New Rep Announces 'My Name is Rachel Corrie' and 'Pieces'

For its final Downstage at New Rep production this season, New Repertory Theatre is excited to present two plays running in rotating repertory, each expressing a unique view of the Middle East situation. Called "Their Voices Will Be Heard," the series of events features My Name is Rachel Corrie and Pieces, two solo plays, each about a young woman whose coming of age took place within the context of the Israeli/ Palestinian situation.  Pieces opens on Sunday, March 8, 2008 at 4:00 p.m.  My Name is Rachel Corrie opens on Sunday, March 8, 2008 at 8:30 p.m.  Both shows play through March 30, 2008 at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown.

"These two shows are very important because they raise difficult questions about a hot topic in today's political discussion. New Rep has always been a theatre that believes in the power and electricity of live theatre to allow artists and audience to engage with the powerful ideas and questions of our time," says Rick Lombardo, New Rep's Producing Artistic Director.  My Name Is Rachel Corrie will be directed by David R. Gammons and will feature Stacy Fischer as Rachel Corrie. Pieces will be directed by Suzana Berger and will feature
the author, Zohar Tirosh.

To complement these productions, New Repertory Theatre announces a collection of events titled "Artist Responses to the Israeli/Palestinian Situation."

These events include two films, Promises and Knowledge is the Beginning, three staged readings, including B'Shalom by our own resident playwright Meron Langsner, and two panel discussions addressing What is the Role of Art in Representing the Situation? and Art as Documentary vs. Art as Response.

"Through plays, documentaries and scholarly commentary from multiple ethnic, nationalistic, political and religious backgrounds, we hope to explore, in much more than a superficial way, how art and politics collide when addressing such a complex situation," continued Rick Lombardo. "Our focus has been to look at work that explores how young people, and families, are affected by this crisis, and on potential paths to reach across the divide."

In My Name is Rachel Corrie, we meet a 23-year-old American killed whileattempting to stop an Israeli bulldozer from demolishing a civilian home on the Gaza Strip.  Through her journals and e-mails, her compelling quest to find understanding in a complex situation is heard.  Pieces is the autobiographical account of Zohar Tirosh, who also performs the play. Written when she was 23, Zohar documents her two years in the Israeli army, recounting her emotional and intellectual path during these turbulent years in her country. These two shows, being performed in rotating repertory, offer unique and poignant views of the Middle East situation.

New Repertory Theatre presents provocative and intelligent works of both established and emerging playwrights in an intimate setting that involves and engages the audience.  New Rep has earned a reputation for dynamic productions that honor the writers and feature talented professional actors from the New England theatre community as well as guest artists from around the U.S.  New Rep has received Elliot Norton and IRNE Awards for outstanding acting, scenic design, direction, and production.  Programming at New Repertory Theatre is supported in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. "Their Voices Will Be Heard" is supported in part by grants from the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities and the Watertown Cultural Council.

Performances will be held at the New Repertory Theatre Arsenal Center for the Arts (Black Box Theater) at 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA 02472

Performances are as Follows:
My Name is Rachel Corrie
Saturday, March 8, 2008 at 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 9, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 15, 2008 at 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 16, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.
Friday, March 21, 2008 at 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 22, 2008 at 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 23, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 27, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 29, 2008 at 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 30, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.

Pieces
Saturday, March 8, 2008 at 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 9, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.
Friday, March 14, 2008 at 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 15, 2008 at 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 16, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 20, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 22, 2008 at 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 23, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.
Friday, March 28, 2008 at 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 29, 2008 at 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 30, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets are on sale full Price $25/ Students $10
Call: 617-923-8487 or buy online at www.newrep.org.

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