 My name is Frank Henshka and I'm from the Siegel Theatre Center. It is our great honor that we have a day three of our Handel Voices International Playwrights Festival to hear voices from around the world. There are voices that came from Australia, the Ukraine, Turkey, Brazil, Guinea, Germany, and now from Syria, and just before the big court. But this now we are going to the next reading which again will be directed by Rebecca Magorbo. He also helped to translate this by Bashar Moukous from Palestine. Bashar, where are you? Is he, he is over here? So he flew in from Belgium last night. He was still in Brussels and came here. It was in the theatre there through Becca and who directed also the previous reading. The Pinball Voices Festival is most probably the most significant festival for one week over 80 writers, playwrights, poets, journalists, novelists from all around the world. Art here in New York City was created under the first years of the Bush government, a reaction by Selman Rushdie, Paul Auster, Michael Roberts, and others to open up the tunnel vision of the American view. They felt we do not hear enough voices. Everybody listens, especially musicians to music, world music, global music, and every musician would never survive without listening what is going on in their field. But in theatre, somehow in America, it is sometimes very isolated. And it is a big island, even though it's a big one, it's still an island. And this is our contribution to really open up. And listen to those stories that are of real significance. Penn is also where human rights and writing intersect. It's a great program defending the writers all over the world, helping writers who are in prison get them out and also supporting their work in translation. And they're very, very prestigious literary words that are giving them out by them. So right now, we will hear a play, Parallel Time, from Bashar Mukus, from Palestine, translated by Rebecca Marvon, also directed by her. Thank you so much. If you have your cell phone, this is what I say, please do take it out. It really never rings our readings, you know. Do the same. Please do take a moment to make sure it's off. For recreation, or rec, as they call it. They walk laps around the yard counterclockwise. They continue to walk around the yard throughout most of the scene. Where's my lighter? Oh, my stomach hurts. I want that meal he cooked with a little repot. What am I supposed to do about my stomach? I have to do about my stomach, huh? Why, for the love of God. And I get up in my back and don't laugh. That rice and pomegranate shit was lethal. I'm salted. Salted with his own back tears. Look at him hypnotized by her eyes. Wadiya walks a lap around the yard. He returns to his previous position. He stares at the gate. Well, what's up? Is she coming to visit today? They're visiting ours today? Is she coming today? No visiting ours today. So then tell this to it to shut up. Shut up. I love you, Bobby. It's not clear how anyone benefits from this love story of people missing. I do anything for you. You're like a father to me. Like a father? Oh, one more like a little brother? You know what's most important is ask and you shall be seen. You're turning to the dishes. Oh, I swore on my left ball I would never clean up after you again. I cleaned up yesterday. That rice and pomegranate shit is stuck to that plate like glue. It'll take me a month just to scrape off the rice. Do you have something else going on? Will you guys come in or should I go solo? We're right behind you. Wadius stays rooted in place. Guad takes another lap around and returns to Wadius side. Are you waiting? The mayor came yesterday. It already came. Hand delivered. It's during morning rec. No surprises for you. He was fast asleep doing rec as usual. Not waiting for the mayor or someone? Wadius stands without moving. Fuad and Salih continue walking laps counterclockwise. Scene two, the same day outside Fidah's house. Fidah is leaving to go to work. She exits her house. She walks in a circle, clockwise, to reach the mailbox. She checks if there is a letter for her. She does not find one. She exits. Scene three, the same day, the prison yard. The scene picks up where it left off. Wadius stands in place, staring at the gate. Fuad and Salih walk laps counterclockwise around the yard. Brother, where's my lighter? Here. I want to light up with my lighter. Salih searches for his lighter. Wadius stands staring at the gate. You guys are so boring today. Come on, brother, check and see if you got it. I've got my lighter. Ask Poppy. You got my lighter? No. Who took my lighter? Well, Poppy, give him his lighter. Fuad, man, if you got the lighter on you, give it back. And if I don't? Fuck you up. I swear to God, I ain't got it. Wadius stands staring at the gate like a statue. Get a load of them, the statue they installed in the yard. It's what they call, beautiful patients. This particular statue is in the form of a man, a staring man. Too bad the artist sneezed when he sculpted the nose. What time is it? He's ignoring me. What time is it by you? You want a watch? Yeah, I checked my watch. I want to know what your watch says. I don't have a watch. Rex almost over. Two more rounds. I'm going to check if my life is inside. So my watch is on time. My watch stopped long ago. Take all the watch. It's on mine. I'm going in. The gate opens. The guard enters. Marad walks behind the guard. He carries a few items with him. A bag, a pillow, a sheet, and a setter. The guard stops. He watches Marad enter into the yard and then exits. He locks the door behind him. He stays to observe a few minutes, then leaves. Wadiye takes a few items from Marad. Fuad takes those things from Wadiye. Salad takes the rest of the things from Wadiye. Welcome. Wadiye offers to shake Marad's hand. Marad does not shake it. What's your name? I'm Salad. Marad shakes Wadiye's hand. I'm Wadiye. My name is Marad, and I've been waiting for you all morning. The men walk towards an exit. Scene four, outside Fidat's house. Fidat returns from work. She crosses to the mailbox. She checks if the letter has arrived. There is no letter. She goes in five. Scene five, the same night. In the prison cell, it is small, cramped, and dingy. There is a desk and two bunk beds, a sink, and a hot plate for cooking. Offstage, there is a tiny bathroom, referred to but not seen, with a toilet and shower. Fuad and Salad are asleep in their beds. Marad sits on his bed. Wadiye carries a pot of tea. He crosses to Marad and sits next to him. Silence. I'm tired, I know. I need to sleep. I had one tea spoon for sure. Good night. Wadiye crosses to his bed. Marad remains sitting. Wadiye takes off his shoes, sits, puts his feet up on the table next to his bed. He leaves through some papers. He studies for an upcoming exam. He has earned his BA in prison. He is now working on his master's. Marad sips his tea. Wadiye rips a piece of paper. Marad sips his tea. Wadiye studies a piece of paper. Perhaps more sugar. That was the last of it. Sorry. About what? I'm afraid to talk. That voice, man. You wake up the guys and there'll be no end to it. You know what I mean. You keep to be afraid of here. This is