Who Was Rachel Corrie
Paten Hughes ’08SSA Dramatic Performance: My Name Is Rachel Corrie
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Paten Hughes
Rachel Corrie was an American who was killed in Palestine by a bulldozer while doing humanitarian work amidst the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This show is a compilation of her journal entries and letters to her parents, edited and originally directed by Alan Rickman and Katherine Viner. The show premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London for a sold-out run in 2005 and just finished up a two-month run in New York.
It is a political piece and very controversial, which is why the original New York run was canceled. Many people see her as a meddler, anti-American, etc. Her journal entries and letters give insight into Rachel's humanity--her imperfections, her passions. Rachel's parents wrote about the play: "Theater can reach people in a different and deeper place than reading a news article or listening to a speech: there is an emotional aspect that for some people can be more long-lasting and motivating. The play, My Name Is Rachel Corrie, is not just about how Rachel died, even if that is why she is known and remembered. It also illuminates her humanity, tracing her evolution from typical teenage self-exploration through to her search for a political voice." For me, this piece is fantastic because it shows her as a raw human being protecting the lives of others...who the other people are is not the point of the play.
