tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46588329713418576352024-03-05T16:41:13.006-05:00LOKA HUMANA social outreach theaterBringing joy and laughter to disadvantaged children, big and small, around the worldANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-44968421237455958042015-06-18T00:00:00.000-04:002015-06-28T23:38:41.477-04:00Afghan Prison Project: The workshops<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Three times a week we go to the women's prison and hold workshops with the women. On the first day, a large group of women are gathered outside in the courtyard on blankets, nursing their babies, crocheting, drinking tea -- and waiting for us. About 15 of them join us in a circle and the rest watch. Those watching followed along laughing and clapping and thoroughly enjoying what to them was a greatly entertaining show. I am sure the women have never seen anything like this before. Grown women playing, jumping around, acting silly.<br />
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We are using various theater exercises that we think are useful to energize and uplift, practice focus and awareness, develop mutual trust, build self-esteem and confidence, exercise self-expression and just get to play. To an actor these are normal daily activities, but ordinary adults are not so used to these playful activities, and certainly not Afghan women who have been conditioned to never express themselves in any way that could draw attention. These exercises are therefore all the more powerful.<br />
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The women are of course a bit self-conscious, but it is clear that they really enjoy the opportunity to play and to move.
They like that the games are physical, so that they get physical exercise and
at same time an active mind. They tell us the exercises stimulate their minds and
give them lots of energy. They especially enjoy the games in which they just
get to play like children! At one workshop, they spontaneously engaged in their
own version of blind man’s buff. Our program gives them the opportunity to play
and express themselves in a way they would otherwise never dare.<br />
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But still, they dare not dance. In Afghanistan women cannot dance in the presence of men. But even in the women's prison where there are only women, it is not appropriate for them to express themselves in this way. How sad! But it was explained to me that dancing is something done in private parties only and prison is still too public a space. And yet, the women keep suggesting it in games to embarrass each other, and at one point they all wanted me to dance, clapping and chanting "Anna, dance, Anna, dance!" So I goofed it up, knowing they'd get a kick out of it. But Fariba, our fellow Afghan workshop leader, indicated this was a no no. I realized it wasn't appropriate for me to indulge in dancing either. We have to be careful that observers don't get the wrong idea and accuse us of corrupting the women with inappropriate activities (with the typical fear that foreigners are imposing Western values), and then the program could get shut down. We don't want that. So no dancing! Since we do a lot of movement exploration, we tread a thin line sometimes and have to clearly communicate that this form of physical expression is not dance.</div>
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One exercise we do is really so basic, but has a profound impact. You imagine yourself standing on top of a great mountain and you call your name out to the world. Everyone stands in a row, first shouting their names out together, stepping forward with a gesture as if physically throwing your name and reaching out. Then one by one each person calls out their name, and everyone echoes their name back. </div>
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Here is some of the feedback we received from the women:<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i>I never said my own name out loud before. Now I can say it proudly and freely.</i></div>
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<i>When I’m on the mountain I feel free like I’m out in the
world.</i></div>
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<i>When I stand on the mountain and call out my name, I feel like the mountain will come tumbling down, my voice is so powerful.</i></div>
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<i>We should shout so everybody can hear our voice.</i></div>
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<i>I’m so full of energy, it’s fantastic.</i></div>
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<i>I feel refreshed and relaxed.</i></div>
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From the beginning there has been lots of excitement and
energy and engagement. We have a core group of women who are participating in
every workshop and are very motivated. Others are joining as we go along. Many
women are choosing to watch the workshop and some then ask to join. </div>
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At the same time, the women face daily challenges with their
circumstances and are battling depression. So the attendance varies day by day, but we have to be flexible and patient with their ability
to participate. Given the situation, I'm impressed with the women’s
engagement so far.</div>
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The women working as counselors or advocates told us that many women don't go to the other activities because they're too depressed, and that's why this program is really good for them: it's very active, physical, new and different. </div>
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Some of the women practice the games and exercises on their own
after we leave, playing with each other. One woman practiced with her bunk
mates till one in the morning! Her bunk mates did not participate directly in
the workshop but were very keen to have her teach them what she had learned.