it, man. Final destination. I don't want to be here. Nobody wants to be here for the tea. No, because I had big dreams. Here's a new kind of tire up there in the market. Yeah. Tire. Like, you know, car tires? Yeah. So? I'm asking you. Why? Let's say my car gets a flat tire one day, right? What car? The one I'm going to buy when I get out of here. They got these new tires with no extra layer on the inside? No inside. It's called a two-ply. Look, I'm no expert on cars, but as I understand it, the tire fixes itself. So no more flats? Nah, there's still flats. What's your line of work? Not flat tires. Obviously, it's not flat tires. What? Wait, why obviously? What about my hands? You don't do construction work even. I play. What do you play? Ood. I have no idea. I have to hear some impressive little happy music on the ood. Can you teach me how to play the ood? How can you learn to play the ood with no ood? There's nothing left of my ood except the strings, and they confiscated those too. They confiscated the strings here? In the prison property room? I had them on me when they arrested me. That and my phone and my watch. Silence. After a moment, Wadiah rises with sudden energy and walks quickly to the bunk beds. For what? Get up. Get up. Solid. Get up. What? Get up. Count? No, no, no. From now I don't understand who is imprisoning me, the state of Israel, or you. I'm calling on an urgent meeting, okay? What happened? Just come down. Are you going to fight a broke out? Calm down and I'll tell you. You've got to control these bizarre impulses. I'm not coming down. Solid. I'm coming. I'm coming. I was having a dream. I was dreaming. From his bed and joins the group. Can somebody explain what's happening? They all gather around Wadiah who officially starts the meeting. Good morning. Scene six. Several days later, in the street next to Fidat's house, Fidat circles clockwise towards the house. She crosses to the mailbox. She opens it. She finds a letter. She enters the house. Fidat reads the letter from Wadiah. My love. My soul. How are you? Today I feel the clouds lifting. Mostly because I'm looking forward to our upcoming visit. One hour to renew my heart with love. Your boundless, big love. Your love for Dad keeps me strength and resolve and determination. I was overjoyed to hear you talk about children. About our child and how we'll raise him together and how you want him to be like his father but how I want him to be like his mother. These moments are so unbearably beautiful. A love that brings a child into the world is great indeed. A child or even many children. Maybe you'll think I'm crazy. I've been thinking in the past few days. I've been losing sleep, planning, thinking about how I ought to act and what I ought to do when you're giving birth in the hospital. And after that, I've been planning every detail about how I ought to act, what I ought to do to be the best father and husband and lover for you. I cried to myself when I held the chair and I stood beside your bed and I kissed you on the forehead. Believe me, we were happy and beautiful in my vision. Scene 8. The scene picks up a few moments after the previous scene in the prison cell. Wadiyeh has just called a meeting. It is early morning before dawn. Salah looks for his lighter. Fuad sings a sarcastic homage to Wadiyeh's good project. Don't rape me, my soul. Quit messing around, man. I'm not messing around. God save Wadiyeh. Liner disappeared today. Wadiyeh, I appreciate what you're trying to do for me, but I'm not doing anything for you. Just listen to me. I'm listening. Fuad! It's impossible. It's very complicated. Just give it a shot. No need. What's the problem, man? Food is a very complicated instrument and we have nothing here. Who said we have nothing? Hm? We've got plenty scrolled away in the hole. What is which, you guys? I'm not going into the box again for some food we ended up playing for two nights. Last time it was enough for me. Last time we were acting stupid. Guys, guys, give your voices. God save, we agree to do it. How are we going to make it food? But there's a will, there's a way. Man, just forget about this big dream of yours. Seriously. I'm fine without the food. Why? We're better off. I don't need to write any new disasters into my life. Hey, man. Think of it. I'm fine with it. Take a good look at this man sitting next to you. I'm a first grade carpenter. My woodwork melts hearts. Lord, every time it's a fucking new drama and all but nothing enough already. I want to finish out my last few years in peace. I don't ask for much. I just want to eat and smoke and sleep and piss and masturbate. Count me out. As it is, the universe is one confusing shit hole. You want to stop dreaming? I'm sick and tired of dreaming. That is precisely what administration wants to hear, man. I've had enough of you in your bullshit. They can view you on the other side of the world. You didn't mess these up. Things mess themselves up. Let's forget about the ood. It's not just the ood. Every day he got a new motherfucking plan. All right, man. That's enough. No, I want to talk. Then show some respect. Fine. Look, poppy. I've got all the respect in the world for you. But I am tired of all of these plans. You go ahead and make your own personal plans. But don't involve us in this shit that is over our heads. What personal plans? Ugh, you get me. I don't get you. It's almost time for counting. Wait a few minutes. What wedding? MFWAD crossed quickly to their beds, lie down and pretend to sleep. Maraud watches them and then crosses to the last bed, lies down and pretends to sleep. Two simultaneous locations. The prison cell and inside Pida's house. The men in the prison cell prepare for count. Pida gets ready to travel to the prison. She wears a black shirt and pants. She applies makeup and puts her hair up. Count. The guard enters the cell. He counts those present in the room. Each prisoner rises and stands next to his bed as the guard yells out his number. One. Two. Three. Four. Four. You make your new guest feel welcome. Take good care of him. Come with me. Yeah. Where to? You have a visitor. At the mention of visitors, Sally goes back to bed. What about me? No. And nobody for Maraud. Wadiye quickly changes his shirt and then exits with the guards toward the visitors room. Scene 10. A moment later, on the way to the visitors room, after a long silence, the guard stops walking. How are you, Wadiye? Well, it looks like that journalist has taken a special interest in your case. She was here bright and early. They're really sad today. Does her interest in me disturb people in the administration? No, quite the opposite. They arrive at the door to the visitors room. Please, after you. Scene 11. A moment later in the visitors room. Vidas stands on the other side of the glass. Wadiye enters. The guard observes them from the corridor. Why are you dressed like that? What's wrong with my hair? You look like you're on your way to a funeral. Why are you talking with me like that? I'm just telling you like it is. This is a prison. This is not a cemetery. Find me fingers through your hair. Slowly, slowly. It smells so good. How can you smell through the glass? I can't, but I can't