I recently became the education coordinator for The Culture Project, a non-profit theatre company in Manhattan, whose mission is to bear witness to injustice by maximizing artistic resources to stimulate challenging conversation about the most profound and urgent matters of our time. Some of these issues include exposing innocent people wrongfully imprisoned on death row, atrocities perpetrated in the Guantánamo prison camp, racial inequality in America, the fight for civil rights and the democratic inclusiveness of the American Dream, educating people about influential historical figures, a story of Nigeria s oil madness, and most recently, discussing the question of impeachment.
The Culture Project aims to convert interest, energy and engagement into a motivational demand for progressive change. Through our productions, we are committed to initiating dialogue about critical issues. We seek to inspire and participate in a national conversation, amplifying the voices of individuals, which are rarely heard and seldom considered.
The Culture Project has been involved in several productions, such as Tings Dey Happen, Rebel Voices, My Trip To Al-Qaeda, Dai, Speak Truth to Power, Women Center Stage, Border/Clash: A Litany of Desires, Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog From Iraq, Guantánamo: Honor Bound to Defend Freedom and Jesus Is Magic. Each piece shared personal stories that have affected individuals around the world and throughout history. Bringing to life the struggle and power of social action and change, each of these productions presented the possibility of lifting the human spirit and inciting political action.
Our current production is the world premiere of George Packer´s new play, Betrayed. In early 2007, Packer published an article in The New Yorker about Iraqi interpreters who jeopardized their lives on behalf of Americans in Iraq, with little or no US protection or security. The article drew national attention to the humanitarian crisis and moral scandal.
Betrayed, based on Packer s interviews in Baghdad, tells the story of three young Iraqis – two men and one woman – motivated to risk everything by America s promise of freedom. It explores the complex relationships among the Iraqis themselves, and with their American supervisor, struggling to find purpose while a country collapses around them.
This production provides an opportunity for the much needed dialogue on the complexity of the occupation in Iraq. It is a rare occurrence to hear the voices of Iraqi citizens, let alone the experiences of interpreters working for the US army. Betrayed not only tells the stories of Iraqis, but also follows the lives of US embassy employees in the Green Zone and soldiers stationed throughout the Red Zone.
You see these badges? This one is for the Green Zone and this one is for the Embassy. To Americans I am nobody without them, but to Iraqis they are like a target on my neck, cries out Intisar, an Iraqi interpreter in Betrayed. The audience watches the relationship unfold between the interpreters and a US aid worker, inspired by Kirk Johnson from The List Project, who is still tirelessly working on getting visas for Iraqi refugees. Betrayed, provides the tools for a greater understanding of the current situation in Iraq.
In an attempt to delve further into dialogue, we have organized talk-back discussions with the people and organizations that inspired the play. These individuals include Iraqi interpreter Omer Salih Mandi, playwright and New Yorker journalist George Packer, Kirk Johnson from The List Project, Lawrence Wright, a journalist for The New Yorker, and organizations such as Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, Iraq Refugee Initiative, the Center for Law and Security at New York University, and the Arab American Family Support Center. These discussions allow our audience to ask questions and share their thoughts on our involvement in Iraq as we near the war’s fifth anniversary.
The Culture Project recognizes the invaluable opportunities found in educational and political theatre. By doing so, we hope to develop and diversify our audience by forming relationships with communities and schools that are interested in dialogue and social change.
Simnia Singer-Sayadahas a master´s degree from New York University in educational theatre, with a focus on human rights awareness and social change. This article is written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.