This is great that the women are taking initiative to teach the others. One of
our goals is to boost the women’s confidence and give them an opportunity to
learn and exercise leadership. This woman is already doing it!</div>
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I would like more of the women to participate and benefit -- I hope we can keep inspiring and motivating the women to come, and that the women who are the most engaged will motivate the others. They key is to keep showing up for them. </div>
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Our Afghan colleagues at Simorgh Theatre are continuing the program through the end of the year, and they have started to work with the women on creating a show based on their own stories. I look forward to hearing how this develops!<br />
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We are also conducting workshops in the juvenile correction center, the child support center and a women's shelter. More on this to follow.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Unfortunately, I cannot show any <b>photos</b> here of our work together. The women were adamant that we not take pictures. This is, of course, understandable, and we have to ensure a safe, comfortable environment in our work with them. On my last day they allowed me to take a couple of pictures for our documentation, provided, however, that I not post them on the internet. Four years ago the women didn't mind. But since then they have had media come in to the prison a few times and thereafter published photos and video that caused problems for the women. I will not betray their trust!</span></div>
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-40847446905782178642015-06-15T12:55:00.000-04:002015-06-28T23:38:03.650-04:00Afghan Prison Project: Inside a women's prison in Afghanistan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Our work in the Herat prison began with a performance and is
continuing with workshops. Here I will share with you what it is like inside an Afghan women's prison and why the women are there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzv51S27wX14A2R0GTMlpnFMMKWKhpXyX-P2BLSYWs1kLOahFqAHdY2mA7IFfZ2H3VODhuGth3JpwyOFj2_TdeuCFdQOfK-EMtyAoQZO4xJiXilZvj1HCyV0IG_SBn5jcmgejb-it2p0T7/s1600/IMG_2702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzv51S27wX14A2R0GTMlpnFMMKWKhpXyX-P2BLSYWs1kLOahFqAHdY2mA7IFfZ2H3VODhuGth3JpwyOFj2_TdeuCFdQOfK-EMtyAoQZO4xJiXilZvj1HCyV0IG_SBn5jcmgejb-it2p0T7/s320/IMG_2702.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>The Prison<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The women’s prison is in a different compound from last time
we were here. Their prior location was adjacent to the men’s prison and was
needed for overflow of male prisoners. It’s a good thing they moved, as there
had reportedly been a problem with sexual abuse by the male guards, and now the
women have their own separate
location with only female guards. In addition, the new compound looks less like
a prison. Instead of being stuck within a concrete enclosure with bars on the
windows and heavy metal doors, the women can move freely between buildings and
the surrounding open space of the courtyard. Laundry hangs to dry between a few
trees. The 140 women sleep in communal dorm rooms with bunk beds, colorful
blankets, and television. They don’t wear uniforms like in American prisons;
they wear personal clothing as well as jewelry and make-up. This already makes
for a more humane experience. From what I understand, the women can spend the
day as they wish, and have available various activities supported by different
NGO’s – tailoring, rugmaking, hairdressing, literacy classes, and an
agricultural program where they learn to plant vegetables.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VLpSLkHygPE/VYbrkLtz0_I/AAAAAAAAP6I/35BdjA4V2RY/s1600/Rugmaking%2Bin%2Bprison%2Bsmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VLpSLkHygPE/VYbrkLtz0_I/AAAAAAAAP6I/35BdjA4V2RY/s200/Rugmaking%2Bin%2Bprison%2Bsmall.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8IKCxatDc_I/VYbr6TrlHmI/AAAAAAAAP6Q/RE5sQsF173k/s1600/Agriculture%2Blaundry%2Bprison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8IKCxatDc_I/VYbr6TrlHmI/AAAAAAAAP6Q/RE5sQsF173k/s200/Agriculture%2Blaundry%2Bprison.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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We met with the director of the women’s prison, an affable but
authoritarian woman in her fifties. She told us she does not want the prison to
look like a prison but instead like a dormitory with supportive activities for
the women. She greatly welcomed our program.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vlmpSlDCZxA/VYbpVgwh-mI/AAAAAAAAP54/i7oQBsY4q3M/s1600/IMG_2709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vlmpSlDCZxA/VYbpVgwh-mI/AAAAAAAAP54/i7oQBsY4q3M/s320/IMG_2709.jpg" width="213" /></a>This sounds very promising, and the conditions for the women
do not seem so bad. Still, it is a prison and the women do not have their
freedom. They are imprisoned within walls and don’t have control over their own
lives. Of course, for many this may not be very different from their prior
circumstances: many women in Afghanistan are not allowed to leave the house and
all their activities are controlled and restricted by their husband, father, or
brothers. Quite often they are beaten and abused. In fact, young women are
sometimes driven to such desperation that they try to commit suicide by setting
themselves on fire. The level of brutality that women and girls in Afghanistan
