment for those who dwell on the edges of our society.

Countdown to Zero
Countdown to Zero is a political theatre collective dedicated to theatrical based political dialogue. It aims to expand community exchange locally and nationally in a time of charged political extremes.

Justice First!
Justice First! advocates diplomacy based on international and humanitarian law as the best hope for peace.