imagine it. My mother couldn't come. She's a little tired. What do you mean tired? You know, she's got off the plane yesterday. She needs to rest. From the trip? From the trip. From lack of sleep. From the flight. What about you? How was work? Fine. I'm going straight to work from here. I have a long day ahead of me. Wadiye, you're so sweet. Wadiye, I need to tell you. Slow, slow. Did you get my last letter or was it delayed as usual? I got it. Why didn't you write back? Are you okay? What's the news? The scene cuts to the end of their conversation. Wadiye has already said goodbye. She stands and then exits. The guard accompanies Wadiye out. Scene 12. Several days later, outside Fidat's house, Fidat returns from work. She crosses to the mailbox. She checks if there is a letter. There is no letter. She goes into the house. Scene 13. A small yard in the prison. We have not seen this space before. Wadiye, Saleh, Hwad and Marad stand in this small yard. Their hands and legs cupped. Along silence. Wadiye smokes a cigarette. Can someone tell me what's going on? They're going to take us on a little trip, but not the kind of fancy airplane trips that you are used to. What's wrong with you? I mean, we ain't flying off to Paris. Man, quit messing with me. I need to understand what's happening here. What is there to understand? Everything is a joke, too. They're moving us to another prison. Right. Beautification, whatever. How long will it take? Two weeks. They hear a voice from behind the door. Sir, can you give me a cigarette? Why are you calling me, sir? Because you're my father's age. What's the door to the whole team? Sir, are you going to give me a cigarette or not? How old are you anyway? Fourteen. How young to smoke? I'll be fifteen soon. There you go. Lord, what does he need that poison for as his age? What about a lighter? Wadiye searches in his pocket for a lighter. Give him a lighter. I do not have a lighter! Why not give him a lighter? Thank you. Kind of. Rami smokes and blows the smoke away from the group. Clean the building. Ooh, makes sense. We should kind of lost it. Whatever you say. Sorry, man. But I don't want any problems. I need to tell you the good news, dad. There's good news? Why haven't you told us yet? You think you deserve me telling you any good news? You don't want Papi. They live when you're mad at me. Which means you're sorry? Who will mind love you, Papi? What's the good news? So, Fida and the lawyer submitted a petition and they're going to start the legal process. So it's possible they'll be a wedding? It's certain. Here in the prison? Yeah, we'll invite an administration. We'll have it in the main office. Will they be dancing at the wedding? No, no, no, no dancing. Why not? Because we don't have any music. You're too young to smoke, it's not healthy. Yeah, prison on the other hand is really healthy. The guard comes the group forward into the prison bed. A few months later, the visitor's room. The guard sits on the other side of the glass in the same place where Fida sat in the previous scene. Wadiah enters and sits. Well, welcome back. Two months past quickly happened. So I understand from your lawyer that the situation was very hard, very bad over there. How did your lawyer know about the situation over there? No letters or visitors were allowed? How did she know? Why did you ask to see me? I wanted to talk to you. Why here? Don't you want to know what this is about? It really doesn't matter what this is about. I asked to meet you in the visitor's room because I understand from your lawyer that she submitted all the paperwork for your petition and that you have a court date in three weeks. Which court date? The court date for your petition to marry. Ma'am, what is your interest in the subject? I'm the one asking the questions today. Do you understand how this will affect Fida's life? I'm not talking today. You understand that she's not just marrying you. She's marrying a whole cause. You're strapping her down with your sentence and you've only served a third of it. You've got another 20 years. Do you know the meaning of 20 years? But you're asking her to wait 20 years for you on the outside. Why? It's egotism, not love. It's Fida's right to make her own choice. Ask for you and administration. I will address you in court. Wadiah gets up and passes to the door. He waits for the gate to open. How old is she today? 29? 30? How old will she be in 20 years? 50? The gate opens. Wadiah exits. The guards sits in silence for a few moments. Scene 15. Several minutes later. The prison yard. Saleh, Fuad, Marad and Rami are out. Don't you want to develop the film? What's that mean develop the film? I'll explain later. There was no visit. What was there? I'm going to go get some exercise. What's with the sudden desire for exercise and you wanted exercise so badly why didn't you come out to rest this morning? That's enough. Leave him alone. Wadiah starts to run around the yard. He doesn't want to tell us what happened. He'll tell us later. Wadiah sprints around the yard as the rest walk. Fuad stops walking. Marad notices Fuad and goes up to him. What does it mean to develop the film? It means you take a nap after the visit. Why? So you can go to sleep and continue the visit in your dream. They continue walking. Scene 16. A continuation of the previous scene in the prison yard. The guard enters and watches the men from afar. They do not notice him. Wadiah... They already handed out the mail today. They handed it out. Nothing came? No, nothing. Today we hold a conference. You're not going to tell us what happened. We need this conference as soon as possible. Wadiah... Everything is fine. What are we going to talk about in the meeting? The wood, of course. Wadiah! Come here, I want to talk with you. The other men start walking again as Wadiah and the guard cross to the side. You smoke? Man, how many years you've known me? Two men. Then why are you asking? An excuse to offer you a cigarette if you want a cigarette with me? Yeah, yeah. All right. The guard takes out a packet of cigarette and offers Wadiah one. Wadiah takes out his own packet of cigarettes. The guard offers him a lighter. Wadiah lights up with his own lighter. Yes, you want her to talk to me about something or can I just go back to wreck? Do you have something to tell me? No, I don't. You sure about that? Yeah, I'm sure. They smoke. How's your mother doing? She hasn't come for a visit in a long time. She's fine, thank God. Well, why hasn't she been coming to visit? She's tired from the trip. Oh, okay. I see. You see? Yeah. I was worried that she... Yeah. Well, I don't know. I was worried she wasn't happy with you or she wasn't happy with this idea of you getting married. Oh, God forbid. She doesn't like cigarette. I had a cigarette. Do you really think this marriage petition will succeed? What do you think? Yes. Cigarette is done. Scene 17. Redot returns from work and checks the mailbox. She finds a letter. She goes into the house. She reads the letter. My dearest Fidah, I miss you and everybody. For the next visit, I'm asking that my mother come with you. I'm starting to worry about her continued absence. My love, I'm writing to you about