Chestertown, MD, February 12, 2007 — Washington College's Drama Department will breathe life into the words and spirit of Rachel Corrie, the U.S. peace activist who died tragically in the Gaza Strip, with their production of My Name Is Rachel Corrie,on February 15, 16, and 17 at 8 p.m. in the College's Norman James Theatre.
Senior Sarah Byrne will star as the twenty-three year old who died four years ago this March after she was crushed to death by an Israeli military bulldozer. At the time of her death, Corrie was shielding the home of a Palestinian civilian in a refugee camp in the Rafah area of the Gaza strip. Corrie's devastating death marked a landmark; it linked Palestinian suffering to the American progressive movement.
Despite rave reviews and sold-out audiences with its London opening, it took another year for the controversial play to make a U.S. debut. The progressive New York Theatre Workshop postponed its American premiere indefinitely out of concern for the political climate relating to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's coma and the election of Hamas. When the play finally graced the New York stage, it struck a chord with its audiences. Not only did they connect with the self-portrait of a sensitive young woman struggling to find her purpose, but also with the diatribe on the atrocities of Israeli occupation.
Corrie's own journal entries serve as the basis of the play. Her parents have said, "Rachel was a real human being. Sometimes, when people idealize her, we feel vulnerable for her. Knowing the complete human being, would they feel the same? Through My Name is Rachel Corrie, people can know a more complete Rachel."
Directed by Professor Dale Daigle and Senior Erika Salomon, WC's production also features the talents of Senior Harry Wright. Admission is free, but reservations are required. For show information, call 410-778-7835 or e-mail drama_tickets@washcoll.edu.
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