Tight, tense and boldly current, Guantanamo: Honor Bound to Defend Freedom tells the gripping true stories of four British residents imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
(PRWEB) October 26, 2005 -- Taken entirely from prisoner letters, family interviews and official government statements, this documentary drama offers an intimate and unforgettable look at the human stories behind the headlines. Guantanamo was created by British writers VICTORIA BRITTAIN and GILLIAN SLOVO and is directed by Studio Theatre Associate Producing Artistic Director SERGE SEIDEN. Guantanamo: Honor Bound To Defend Freedom runs November 2 December 11, 2005, in The Studio Theatres Milton Theatre, 1501 14th Street, NW,
(202) 332-3300.
Guantanamo follows the stories of four detainees: Moazzam Begg (KAVEH HAERIAN), Jamal al-Harith (ANDREW STEWART-JONES), Ruhel Ahmed (NAFEES HAMID) and Bisher al-Rawi (RAMIZ MONSEF). The play presents the detainees letters alongside other verbatim statements that Brittain and Slovo refer to as spoken evidence. These include excerpts from a press conference given by Donald Rumsfeld (LEO ERICKSON), public statements by British officials, interviews with the detainees lawyers, and stories from their parents and other family members. Wahab al-Rawi (OMAR KOURY) describes the circumstances of his brother Bishers arrest. Moazzam Beggs father, Azmat Begg (HARSH NAYYAR), gives the impassioned plea for justice that is at the plays heart, saying, If he is guilty he should be punished. If he is not guilty he shouldnt be there for a second. This is a human rights issue, Im not asking for mercy from any one, Im asking justice.
Guantanamo: Honor Bound to Defend Freedom belongs to a distinguished tradition of documentary theatre that includes work like Moises Kaufmans The Laramie Project, Jessica Blank and Erik Jensens The Exonerated and the plays of theatre artists like Emily Mann and Anna Deavere Smith. Like those plays, Guantanamo explores controversial current events through the lens of deeply personal stories, allowing the individuals involved to bear witness to the events as they have experienced them. Guantanamo creates a powerful and compelling tension between the perspectives of the detainee families and the legal, political, and military machinery that now surrounds them. Brittain and Slovo also weave the viewpoints of ordinary citizenssuch as a man whose sister was killed in the attacks on September 11thinto this moving and thought-provoking drama.
Guantanamo was originally commissioned and produced by Nicolas Kent at the Tricycle Theatre in London. The Tricycle is known for its celebrated tribunal plays, documentary pieces focusing on prominent trials or government inquiries, in which the dialogue is comprised entirely of verbatim testimony from individuals involved. Kent is dedicated to the documentary theatre form, particularly for its power to move, enlighten and motivate. Says Kent: It is the most extraordinary tool for social change.
Underwritten by Marvin F. Weissberg, with additional support from Kay Ellen Consolver.
Cast: Leo Erickson (Lord Steyn/Rumsfeld), Yvonne Erickson (Gareth Pierce), Kaveh Haerian (Moazzam Begg), Nafees Hamid (Ruhel Ahmed), David Jackson (Clive Stafford Smith/ Jack Straw), Andrew Stewart-Jones (Jamal al-Harith), Omar Koury (Wahab al-Rawi), John-Michael MacDonald (Tom Clark), Ramiz Monsef (Bisher/Mori), Harsh Nayyar (Mr. Begg), Dikran Tulaine (Gregg Powell/ Mark Jennings).
Director and Designers: Serge Seiden (Director), Giorgos Tsappas (Set Designer), Michael Giannitti (Lighting Designer), Reggie Ray (Costume Designer), Gil Thompson (Sound Designer).
GUANTANAMO INFORMATION
Where: The Milton Theatre
Dates: November 2 December 11, 2005
Performances: Wednesday Saturday: 8:00 pm, Sundays: 7:00pm, Matinees: Saturday
and Sunday 2:00 pm, Select Tuesdays: 8:00 pm (September 20 and 27, October 11)
Press: Sunday, November 6
Ticket Prices: $32.00 - $52.00
Pay-What-You-Can: Saturday, November 5, 2:00 pm. Tickets go on sale two hours before the performance on a first-come, first-served basis.
Sign Interpreted Performance: Saturday, December 10, 2:00 pm
THE STUDIO THEATRE INFORMATION
Fueled by solid artistic and box office success, The Studio Theatre is one of D.C.s most successful theatre organizations. Variety
Founded in 1978, The Studio Theatre is Washingtons premier venue for contemporary theatre. In 2004, The Studio Theatre celebrated the opening of its stunning new four-theatre complex, which Peter Marks of The Washington Post said immediately establishes itself as one of the best places in town for playgoing.
Named the hottest theater on the Washington scene by Washingtonian Magazine, The Studio Theatre is led by the driving force of Joy Zinoman, Founding Artistic Director; Keith Alan Baker, Managing Director/Artistic Director, Secondstage; Serge Seiden, Associate Producing Artistic Director; and Morey Epstein, Executive Director of Institutional Development. Studio has built a national reputation for consistently providing audiences with unequaled performances, superior productions and area premieres of the latest award-winning writing. To date, The Studio Theatre has produced 130 plays by 116 different playwrights and received almost 200 Helen Hayes Award Nominations for Artistic Excellence. The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory was recently called the areas premier professional training facility for actors and directors by Variety and has trained more than 8,000 actors and directors since its beginning in 1975. The Studio Theatre Secondstage, created in 1988, offers a signature blend of spirited and irreverent performances, provocative productions of created works, cutting-edge writers, musicals and early works by revered authors. The Washington Post proclaimed that Secondstage matches up talent and script in a way that suggest a maturity worthy of a seasoned company.
Discounts: Student, senior citizen (62+), and military discounts $5.00, (except Saturday evenings).
Student Rush: half-price tickets for full-time students are available one-half hour before curtain on a seating available basis (except Saturday evenings).
Groups: Discount rates available for parties of 10 or more. Call the Group Sales Manager at 202-232-7267.
Accessibility: All performances are fully accessible to accommodate patrons with special needs. FM listening assistive system available, call for schedule for sign-interpreted performances. Accessible seats available by reservation. Call the Box Office at 202-332-3300 or V/TTY 202-667-8436.
Location: 1501 14th Street, NW (Northeast corner of 14th and P Streets).
Parking: Please call the Box Office for parking information.
Metro Stops: Red Line: Dupont Circle, Orange/Blue Lines: McPherson Square, and Green Line U Street/Cardozo.
Contact Information: Tickets: 202-332-3300 V/TTY: 202-667-8436 Fax: 202-332-1187
Administration: 202-232-7267
Admin. Fax: 202-588-5262