My Name is Rachel Corrie
Brian Freeland expected controversy, but figured his theater company, not the Denver Post, would come under fire.
In September, Freeland’s Countdown to Zero theater company in Denver staged the play “My Name Is Rachel Corrie.”
The play featured Denver actress Julie Rada portraying 23-year-old peace activist Corrie, who was crushed to death by an Israeli military bulldozer on March 16, 2003, while protecting a Palestinian family’s home from demolition.
The production drew front page coverage from the Denver Post, said Freeland who directs Rada in the piece.
It also drew the ire of some readers.
“The paper received more hate mail and controversy, more back-and-forth, than we ever received at the theater itself,” he said.
Freeland understands why. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a hot-button issue and has been for a long, long time.
Freeland and Rada will be in Lincoln to present the play as part of Countdown’s first tour of it outside of Denver.
The First Mennonite Church will host it at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The free performance is sponsored by the Coalition for Peace and Nebraskans for Peace. Donations will be accepted.
The script was taken from the writings of Corrie and edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner. Rickman also is an actor, known for playing Professor Snape in the Harry Potter movies.
“My Name” traces the life of Corrie from her early days in Washington state through her experiences as an activist seeking to learn more about the community within Gaza.
The play originally was produced at London’s Royal Court Theatre in April 2005. It had its American premiere off-Broadway at the Minetta Lane Theatre in New York City in October 2006.
Freeland said in a phone interview from Denver his company was attracted to it because of its controversy.
He and Rada are a part of an experimental theater company in Denver. They formed Countdown in order to focus on works that are more political than experimental.
“My Name” is the first of 10 plays Countdown will stage before it folds and company members move on to other projects, hence the theater’s name.
“We found this to be a pretty compelling story,” Freeland said of “My Name.” “We felt this was a great way to access the issue of Israel and Palestine that has been going on for the last 40 years.”
Freeland said he’s anxious to gauge the reaction to it outside Denver, where, except for the reader exchanges in the newspaper, feedback has been “incredibly positive.”
“We want this to be a conversation piece, and something more than an evening at the theater,” he said. “We want to start a dialogue.”
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.
In September, Freeland’s Countdown to Zero theater company in Denver staged the play “My Name Is Rachel Corrie.”
The play featured Denver actress Julie Rada portraying 23-year-old peace activist Corrie, who was crushed to death by an Israeli military bulldozer on March 16, 2003, while protecting a Palestinian family’s home from demolition.
The production drew front page coverage from the Denver Post, said Freeland who directs Rada in the piece.
It also drew the ire of some readers.
“The paper received more hate mail and controversy, more back-and-forth, than we ever received at the theater itself,” he said.
Freeland understands why. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a hot-button issue and has been for a long, long time.
Freeland and Rada will be in Lincoln to present the play as part of Countdown’s first tour of it outside of Denver.
The First Mennonite Church will host it at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The free performance is sponsored by the Coalition for Peace and Nebraskans for Peace. Donations will be accepted.
The script was taken from the writings of Corrie and edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner. Rickman also is an actor, known for playing Professor Snape in the Harry Potter movies.
“My Name” traces the life of Corrie from her early days in Washington state through her experiences as an activist seeking to learn more about the community within Gaza.
The play originally was produced at London’s Royal Court Theatre in April 2005. It had its American premiere off-Broadway at the Minetta Lane Theatre in New York City in October 2006.
Freeland said in a phone interview from Denver his company was attracted to it because of its controversy.
He and Rada are a part of an experimental theater company in Denver. They formed Countdown in order to focus on works that are more political than experimental.
“My Name” is the first of 10 plays Countdown will stage before it folds and company members move on to other projects, hence the theater’s name.
“We found this to be a pretty compelling story,” Freeland said of “My Name.” “We felt this was a great way to access the issue of Israel and Palestine that has been going on for the last 40 years.”
Freeland said he’s anxious to gauge the reaction to it outside Denver, where, except for the reader exchanges in the newspaper, feedback has been “incredibly positive.”
“We want this to be a conversation piece, and something more than an evening at the theater,” he said. “We want to start a dialogue.”
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.
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