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Sharing Palestinian stories in US theater festivals
Philly Fringe 2024: Myriam Ali-Ahmad presents Handala: A Celebration of Palestine
Krista Mar
What happens when we break down the binary of Palestinians as terrorists or victims? Handala: A Celebration of Palestine decenters the Western gaze to showcase the humanity, culture, and quotidian aspects of life. Written and performed by Lebanese American actor, writer, and producer Myriam Ali-Ahmad, this solo show highlights stories from Palestinians whom Ali-Ahmad interviewed. Proceeds from the show go to a family in Gaza who urgently needs medical care.
Handala premiered earlier this year at the Hollywood Fringe Festival (where it won Best Solo Show). After its run at Philly’s Icebox Project Space finishes on September 19, it’s heading the United Solo Festival in New York for an October 11 performance.
A Palestinian boy and an IDF soldier
Directed by Becca Khalil and Mahmoud AboBaker, this powerful solo show weaves together theater, storytelling, and projections. The show starts off strong juxtaposing two stories: a 10-year-old Palestinian boy and an IDF soldier. The boy has wounds from living in an occupied land with impossible odds. Survival is an act of bravery and defiance. In parallel, we follow the story of a conflicted IDF solider who has been trained to follow orders and see Palestinians as less than human. He shares his inner turmoil and anguish as he starts to question some assumptions. Ali-Ahmad crafts both characters with care and empathy, not villainizing either one. Lighting design (Bless Rudisill) and live drumming and music (Mostafa Darwish and Rayhan Blankinship) provide powerful dramatic effect.
An engaging performance
The show has some pacing problems. The middle stories weren’t as captivating as the two beginning stories or as poignant as the story at the end: their narratives are less clear and they’re harder to follow (fewer stories with sharper narratives would pack a stronger theatrical punch). This was exacerbated by some technical issues on the night I attended: sound designer Gracie Martin’s chattering city voices in the middle section were too loud, at least at my seat right by a speaker, which made it hard to hear and follow the stories Ali-Ahmad was sharing.
Ali-Ahmad is a talented and engaging performer; her differentiation between characters is strong. She used a keffiyeh, her posture, accent, and affect as tools to differentiate between characters. Lou Hemler’s simple but effective set of a tree, a clothesline, and boxes representing the West Bank wall create stunning silhouettes. The projections (Carlos Roa) are a nice touch, with the use of clips from the news as well as video footage of Palestinian children. These provide a grounding and realness to the performance, but an acted news segment feels out of place among the other clips.
A well-deserved Fringe platform
Despite some issues, this is an important and powerful show that bridges gaps and brings to life the humanity, culture, and resilience of Palestinians. Fringe shows often continue to develop; I hope this one keeps evolving into a more potent version of itself. This show deserves to be platformed and shared with new audiences, who can appreciate its labor of love, resistance, and strength. Many Palestinians are unable to share their own stories with US audiences, so I am thankful to have witnessed this piece.
What, When, Where
Handala: A Celebration of Palestine. Written and performed by Myriam Ali-Ahmad. Directed by Becca Khalil and Mahmoud AboBaker. Through September 19, 2024 at The Icebox Project Space Gallery, 1400 N American Street, Philadelphia. PhillyFringe.org.
Accessibility
The Icebox Project Space is a wheelchair-accessible venue. Masks are required.
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