Study Guide: My Name is Rachel Corrie
Why we chose to produce this play
We first encountered Rachel Corrie during the creation process for our 2005
award-winning production of Women + War. Rachel's cousin Beth lives here in town,
and we interviewed her for the project.
One of the scenes in the final Women + War production featured Rachel's story told
through Beth's own experience of becoming an activist.
In addition to creating powerful and compelling works of theatre, as a company we have
an ongoing commitment to community dialogue. In producing My Name is Rachel Corrie,
we are very interested in reaching out to the diverse communities of Atlanta and helping
to create a safe space to come together in conversation about the issues that this play brings forward.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, we are always more interested in the
personal stories behind the politics. We strongly believe in this script's ability to
transcend Israel and Palestine, to tell a compelling personal story about one young
woman coming of age and discovering the strength of her own convictions.
About the Play
Since this play was created, a number of productions have been planned
and then cancelled or postponed. The play has intense supporters and detractors on all sides.
What makes Rachel’s story such a lightning rod?
Rachel is daring, hopeful, and has audacity. She challenges both conservative values and
progressive status quo by challenging privilege across the board. She challenges those
who claim power and those who are working to dismantle the power structures currently in place.
There are groups that want to silence Rachel, because the universality of her experience
allows the story to open up to a wider audience. Rachel challenges us to ask, "What am I,
personally, doing with my life to make an impact?" She also recognizes that deciding to
not act is still an active decision.
In our community dialogues and in the presenting of this play, we are particularly
focused on creating a safe space for individuals to dialogue around the question of responsibility.
We believe one of the central questions that the text of this play raises is:
"What is the responsibility of the global citizen?"
Please join us in the conversation! We will make a facilitated talkback
available after
each performance. We also have special evenings that will be more in-depth conversations
on 9/23 (College Night), 9/26 (Inside Scoop), 9/30 and others. If you have a group who
would like to come and engage in a facilitated discussion, please let us know!
Production History:
| Royal Court Theatre |
London |
April 2005* |
| New York Theatre Workshop |
NYC |
Mar 2006 - CANCELLED |
| West End’s Playhouse Theatre |
London |
Mar - May 2006 |
| Galway Arts Festival/Edinburgh Fringe |
Ireland |
Jul - Aug 2006 |
| Minetta Lane Theatre/Royal Court |
NYC |
Oct 2006 |
| CanStage Theatre |
Toronto |
2007/08 Season |
| Seattle Repertory Theatre |
Seattle |
Mar - May 2007 |
| Kitchen & Roundhouse Theatre |
Silverspring, MD |
Jul 21, 2007 – 1 night production |
| Contemporary American Theater Festival |
West Virginia |
Jul 6 - Jul 29, 2007 |
| Oregon Stage Works |
Ashland, OR |
Aug 2007 |
| Cyranos Theatre |
Anchorage, AK |
August 22, 2007 – staged reading |
| Mosaic Theatre |
Plantation, FL |
Aug 2007 - CANCELLED |
| Synchronicity Performance Group |
Atlanta, GA |
Sep 2007 |
| Watertown New Rep |
Watertown, MA |
Mar 2008 |
How it was developed:
Four years ago Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old American protester, was killed by
an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza. Since then she has become a potent symbol for both
sides of the conflict. But who was the real Rachel? Katharine Viner, co-editor of
My Name is Rachel Corrie, describes how this play about an ordinary
young woman with an extraordinary passion was developed:
Let Me Fight My Monsters.
More about Rachel Corrie
Was This House Worth Her Life?
ELI SANDERS reports from the Gaza Strip on the death of Olympia's
Rachel Corrie - Evergreen student, anarchist, activist, and accidental martyr.
"But lest I be accused of idealizing her—which Rachel hated and I will do a lot of anyway,
I want to say right off that she was one of the messiest people I know. She never did her dishes.
And while she could organize people so well, her closets were a nightmare."
Quick Links
Learn more about the Israel-Palestinian conflict
About conflict / "cross-border" organizations working for peace:
International Human Rights Organizations
About Israel
About Palestine
Additional Research/Related Links
How to get involved / local links