Seven Jewish Children: a play for Gaza

Seven Jewish Children: a play for Gaza

Caryl Churchill’s controversial 10 minute play is about to premiere in
Wellington. It is Churchill’s response to the paradoxes of the situation
in Gaza in 2009, which has met with vehement reactions on both sides of
the political and cultural divide.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews criticised it for being “anti
Israel.” Christopher Hart of The Sunday Times, claimed it was typical of
the “enclosed, fetid, smug, self-congratulating and entirely irrelevant
little world of contemporary political theatre.” Jeffrey Goldberg of the
Atlantic Monthly calls the play a (modern) blood libel.

On the other hand, playwright Tony Kushner and academic Alisa Solomon,
both Jewish-American critics of Israel policy, argued that the play is
dense, beautiful and elusive and that “any play about the crisis in the
Middle East that doesn’t arouse anger and distress has missed the point.”

The play is being presented by the NZ Actors Without Borders Collective,
led by Jane Waddell. It features K.C. Kelly, Dee O’Connor, Chantelle
Brader and Ricky Dey.

It will play at St Andrews on the Terrace over four days:
Monday 21st February at 12.30, 1.15 and 5.30
Tuesday 22nd February at 12.30, 1.15 and 5.30
Thursday 24th February at 12.30, 1.15 and 5.30
Friday 25th February at 12.30, 1.15 and 5.30

Admission is free, but a collection will be taken at the end each
performance, with all proceeds going to the charity Medical Aid for
Palestinians (MAP), as stipulated by the playwright, who sees the play as
a political event. MAP is an organisation that works for the health and
dignity of Palestinians under occupation and as refugees.

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