something that you need to consider deeply. I don't want romantic notions to keep me from thinking logically. I believe a couple should bring children into the world after getting married in order to embody their union through the fruit of their love. Because of this belief, I would like to ask you to preserve your fertility by freezing your egg, especially after what I've read and looked into. Fidah stops reading. She stands holding the letter. Scene 19. Several weeks later, the prison cell. Wadiye, Saleh, Fuad and Marad are gathered around the table. They stare down at the strings of the ura. Rami stands guard near the door. He peers out the small hole to make sure nobody's coming down the corridor. It is winter. The cell is cold and damp. The men are not feeling well. They cough and sneeze and blow their noses. Stomach fires spreading through the prison. The men take turns guarding and running to the bathroom. How did you manage to pull it off? Impossible. The stealing of the strings. My job in the prison is distributing food down the corridors. I have experience, my brother. First lesson. Know which officer you're dealing with. Is he a stupid conscript or a bastard sergeant? Whoever he is, he is a human being. He has particular characteristics. You've got to know which ones are vigilant. Which ones can read body language. So we planned office into the property room during the shift of the naive private. Pulling this shit off is a delicate art. Can somebody replace me? Okay. You just started. What's the deal? I need to go to the bathroom. Go. I'll take over for now. Rami turns to go to the bathroom. Saleh grabs Rami's arm and speaks privately to him. Under the toilet. See if my lighter fell under the toilet. Rami runs to the bathroom. Saleh takes his place guarding the door. I'm at the Rami in the bathroom. It's all quiet. I suggest we start assembly before the next guard rotation. Shouldn't we wait for Rami? Oh Rami. We can't wait. We can, but we need to start this meeting soon. Okay. So take your time Rami. Come on Rami. Does anyone have a visit tomorrow? My mother's supposed to come. My mother and Pida are coming tomorrow. Rami comes out of the bathroom. Why didn't you flush? There's no water. I will have a heart attack. I will be watered in the morning so we can shower before the visits. Didn't you say you wanted to take a shit? I'm cold. I don't know if anyone's going to visit me tomorrow. Of course. Somebody is going to come from your family. Comrade Badia. Why are you laughing? Yes Comrade Rami. Could you help me write a letter tomorrow? Excuse me. Excuse me. I love you. Delegate. I need a new one. I could help you write a letter too if you want. I have an idea. Idea about the belly of the ood. Wait for Murad to get back. I look all over the prison and I couldn't find anything that would work for that part of the ood. The ribs on the belly you know is curved like that. It's fucking complicated. If we don't do this together and have formal conference, we're never going to find a solution. Wait, Murad will return and we'll start the conference then. Who do you want to write a letter to? Nobody. What do you cross to the bathroom? Hey Murad, how long are you going to take in there man? I understand from Murad that the belly, I thought I'd make something square. But square! And I'll tell you why in a minute. What's important is that it's hollow inside, right Murad? Right. So, why square? Easier to build. Smart kid. The curved ribs require a special wood and that's difficult. Can't get it. But I've been thinking a lot about how to make the belly of the ood square from the materials we have available. And did you find a solution? I have an idea. Okay, what is it? But I'm not so sure. Oh, just try it. The backgammon boards. One on top of another. That wood is thin and cheap. It's not good. Not all boards are made of the same cheap wood. If the wood's too thin it won't work. All of this effort will be useless. What pulls a backgammon board out from under the bed? And the wood is dry and cracked. So, what's the solution? There isn't a solution. That's the backgammon board from the commonsense. But the boards that the Red Cross brings us, like the one I used to have, they're made of strong wood, good wood. Oh, sure. So tomorrow I'll just collect all the boards from all the cell. We don't want the whole prison to know about the ood. It'll go straight to administration. You're right. You're right about that. So what do we do? Let me just figure it out. How? Trust me. Quad gets up suddenly and runs to the bathroom. Where to? To the movie. Quad goes into the bathroom and shuts the door. In 20, the next morning, the prison cell, the men get ready. We hear the sound of the shower. Marad, Rami, and Saleh sit around the table. Wadiah is sleeping. Hey, man, what's the deal? Give him some space. I'm going to be late for my visit. You're not going to be late. You'll take your shower. You'll put your cologne on this time. A smooth shave takes time, brother. Will they tell me if someone comes for me? The God will come and call each of us by name. They'll call you too? If someone comes to visit me. What? Come on! Hey, okay. Almost done. After a moment, Quad comes out. Marad goes in and closes the door. Sorry, man. There's no more hot water. There was hot water? No. The sound of the shower in the bathroom. Quad dresses and gets ready in front of the mirror. He puts on cologne. Papi. Marad, Wadiah, rise and shine. Arise and get up. Your coffee awaits. Drag you out of bed and take you straight to your visit. Enough. And now for the cologne, man. You're suffocating us. Well, maybe it'll get rid of this swampy damn filter. No cologne will be for that smell. Your mother won't smell the cologne anyway. Doremi. Asolati. Papi. How old are you? Twenty. Twenty. Yeah, five months, I'll be twenty. So your birthday is in five months, hopefully. He's lying. Don't believe that. I know. My birthday is in two and a half months. How old will you be? Fifteen. Doremi. I took a shower last night. Okay, so get up and get dressed. Wadiah gets up slowly, lazily. The sound of the shower stops. What's the cologne? Why are you such an idiot? Wadiah likes cologne, not Wadiah. Cut it out, man. Cut it out. Don't just even run away. Moran comes out of the bathroom with a flecks of shaving cream on his face. What? Oh, jeez. Just stop. You need some perfume. Don't. Don't touch me with that perfume, man. It's not up to you. Wadiah stops. He lets Wadiah dab cologne on him. Wadiah goes into the bathroom. Put a little on me. Nice shave. You too. Give me a hand. Wadiah comes out of the bathroom, drying his face with a towel. We hear the guard walking down the corridor towards the cell. Should I shake my beard or do you think it's okay? Oh, swell. Then how is my beard? Yours is the best beard in all of Palestine. The guard opens the door. Count. