World
Stage Controversy
Jewish theater director in D.C. defends reading of anti-Israel play.
Aaron Leibel
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Washington
A
ri Roth is not surprised that
his decision to stage a read-
ing of Seven Jewish Children: A
Play for Gaza has infuriated some in the
Washington Jewish community.
"People have a right to be offended, and
I respect those who have read the play
and are offended," said Roth, the artistic
director of Theater J at the Washington,
D.C., Jewish Community Center where the
10-minute play was performed last week
week. It will also be staged Saturday night
and Sunday afternoon in Washington at
the Forum Theater.
Roth, formerly a teacher at the
University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, him-
self was upset by the script. He has added
two pro-Israel plays to the evening as well
as a panel discussion as part of an effort
to give a broader context to the play.
Written by British playwright Caryl
Churchill, the play is an indictment of
Israel, Israelis and their attitudes toward
Palestinians. It describes how Jewish par-
ents discuss teaching their children about
the Jewish state and the Gaza war. For
example, one portion deals with living in
Israel. The parent says: "Tell her, of course
tell her, tell her everyone was driven out
and the country is waiting for us to come
home. Don't tell her she doesn't belong
here."
Insofar as the Palestinians are con-
cerned, the dialogue reads, "Tell her we're
stronger. Tell her we're entitled. Tell her
they don't understand anything but vio-
lence." And, "Tell her they're filth."
It's that kind of rhetoric that alienated
some local Jews.
Martin Berman-Gorvine, 39, of Silver
Spring, Md., has been a peace activist in
Israel and the United States. He knows
that Israelis don't always treat Palestinians
fairly, and there is room for criticism.
"But this is a piece of anti-Israel propa-
ganda and not something that should be
a part of the broad spectrum of debate in
the Jewish community," he said.
Herman Taube, 90, is stronger in his
condemnation. "We have some Jews
who you spit in their face and they say
it's raining:' said the Rockville resident.
A26
April 2. 2009
"That's what happened
at the Jewish Community
Center!"
Roth, however, believes
that holding a reading of
the play — "we would
never produce it," Roth
insisted — provides "a
means of intellectual
protection for the Jewish
community"
"Churchill is an angry
critic of Israel who has
written a play with seven
ostensibly Jewish charac-
ters:' the theater director
said. "We would like to
know what she is saying
theatrically and politi-
cally.
"This is an elusive,
evocative, wispy play that
has mysteries in it; and
Ari Roth is director of Theater J in Washington, D.C.
we are trying to decode
them in a public discus-
sion." (He will lead a discussion after the
Not everyone is hostile to putting on the
reading.)
reading. Derek Goldman, director of the
Roth called Churchill a great writer, say- theater and performing arts program at
ing she has penned this script "both well
Georgetown University, said he applauds
and to some degree recklessly, even with
Theater J as an organization that "asks
a great deal of craftsmanship and with
troubling questions, stirs dialogue and
a sense of moral
allows us to better
outrage to which
understand posi-
it might be unwise
tions that may be
for us to cast a
the opposite of
blind eye and a
our own."
deaf ear!'
The Washington
In addition,
— Martin Ber man-Gorvine, peace activist Jewish Week's arts
Roth noted that
correspondent,
Theater J present-
Lisa Traiger, said
ed two pieces written in reaction: Seven
that as the play was bound to come to
Palestinian Children, by playwright Deb
Washington anyway, having it presented in
Margolin and The Eighth Child, by Robbie
a Jewish forum "allows an appropriate and
Gringras, artist in residence at Makom for
fair-minded response to this controversial
the Jewish Agency for Israel.
work!'
On Zionism, Gringas wrote: "Tell her
Playwright Churchill declined to be
that Zionism isn't a dirty word like racism. interviewed, noting she has not granted
Zionism is a complicated word with good
an interview in 15 years. (A letter from
intentions and ambiguous results, like
Churchill to Roth, as well as other e-mails
idealism!' And on Churchill and her play,
on the issue can be found by clicking on
he added: "But Caryl Churchill is just plain "Blog" at www.theaterj.org . The complete
wrong. Tell her that those who don't like us text of the play can be found at www.
will always pretend to understand us. We
guardian.co.uk/stage/2009/feb/26/
don't even understand us. And we would
caryl-churchill-seven-jewish-children-
never dare write a 10-minute play about it. play-gaza.)
Tell her it's much more complicated than
Ron Halber, executive director of the
that."
Washington Jewish Community Relations
"This is a pie ce of anti-
Israel propag anda."
Council, said that the WDCJCC, as "an
independent institution ... has a right
to put on any production it wishes to.
However, the timing of the play, consider-
ing the Gaza war, has made many people
sensitive."
Potomac's Robert Samet planned to
participate in a protest at the WDCJCC last
week. "The play does everything it can to
delegitimize Israel," he said. "It is, in fact,
precisely the Palestinian narrative!'
The protesters will not demonstrate at
the Forum Theater.
"We are going to the JCC because it is
a Jewish institution supported by Jewish
contributions directly and indirectly
from the Jewish Federation [of Greater
Washington], and it isn't supposed to be
giving undeserved dignity and legitimacy
to people who undermine the Jewish
people and Israel," he said.
Churchill has waived fees for her
play, asking that theaters instead collect
donations for the group Medical Aid for
Palestinians. Theater J does not permit
fundraising for outside groups and will
offer the readings for no charge; Forum
Theater will request audience donations
for the Palestinian group.
(This article first appeared in the
Washington Jewish Week.)