Baxter Flipside Presents MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE, Now thru 7/27

Hearts and Eyes Theatre Collective has forged its reputation with the brave staging of human stories: the real and the personal in pursuit of truth and understanding. MY NAME IS Rachel Corrie is such a work, and will continue to build the company's reputation for the award-winning staging of true stories.

Rachel Corrie, a 23-year old student, and budding artist and writer, left her home in Olympia, Washington, USA, to join the International Solidarity Movement in the Palestinian Occupied Territories as a peace volunteer. On 16 March 2003, less than two months after arriving, Rachel was crushed to death by an Israeli Army bulldozer in Gaza as she was trying to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home. After her death, letters that she had written home were published in the UK newspaper, THE GUARDIAN. When actor, Alan Rickman, read them, he was struck by the power of her writing and the dramatic potential of the work. Here was a story that the world needed to hear, he believed, told so eloquently and poignantly, in the words of the victim herself.

MY NAME IS Rachel Corrie is a one-woman play using all Rachel's own words. Taken from her journals, letters and e-mails, the play creates a vivid portrait of a "messy, articulate, Salvador Dali-loving chain-smoker with a passion for the music of Pat Benatar." The play opened in April 2005, at London's Royal Court Theatre to great critical and box office acclaim; it was a celebrated success, but when the play was about to transfer to New York, there was a controversy around the subject matter, and the tour was suddenly cancelled. Since then, MY NAME IS Rachel Corrie, has played in theatres worldwide, including many American cities. Hearts and Eyes Theatre Collective's production at the National Arts Festival prior to its run at the Baxter Flipside will be the South African premiere.

As any reader can attest, and soon South African audiences will be able to see for themselves, the play is enormously powerful, with a lucid and expressive protagonist who is "funny, passionate, bristling with idealism and luminously intelligent." As with previous work by Hearts & Eyes - who have received bomb threats and hate mail for telling true stories - this play has been surrounded by both controversy, and impassioned proponents, and has raised an unprecedented call to support political work and the difficult discourse it creates.

Regarding the controversy, in the words of Rachel herself: " The scariest thing in talking about Palestinian self-determination is the fear of being or sounding anti-Semitic." In South Africa too, raising issues relating to Israel and Palestine can be divisive. Director, Jaqueline Dommisse, says, "it's our hope that this extraordinary play, and the frank, funny and searingly honest writing, will give you a deeply satisfying and thoughtful night at the theatre. It can't answer the big questions around Middle East peace, but it can further the discussion." She added, "Kate (Liquorish, who plays Rachel,) is an actress of enormous skill, and she is riveting in her interpretation of Rachel."

MY NAME IS Rachel Corrie is directed by Jaqueline Dommisse and stars Kate Liquorish (THE MISER, THE GIRL IN THE YELLOW DRESS, GLENGARY GLEN ROSS) as Rachel. The lighting design is by 2012 Fleur du Cap winner Paul Abrams, with set and costume design by Illke Louw and sound design by James Webb.

The play premieres in Grahamstown, running at The Rhodes Box on the Main Programme of The National Arts Festival from 27 - 29 June at 15:00 and 20:30 daily, with post-performance discussions after the evening performances.

The production runs at the Baxter Flipside from today, 12 to 27 July, Mondays to Fridays at 8pm and on Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm. Tickets cost from R100 to R140 via Computicket or 08619158000, with special discounts are available for groups, Pensioners and Learners via 0216803962. For further information on Rachel, visit the Rachel Corrie Foundation's website.

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