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Five. Good morning, visiting hours. Fouad, you have a visitor, your mother. Wadiah, you have a visitor, not your mother. Wadiah exits. The guard exits. Rami stands in silence. Saleh sits on his bed. Scene 21. Half an hour later, the prison cell. Saleh and Rami are alone in the room. Rami stands guard by the door. Saleh holds a backgammon board, turning it over in his hands. Trying to figure out how to build the belly of the ud. Is there a chance that the ud will work? It will work. What are we still missing? A few screws, a screwdriver, a mouse, glue, a saw, pegs for the wood, wood for the neck. We're missing a lot. What's a mouse? It's a sanding machine. A mouse-detailed sander. Smooth. Where are we going to find all these things? We'll build them. How? I think with you? Of course. How many years have you been inside? Ten. Don't you get bored? If I get bored, I die. I'm also not bored. Why didn't you answer me when I asked you about the letter? What? Yesterday. You remember? You forgot? No. Me neither. I was embarrassed. Why did they rescue? The soldier was kidnapped. Rescue now? The orders were that if anything got caught, it would be necessary to get rid of him. Instructions from whom? From above. From above? Like God, you mean? I was at a protest. I was burning a flag, and I tried to escape, but I fell down and they got me. Where was the protest? Jerusalem. You came all the way down from the Golan Heights to protest in Jerusalem? No, no, I worked in Jerusalem. You've got your own issues up there. I worked there. So, you've been out of school for a long time. Salah takes out a carefully snatched folder of stationary and a pencil case. Salah sits down next to the desk. What do you want to write? Salah spreads a selection of different colored pens and pencils on the table. Rami chooses a color. Dear mama, it's me, Rami. How are you? And how are you doing? I'm okay. I'm feeling fine. The comrades here are looking out for me real good. There's no reason for you to come here, mama. The trip is hard. I'm fine, and dandy. I am in the same prison that you were in. And I know how hard the trip is to get here. I remember when we used to come visit you. It was so cold in the village when we left in the morning. Sometimes there was even snow. And that made our trip more difficult. And most of the time, they didn't even let us, sorry, most of the time, they didn't let us visit you. I'll be home in five months. The situation here is better than you told me. The prison is very clean. The beds are comfortable. And we sit around laughing all the time. They had a shower and toilets in the room since you were here. Mama, my beard is coming in. I'm voted by Razor and Shaving Cream from Commissar today. I have the money. How are my brothers? How's papa? Let me know that you're all okay. Mama, don't... Gene, 22. Two weeks later, in the visitors room, while Diaz sits at a table, Fidah enters. The guard observes from the corridor. What are you hiding from me? How about you say hello first? It's always time on the obvious. Saying hello is obvious? Fidah just asked me. What? Why are you treating me like this, like a child? Why did my mother come today? If something's happened, tell me, okay? Because when my father died, I didn't even have a chance to see him or hear his voice. And at least I want to hear from her. I want to hear her voice. How old is she now? Your mother is fine. What is she? She's getting old. Time is racing by. She'll probably come for the next visit. Yeah, for God's sake, Fidah, please, okay? I'm begging you, even if my whole family is hiding something from me. If there is anything, you have to tell me. You promise? To ask you about the petition. I bought you a suit for the wedding. I deposited it in the property. Seriously? Everyone's surprised. The lawyer was amazing. She gave 110%. And the case got a lot of attention in the media. It's becoming a matter of public interest. After all that pressure, they agreed. All these things are happening and I did nothing to help. There's a date set? Wait, that soon? How's it going for your parents? They still don't entirely understand it. And all the attention from the media and the reporters, it stresses them out more. But very slowly, they're warming to the idea. Every time we talk, I think I finally explain things to them, but then they always have more questions. They're worried about me. Don't you want to know how I'm doing? How are you doing? I went to buy you a suit. Are you sure about this? I'm also probably surprised for you as soon as possible. Well, Dia gets up and exits quickly. Fidah sits for a few moments, then exits. Scene 23. Immediately following the previous scene. After exiting the visitors room, what Dia crosses quickly through the yard towards the cell. He passes right by Salih, Fuad, Murad and Rami, but ignores them in the haste to reach his cell. Scene 24. A moment after, two simultaneous locations inside the bathroom of the prison cell and outside on the street near the prison. What Dia's got on the street, Fidah's cell phone rings. It is an unknown number. Hello? Hello? Fidah, it's me. It's me, Fidah. What, Dia? Yeah, you're talking with me. I thought it was a call related to work. You're mistaken. It's a call related to love. How are you calling me? Listen, listen to me quickly, okay? Talk. I'm going to dance for a wedding. Me and the guys. Totally want to sing and dance in our wedding, right? I mean, we're making a nude. A nude? Yes. A local nude. Handcrafted in cell number four, right here, and it's all handmade, homegrown. The guys are building everything from scratch. It's a square room, but that's not important. What's important is the sound. It's a nude made out of background boards. Can you believe it? We glued them and then painted everything. Before you know it, we're going to open it up. Everything is going to be made right here, we love. And the saw is from a big can of tuna. Saleh made it. The strings came from outside. The musician, he's the one who's going to play the wood at our wedding, and I asked him if he could teach me how to play the wood after we make it. The pegs of the wood are made from the tips of wood spoons. You know, that we use for our soup. You know, the ones that we make, right? And we're doing all this in secret. One guy guards, one guy works. Sometimes I help, but I'm not very useful, and every time I hold the sander, I end up injuring my fingers, so Saleh said it's better. Now what do you know to say? The subject I'm studying right now is very detailed and involved in exams coming up. And I'm writing this in less than an hour. I'll send it to you in a letter, and if you think the essay is good, look, nobody can know about the wood if the administration finds out. But the whole thing, the whole thing is going to be real. And you understand this. Vida, are you there? Yeah, I'm here. Okay, look, I'm sorry. I'm coming on. When will you finish, though? But I'm just listening. I'm hoping that we'll be finished before the wedding, because... Wadiah stops talking mid-sentence. He sends someone outside the bathroom. He quickly hides the phone. Wadiah? Wadiah? Wadiah exits and sees the guard. Whoa, whoa, how come you're not in the yard? Diarrhea, man. Diarrhea. Yeah, all the guys have that. You and I, we've got some more talking to do. Bar one. I'd like to invite you for a cup of tea in my office, to accept. Saleh, Fuad, Marad, and Rami return from recreation. The guard exits. Scene 25. A few months later, the prison cell. Night. Wadiah, Saleh, Fuad, and Marad stand around the table. Rami is in the bathroom. Suddenly the lights cut out, complete darkness. What happened? Bring it here. Put it on the table. I can't see nothing. Voice down, man. Oh, shut up. Get to me. I'll hold it. What happened to the light? To the table to offer his lighter. He steps his toe on the table. What's happening? What happened? I'm not a kitchen lighter. Did you find it? Oh, I forgot. Here, take my lighter. Saleh strikes the light. Suddenly we see a small caper. Saleh lights 15 candles on Rami's birthday cake. As Saleh lights the last candle, Rami comes out of the bathroom. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Rami. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday. Come on, Rami. Before you blow out the candle, make a wish. No, no, no. Wait, wait. There's no electricity we won't be able to see. Just blow out one candle. I thought you turned the lights to surprise him. I was a gift from administration. Rami blows out one candle. Happy birthday. Let's cut the cake. Mara takes a candle from the cake so he can go find the knife. He gets the knife and gives it to Rami. Good luck. Thank you so much, all of you. For all of this, thanks, Salih. I really appreciate it. Thanks, Salih. He's the one who planned it all. No. We all planned it together. Thank you, Salih. Salih takes a lit candle and crosses to his bed. Where are you going? I need to get back to work. If we keep taking and taking breaks, we won't ever finish the oot. The wedding is around the corner. Guys, eat cake. Salih. Too sweet for me. They cut the cake and eat. Salih sits on the ground, the various parts of the oot next to him. In the light of the candle, Salih stands for peace he plans on using for the pegs. He tries to stand without making any noise. Walk crosses to his bed and sits down. Today, I'll stand guard. I'll stand guard. No, no, no. Cut it out. It's your birthday. So what? You let me stand guard and you go help Salih. Whatever you say. Let me help a little. No, no, no need. You go study. Your exam is in two weeks. Brother, I started it now. Go study some more. Stop worrying about me, okay? This exam would be easier on the last one. I ace the last one, so I'm surely going to pass the next one. It's your last exam. Give it all you got. Why is everything good? Yeah. I think someone's coming. Salih, Marad hide three parts. Fuad and Wadiah extinguish the candles. Everyone goes to their bed and pretends to sleep. The guard opens the door. He holds a flashlight. He shines it on each bed in turn. Very happy birthday, Rami. You have the same birthday. It's not nice, you know. I wished you a happy birthday. You didn't respond. I could hear you guys on the other side of the carpet. And now all of a sudden you're all asleep. Wadiah. Your tea is ready. What tea? You remember. A while back I promised to invite you for a cup of tea. Come on, let's have our tea. Right now in the middle of the night? That's the best time for tea. The guard exits and moves towards the door. Thanks for the birthday wishes. The guard exits and closes the door. Darkness. Scene 26. Several hours later. Solitary confinement in a different prison. In the darkness we hear footsteps receding. The sound of an iron door opening then slamming shut. A dim light rises. Wadiah is chained. Suspended by his lens, his hands and his legs hovering above the ground. He is unconscious. Long silence. Black screen. Scene 27. Later that same week. In the prison yard. Recreation. Quad and Maraud are saying goodbye to Maraud. Solace stands off to the side. You watch yourself. You too. We'll see you soon. Go on. Get out of here. I'm getting out soon too. Maraud embraces him. Rami heads towards the exit. Before he reaches the gate, Salah approaches him. Watch out for yourself. Don't worry about me. I'm not worried. As soon as he's back in this prison. I really wanted to be with you guys for the wedding. You go play in the snow. Up there. Where you can see the whole sky. When you get out, I'll invite you to our place. Go play in the snow together. Rami turns to exit. Don't forget. You invited me. I won't forget. Rami places something in Salah's hand. Take it. What's this? My lighter. A gift? Yeah. When I get back to the village, I'll buy me one. No, no, no. You keep it. I'm afraid I'll lose it. What's the story with your lighter? It was also a gift. From whom? From my father. So this is a gift from me. Take it. Salah embraces him. Rami walks clockwise around the yard. Salah, Fuad, and Murad begin walking counterclockwise. Rami moves to the outside of the circle on the periphery of the yard. Rami exits. The others continue to walk around counterclockwise in silence. Scene 28. Minutes later in the prison yard. Salah, Fuad, and Murad are out for recreation. Wadiah returns from his visit. He attempts to cross the yard to get to his cell. He walks unsteadily and then falls to the ground. The men gather around him. Then pick him up and take him to his cell. Scene 29. Later that night, the prison cell. Wadiah, Salah, Fuad, and Murad lie in their beds. They stare out at nothing in particular. They speak to nobody in particular. What do you think? My head is very crowded with meaning of all the situation here. Friendship, freedom, inside, outside of the sun. You know what I mean. Teed, dreams. I told you all of this has to mean it. It has to be meaning it. Why does it have to be? Why would we create it? I need to sleep. What do you think? I've stopped dreaming? You mean at night? At night? During the day? Have you always had a dream? My last dream I dreamt I was a little boy. At home? And I was sitting with my family. And my father had come back from prison on a family visit. He was roasting Chesna. Oh, man. Chesna. My father loved Chesna. It was rainy. Yesterday I had a dream. I was on stage, playing the ooh. And my strings started to snap. One by one I kept playing because you had to keep playing. The show goes on. I played another string snap. All the strings? But you were upset and the ooh was destroying. But he was happy. Solace is up in bed. He turns his lighter over in his hands. He lights a cigarette. I went into the room. She was sitting behind the glass as usual. I looked at her. Her hair seemed white. I said hello to her. She said it's a new smile. I was silent. I thought I should ask her how she was doing. I didn't ask her. She was embarrassed. I could see it in her smile. I looked into her eyes. She looked around the room. She looked into my eyes like she was searching for something. I averted my eyes. Look at the floor, the shoes. Dirty. And then after a while I raised my... I had to say something so I asked her about my sister Nala. How is Nala? Fine. She's great, she said. And Mahmood, how is he? How are the kids? And she was silent. They're okay? I asked her. And Abdullah, how is he doing? More than that. So far I felt silent too. But while she said to me, everybody's fine. I'll put here what I know. Two months later, a room in the prison which we have not yet seen. In the third tuning, he begins to play. Hidah enters in a white dress. The scene is not the actual wedding. It is a developing