have to suffer is difficult to grasp. For some, prison must be preferable to
what they endured outside it. Even so, to be in prison carries stigma, knowing
you have been shamed and shunned by your community and family, stamped as a
criminal and punished by society. While before you were controlled by your
family, now you are controlled by the state. Your life is not your own. And
there is little hope for the future.</div>
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<b>The Women<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Given these difficult circumstances, many of the women are
depressed and suicidal. Some are self-harming and cut themselves. One day we
arrived for workshop and a woman came up to us and showed us her wrist, which
had two deep burn marks. She had burned herself with a cigarette. I asked, why did
you do that? She said, I was so full of angry feelings! She had wanted to see
the doctor and the guard wouldn’t let her. Our fellow workshop leader, one of
the young women from Simorgh Theatre, said she felt sick to her stomach when
she saw the injuries and she just couldn’t understand how this woman could do
this to herself. But in the face of such utter lack of control and power over
one’s life, this is sometimes the only way a person knows to cope and manage
intense feelings and distress. <i>This is why we are doing the workshops, to give
these women an outlet in which they can express their feelings – and find more
constructive and creative coping mechanisms. </i><o:p></o:p></div>
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It is no wonder these women are depressed and frustrated
when one learns the reasons they are there in prison. <i>Many if not most are in
prison for adultery--that is, they had sex outside marriage.</i> This is a crime in
Afghanistan. A girl falls in love with a boy; they have relations; now they are
both in prison. Some women run away from home. This is not a crime per se, but
it is assumed that they engaged in illicit relations. It is almost impossible
for a woman to prove her innocence. Women routinely have to submit to virginity
tests, an extremely violating procedure that effectively proves nothing.
And certainly not if you are a married woman. In many instances, the women have engaged in
sex, but whether they were truly willing is questionable. It comes down to
this: <i>if a woman wants to escape her home, she needs the help of a man. The
price for this is sex.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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Why does an Afghan woman feel compelled to leave her home?
Primarily it's because of forced marriage and abuse. Many of the women in the
prison spoke of the problem of marrying too young. As I was repeatedly told, <i>“a
daughter is a toy to her father and a slave to her husband.”</i> But it does happen
that she runs away for love. A 17-year old girl in the prison ran off with a young man she loved, but since they now agreed to marry, they will both
be released. This is one story that has a happy ending, but other girls are not
so lucky. The boy no longer wants them, and now they are stuck in prison. After
that, where can she go? Often the family will not accept her and may even
threaten to kill her as she has now brought “dishonor” on them all. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s one thing to marry your <i>lover</i> in order to get out of prison, it’s another to have
to marry your <i>rapist</i>. Even in the
case of rape, a woman will be sent to prison for adultery! Because technically
she has had sex outside of marriage and how can she prove she wasn’t willing.
No one believes her. But if she agrees to marry her rapist, then all will be
forgiven. What a horrible choice to have to make. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If a married woman is raped, the husband will rarely be
able to accept it. In one recent case, a woman was raped by her husband’s brother, but
the husband accused her of having an affair. The brother fled to Iran. The
woman was sent to prison. She was pregnant but the husband refused to acknowledge the child as his and divorced her. She was released after eight months. The usual sentence
for adultery is 1-3 years. It is enough to be accused of infidelity by your
husband to get locked up. <i>Many women and girls seemed to be in prison based
simply on someone’s accusation.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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Some of the women are in prison for <i>killing their husbands</i>.
No doubt these are desperate acts. Many women in Afghanistan are married off very
young and then terribly abused by the husband and his whole family. But in some
cases, the woman loved someone else and together they conspired to kill the
husband and run away. The desperation is still there but the justification is
sometimes questionable.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was challenging to learn the real reasons why the women
were in prison, because, we were told, the women will often make up stories
until they feel safe in speaking the truth, or if they think they might benefit
from it. But I also felt it was difficult to get accurate information from
those we spoke with in prison management and others in authority; they seemed
too ready to dismiss the women’s circumstances. I sensed some resistance to acknowledge
the problem of rape. They said they had never come across a woman in jail who
was there because she had been attacked, that the women all did it willingly.