of the film. The dream during the nap after the visit. Wadiah enters in his suit. Saleh enters with Rami. Fuad and the guard enter. It is the finale. They all walk in a circle. The music ends. They all stand in place. I'm writing a letter to a child. Well, that's not yet been born. I'm writing into an impression. Without formal consciousness. Before he has ever become a reality, he's already scared. I'm writing to every boy, whoever was, and every girl. I write to my child. Well, that's not yet greeted the hair of this world. I write to my child. Hidah, name that means birth. Birthday celebration. Dear Milad, today I mark my 25th year in prison. There is 9131 in a quarter of days. It's a number without an end. It's an age of incarceration. Ballroom over. It's divided into two halves. Strangle those days. Each day I spend in prison, cancels its full day. It ends inside out, and empties itself. All remaining. You are the most beautiful thing out there. Smuggled out. I'm writing through an unborn child. The state with nuclear weapons, wages, battle against the child yet to be born, and declares this child to be a security threat. Intelligence reports. Court appeals. Or is that a threat? I write a letter about dreaming. This dream becomes a file in the state security agency. I stop dreaming. I search for meaning in life, despite all I have lost in life. My father's in search of me. Imaginary roots as it. We seek out a better future for our children. I'm going to tell him about it. Scene 32. On the stage of the theater, the actors rise and cross toward the audience and stop. They do not walk in a circle. They stand in place. The time of the play ceases. Applause for the actors. One. So, first of all, thank you for writing the play. I think we spent some time with some people as we talk. In close spaces. In trapped places. And with life and dreams and realities and possibilities and the media. a little bit about the play, how did you come to write it? Actually, I started with a team, making a research. Can you hear all well? No. We actually, a bit loud, really. So we started from a research. It was a long process research. We spent one year researching here. First of all, we started talking about political prisoners, like all over the world. Then we go specifically in the Israeli jail. And then we find some stores, and then we focus on them. And then we started to try to contact these people that are inside jail and their families. And we went, finally, to study to work. So it was a really long process. We worked almost one year in the house to wrote it and to direct it, to show it. It was a crazy journey, actually, to work with this. I understood that, also me, I had a lot of stereotypes in my mind about them. And I was really surprised in all the time from how they deal with their lives, with the time, with the place, with their dreams. So, actually, this piece is inspired from real stories. For some prisoners, I was focused in a biography of a prisoner called Walid Baka, that he's entered today in the jail, and also about some other movie that were with him. So you said you did some universal research around the world. How did that look like? What did you do? We read a lot of things, but I think the most interesting thing was when I started to try to connect them. I sent them a letter first of all, then I got that letter. Then I met his family, his mother, and I have something like in 20 hours of recording with his family, with his friends. Actually, the family point was when I first released the letter, the last one. It's actually a letter that really stuck out. I understood that it's a real different reality. And it was very important for me to try to work with it. Because they are in a real bad situation from the two sides, also from the Israeli side and also from the Palestinian side. Because the Palestinian side, they want to see them all the time as heroes. And the Israeli sides all the time want to see them as a criminal or another. And for me, I don't see any difference between hero or another. It was focused really on finding this basic story that I found in human life. I see it as a love story. It's the way that they chose to work with this project. Next to me is Marvin Carlson, a colleague at the Graduate Center CUNY. Perhaps the foremost theater historian in the world. It's also focusing on plays from the Arab world from North Africa. Marvin, when you listen to the play, what comes to your mind? I guess the thing that strikes me the most about the play is how more of the people that are in their, of course, are in a terrible situation, or even a tolerable one. And yet they have dreams. They have aspirations. I find the project is a wonderful illustration of how in the most absolutely impossible circumstances, still there is a human spirit that connects all of them. One has a feeling that from outside that one must be constant suffering, and the suffering is almost there. But still there are things, the play which makes the imprisonment of them, the confinement of them, that will bizarre. And because they're just people, they're normal people with normal desires and normal pleasures, normal frustrations. They've lost a lighter or whatever. So I think this is what struck me, is the contrast between the impossible, the entirely international situation there. And the fact that the humanity is always there also. Tell us a bit more about your work as a playwright. Where has the play fit in? How many other plays have you done? What are you working on? Yes, this production was prepared four years ago in the Medell Theater. In what? In Medell Theater. High five? Three years. After that I did a lot of projects before it. My last project was also, I worked with 30 Palestinian actors from all over, from different places from the moment, and we premiered this project four months ago in Jerusalem and Haifa. I'm working now in a theater, a new theater, that's called Khashabi Theater. We have a new independent theater, Haifa, that I established with a group of actors that we've worked together since six years. That we started as a group of artists where we are working in a different theater from where we choose to build our place. If I understood right, Haifa is kind of a hub of the Palestinian scene or something else. Can you tell us a little bit about the scene? What is happening there? I just bragged a little bit about your theater, though. I think maybe you're not getting the picture of how special the Khashabi Theater is. So Oshaar founded it with several, three other, four other ensemble members, and they have in this, the ensemble was founded several years earlier, but the theater opened its doors two years ago, and since it opened its doors in 2015, it houses the Khashabi Ensemble, which has a full season of original theater, and then they also have exhibits in the space, they have comedy nights, they have film screenings, they have lectures, and so this space in and of itself has really become a very important place and hub for Palestinian arts and culture for the whole region. Palestinian culture and art is, in each year you can feel that it's going to be more and more powerful in Saifat city, and what is interesting is that it's starting to be like talking in an eye level, so we start to feel that there is a real dialogue and that this kind of dialogue that you are talking with someone downstairs that you can make your dialogue in an eye level, that I found it really interesting in Haifa, and it's one of our aims to do Khashabi theater, but still, for example, this space, at the time, we produced it in the Medan theater, and it's a real good theater in Haifa that the theater takes as money from the Israeli cultural municipality. They get money from the Ministry of Culture, and they cut the fun with this space, so the theater now is still closed and is still waiting for the money. Not just the, also the municipality of Haifa they cut the money from the theater and that's why I didn't do my work. So because of that, Haifa is really weird. Now we are trying to find a more independent place to be. Tell us a bit about your process of writing. I was thinking you were taking a work as an actor, so how, do you, do you sit in your room, do you write your time in a computer, or do you improvise it, or do you collectively create the work? It's really different from a project to another project. For example, at the time I started doing the research. Then we had the first workshop with the material of the research. Then I went to the first draft. Then we had the second workshop. So this time I see 3D important and 3D healthy because it opens this yellow, just write them and see if they're right. Then it's finished. In some projects we work together sometimes, but usually we are working together. I was curious. A very important part of the work of the independent theaters, small independent theaters throughout the Middle East has been, for a number of years, the kind of cross-prolization that's made possible by the festivals of independent theaters in Cairo and Amman. Is that kind of travel accessible to you? Do you go or can you go to any of the various areas? Yes, we can. We don't make it because when there is an independent festival we invite independent theaters so there is no money to travel from there. But at least we can do it. We can do it. First-of-the-theater having a really beautiful, say, friendship and a surprise and also a thoughtful, intimate care from a lot of festivals in the world of theaters. We tried to go to Egypt like the last year, but it was really possible. It's really hard to go without festivals like that. Rebecca, did you see the play? What were the challenges in translating? I did see the play. I saw it in 2014. In Haifa. How was that scene? It was very special. The play was running in Arabic. The mainstream Jewish population in the country wasn't paying attention to the play because it was in Arabic. For the most part it's not accessible to most of the population there. I actually saw the first show that you performed with Hebrew subtitles. I think that's when the trouble began. Actually, to be honest, the people who closed down the theater and were protesting against this play never actually ran to play. When I saw this play, first of all, I thought several things. Bashar, in addition to being a wonderful writer, is also a great director. When you see the ensemble work with the Qashbi Theater, it was a great experience. We had amazing actors for this reading. What you have to understand is that the way Bashar writes as a playwright is very theatrical. There's a lot of action going on. There's a lot of things happening in between and under the text that we can't understand or see in a reading. That's one of the things that I really love about his writing. In addition to, again, the structure of the play, the interesting and beautiful characters that he developed in this play, the theatricality of the work, these are all things that made me want to translate it. In addition, I'm also very interested in the politics of the play. I think it might be interesting to mention that the last time that I actually went into the Qashbi Theater in November, there was an exhibit there of George Jackson and the son of Palestine. George Jackson, of course, the famous Black Panther and Marxist activist was imprisoned in the U.S. There was this really striking... It wasn't too unspoken or subtle, but there was an expression of solidarity between this activist and the Palestinian activist. I was very interested in those connections. I think as Frank knows and Marvin knows that I'm very interested in play, in a specific situation, and this is a story about these very specific Palestinian characters, but at the same time this play has things that we need to listen to as Americans. We also deal with issues of long-term incarceration, police brutality, and that this is a play that can provoke us into thinking about the challenges we face in our own society. I'd like to say a little bit more of all those same lines as to exactly what offended the authorities in this play. That is, was it the general conditions, the solitary confinement? I'm also interested, and this is so often the case, that some of the people who complained about it had not read it or seen it. And so my question is kind of a double one. What were they actually objecting to, and what did they think was in the play that they didn't like that we are now even busy? I don't know to answer what they really think, but I know that we meet as a director, a writer, my role, what I'm fighting for is my love, to say it by identity. And we all know that maybe the Israeli system really afraid for it to heal. Because it was really crazy. I play running for more than one year. And for me, it's running in the mainstream Palestinian theater. And it's still soft. Perhaps there are more works that are... So there is a difference in that you need to give this play to somebody to get a license to pursue it like that. The censorship is sort of after the fact that is they then say this is not acceptable. The problem that it happened also with the other shows, for example there is a holographic, they also stopped his show after. But what is happening now is that actually they don't need stop-load shows. It's already built inside the organization they're taking money from. And what it's really interesting for me and really important for me is to read this text today when there are also two real characters from the piece and from Smith. But still the president, how do you find your strength? Since 22 days. I think it's supported 23 years. So we went a little bit over time. So maybe there's one comment or one more thing for you to add from here. Next week it's supposed to start in 10 or 11 minutes with the casting we still have to set it up. But thank you really for finding it from Belgium to be with us today, Rebecca, Fabinia, Marvin. And Steve also often deals, the plays are in hospitals. We all think people are crazy. We all prisoners in some way. The way is how to relate to it in a human way but also looking at your structures and systems that create this. So really thank you all for listening. I hope you will be able to stay for a very unusual play from Korea about the North Korean effect. Let's go back of course. Something very unusual also. But again, thank you for coming.