And yet after further probing, complexities emerged that show how difficult the
situation is for women. They finally acknowledged the challenge that exists for
a woman to be able to prove her
innocence and how often she is in a compromised situation. The system is set up
to fail these women. <i>No matter the crime or reason, the real problem is they
have very little chance to defend themselves or escape their circumstances. </i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Their Stories<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The prison psychologist highlighted a few particular cases where
she felt the women really were innocent:<o:p></o:p></div>
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· One woman killed
her husband with the help of her 14-year old son, because the father was a drug
addict who tried to rape their 9-year old daughter. Now both the mother and her
son are in prison. The mother was sentenced to 16 years.<o:p></o:p></div>
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· A young woman had
been beaten by her father so severely in her childhood she didn’t walk until
she was six years old. When she got older her father wanted to marry her off,
but she refused. In a final act of desperation, she put gasoline on her father
and burned him. She is sentenced to 18 years.<o:p></o:p></div>
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· The psychologist
spoke to us also about kidnapping and how entire families are swept up in the
crime. A father and a brother may have conspired to kidnap someone for money.
The police then raid their house and arrest everyone: the mother, the
daughters, the sister-in-law, the grandmother, and everyone goes to prison.
There are two young women in prison now for this crime. One was jailed at age
14 and sentenced to five years.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>These are the stories of the women we met:</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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· “A” has been in
prison two months now. She killed her father because he was forcing the mother
to have “temporary marriages” with other men (that is, sex for money). Finally
the daughter couldn’t take it any longer. She took her brother’s gun and shot
her father. Then she went to the police and said: “I have killed my father and
I am happy I did it!” She is ashamed that he was her father, and proud
she killed him so that her mother doesn’t have to be “married” to another man again.
"A" has a one-month old baby with her in prison. I don’t know how
long she has to stay there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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· B is a feisty and
outgoing young woman of 17 years old. She had an affair with a neighborhood
boy. A couple of months later she got married, but her husband discovered she
was not a virgin. So she said she had been raped. Her husband wanted to kill
the other boy. But the neighbor called the national army for help and said the
husband had a gun and also that he and B had stolen money. The national army
came and beat up the husband so he ended up in the hospital. B had an
altercation with the neighbor's daughter and cut her with a knife. Everybody
was arrested, including the neighbor's daughter because she knew about the
illicit relation and had not reported it, and was therefore accessory to the
crime. The husband has now been released as well as the neighbor's daughter,
but B and the neighbor boy were just sentenced to six months in prison for
adultery. A complicated situation! B has a lot of anxiety and nervous problems.
But she is very enthusiastic about the workshops and fully engaged. She’s our
star participant. She even stayed up one night until one a.m. teaching the
others in her room all the exercises she had learned!<o:p></o:p></div>
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· C is in her early
twenties and also very excited about our workshops and a main participant. She
has been in prison for 7 months and has a 10 month old daughter. Her situation
is a bit unclear. She had problems with her husband, and apparently he accused
her of stealing and got her put in prison. The husband has now divorced her.
She is about to be released and says her family supports her. But the first day
we met she said to me that she wanted to find a family to take care of her
daughter and give her an education, because if the daughter was left with her
father he would marry her off early as he did her. She is so inspired by the
workshops that she wants to continue doing theater when she gets out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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· D is 27 years old.
She was married at 15, but the husband became addicted to opium. He would beat
her and her child. She says her father and mother-in-law encouraged their son
to abuse her. They accused her of having sex with other men. She is now in
prison for one year. She is worried about her 11-year old daughter who is with
the in-laws; they don’t let her go to school and they hurt her. The daughter
comes to visit the mother every two weeks and begs to stay with her
in prison.<o:p></o:p></div>
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· E is in her late
forties and has a young child with disabilities. She has been active in all the
programs the prison offers. E has
been in the prison 10 months and is sentenced to 16 years for killing her
daughter’s husband. But she says she didn’t do it. I did not get to find out
further and verify her story. Perhaps she did do it, or perhaps someone else
did and she got the blame. Perhaps her daughter did it and she took the blame
instead. There are several situations like this where the man died and the wife
gets blamed for his death. There is little a woman can do to defend herself.<o:p></o:p></div>
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· F is 22 and
recently arrived in prison with her newborn son. She got there when her baby
was 10 days old. Her husband’s second wife had died suddenly, and now she and
her husband were accused of murder by the wife’s brothers. She is in
prison pending investigation and autopsy, and is hoping to be cleared.<o:p></o:p></div>
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· Then we have G who
is 19 and was working as a police officer in Kabul. One day her brother called
and said, “Congratulations! Your father has found a husband for you.” But she
did not want to get married, she wanted to go to the university and continue
her work. The family summoned her back to Herat. She met her prospective
fiancé, but did not like him – so she shot him. Just like that. A counselor asker her, "Your father and brother come to visit you in prison often, they seem to love you very much. Why didn't you just ask them to please not make you marry?" She
said, "I don't know, I just got so angry." She didn’t think the family would
listen to her. She has now been sentenced to hanging. And yet she always seems
to be in a good mood when we see her!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The women are very happy and smiling when we come, but this
doesn’t mean they aren’t in deep suffering. What Afghan women have to endure is
beyond what most of us can imagine. They are excited to see us because to them
it means somebody cares and they are happy for the attention. The women are especially excited that two foreigners from America have come all this way to see them and help them. One woman told us
“You are like a dream to us.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Children<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The women have their children with them in prison. At first thought, this is very disturbing. But on the other hand, it's good for both the baby and mother to be together. Children
stay with their mothers until the age of 5, when they are placed in a child
support center run by a non-profit. We visited this center and will be doing
workshops there as well. It’s a good place and the children genuinely seem
well-cared for. This is really encouraging to see. They get to visit their
mothers every two weeks or so. The smaller kids who are with the mothers in the
prison get sent to a kindergarten every day, where government employees’
children go. This is also a new development and did not exist four years ago
when we last visited (as far as I know). Then the kids were just stuck in the prison. I’m glad to learn they now have the opportunity to get outside and socialize
with other kids. But a few of the children were always around when we were
there; it wasn’t clear to me why they didn’t go to the child center. There are
about 75 children living with their mothers in the prison. One girl was seven
years old, but otherwise mostly toddlers and babies. We had several little ones
crawling around us as we did our workshop. It was nice to see the women help
each other take care of the babies, so that the mothers could participate. Of
course, at times they had to take a break to nurse. Naturally, we accommodate
this. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We have to be flexible in conducting our workshops and give
consideration to the women’s circumstances. They are faced with daily
challenges, and sometimes they are just too depressed to participate. But we
have to keep showing up for them -- the workshops are ongoing so that they will
have this support available for the long term.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KnfbFw_V7ZM/VYbpUvWV2dI/AAAAAAAAP5c/ofo5hKE5CkE/s1600/20150421_094101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KnfbFw_V7ZM/VYbpUvWV2dI/AAAAAAAAP5c/ofo5hKE5CkE/s320/20150421_094101.jpg" width="320" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nUEELoECGY8/VYbpUmA0gsI/AAAAAAAAP5s/SDIYeVfNBo0/s1600/20150409_094335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nUEELoECGY8/VYbpUmA0gsI/AAAAAAAAP5s/SDIYeVfNBo0/s200/20150409_094335.jpg" width="118" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The entrance to the women's prison // Joanna and I with our two fantastic workshop leaders from Simorgh Theatre</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Click to view larger)</span></i></div>
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Next up: a little about the actual work we're doing with the women!<br />
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-84623770169484654822015-06-15T12:00:00.000-04:002015-07-01T00:05:32.144-04:00Afghan Prison Project: The adventure begins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><br /></i>
<i>We have successfully launched the Creative Arts Prison Project in Herat. </i> It has taken me some time to process the experience. There is a lot to share and it is difficult to distill it into a few fitting words. Here finally follow my observations and experiences of an intensive month spent together initiating this vital program. This is a collaboration between Bond Street Theatre and Simorgh Theatre. We first worked together in 2011 for the Theatre for Social Development project. Now, a new adventure awaits for us! <br />
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We begin with a happy reunion.<br />
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<b>Together Again!</b></div>
After four years I am back in Jabraeil, the village community outside Herat, and I'm so happy to see the girls (and boys) of Simorgh Theatre again! Four years is a long time... and yet it's like yesterday. But going from 13 to 17 or 16 to 20 makes a big difference. It's so interesting to see how different they appear now. From little girls to young women, all grown up. I hardly recognized some of them! And yet others look exactly the same.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kQd3Cx1Pfkw/VYbXtriOnZI/AAAAAAAAP4Y/Qedfsa5djxM/s1600/Anna%2B%2526%2BZarah%2B2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kQd3Cx1Pfkw/VYbXtriOnZI/AAAAAAAAP4Y/Qedfsa5djxM/s200/Anna%2B%2526%2BZarah%2B2011.jpg" width="195" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0DQZIWKTj_g/VZNmloEhpoI/AAAAAAAAP8E/lWzvPAEejN4/s1600/Anna%2B%2526%2BZahra%2B2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0DQZIWKTj_g/VZNmloEhpoI/AAAAAAAAP8E/lWzvPAEejN4/s320/Anna%2B%2526%2BZahra%2B2015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Anna & Zahra in 2011 -- and -- Anna & Zahra in 2015. Together again!</span></div>
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I'm so glad that several of the girls have been able to continue with theater and to see them emerge as confident and capable leaders. Fariba and Zahra are at the forefront and so talented. We had a happy reunion and then we met the new girls who have joined the group. All in all we are working with six young women. And then the two young men who are helping out, and I'm so glad to see them again too. They are great guys. They are really just there to support and be part of the process, as this project is specifically for women by women.<br />
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<b>Getting Ready for Action<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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All of us jumped headlong into our work together with great
excitement and energy. <i>For the first nine days we did training to prepare the
group for the upcoming program. Workshops practicing various theatrical
exercises in the morning, and in the afternoon rehearsals to develop a
performance.</i> In between we have lunch together. During the week I think to
myself, “We are having such a wonderful and fulfilling time together that if
this is all we do with the project I will be happy!”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZLnBgHdGrWj2ZlmSdS21Ej4xwf_4OxMwBlx3Gf14vkrxwreelrmCnevbPy680AnBBpsv0Adn_877GowXf9HLufiURy0oV8TViGGH1qkN8kyWDRVVnCK7FsJqPq9EN9lYp6LQsmYwJbK8/s1600/Lunch+w+Simorgh+group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZLnBgHdGrWj2ZlmSdS21Ej4xwf_4OxMwBlx3Gf14vkrxwreelrmCnevbPy680AnBBpsv0Adn_877GowXf9HLufiURy0oV8TViGGH1qkN8kyWDRVVnCK7FsJqPq9EN9lYp6LQsmYwJbK8/s320/Lunch+w+Simorgh+group.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Enjoying lunch the Afghan way</span></i></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hZGYswg4TGE/VYbeGx556EI/AAAAAAAAP48/xJ457MohQuc/s1600/Crazy%2Bfun%2Bw%2BSimorgh%2Bgang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hZGYswg4TGE/VYbeGx556EI/AAAAAAAAP48/xJ457MohQuc/s320/Crazy%2Bfun%2Bw%2BSimorgh%2Bgang.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Goofing off with the gang</i></span></div>
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But we have much more to accomplish. <i>The goal of our project
is to bring theater workshops to the women’s prison and the juvenile correction
center as a way to offer psychosocial support -- to give the women and girls a
safe, creative forum in which to express themselves and process their
experiences through play and physical action. </i>Research and experience has shown
theater to be an effective tool in helping people heal trauma, build
self-confidence and manage daily challenges. Eventually the women will have the
opportunity to create their own plays. The aim is for this to be an ongoing
program throughout the year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>We are training the members of Simorgh Theatre to lead the
program and teach the workshops, as we are only here for a month and after we
leave, the project will continue. We are also preparing a play that we will
present first thing as an introduction to theater.</i> That is, the Simorgh girls
will present it. Joanna and I are directing and they perform. Many in
Afghanistan have never seen a live theater performance and have no idea what it
is. We want to show them that they can create a play just like this with their
own stories. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Planning for the workshops in the prison </span></i></div>
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<b>A Common Problem<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i>T</i><i>he play is called The Backbiters and centers on two
gossiping women who make life difficult for a young woman, Nafisa, who wants to
go to university.</i> They talk bad about her and spread rumors that worry her
family. Nafisa’s friend, a younger girl of thirteen named Fereshta, looks up to
her and dreams of herself becoming a doctor one day. <i>But Fereshta’s father has
other ideas. He has decided she’s going to get married to an older, rich man
who will give the father lots of money. </i>Fereshta is devastated. The mother can
do nothing to prevent it, but finds an ally in Nafisa’s mother and together
they speak to the mullah (similar to parish priest). This mullah is a wise,
learned man who talks to the father about the laws of Islam and that a girl
must agree to who she marries and that Fereshta is much too young and should get
an education. He points out what happened last year when the neighbor’s wife
almost died because they couldn’t find a female doctor to treat her. It’s good
that girls study to become doctors! The father struggles with the idea but
finally decides to forego the marriage and let his daughter study. Meanwhile,
the backbiters have had some backlash and decide they must mend their ways.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Our story has a happy ending, but unfortunately this is not
the case for many girls in Afghanistan. </i>This is a common scenario – forced
early marriage. Even though Islam does say a woman must agree to marriage and
should be educated, many villages follow old tribal ways that have become
tradition and conflated with Muslim practice. The community listens to the
mullahs who often are corrupt or ignorant. And people are very concerned with
what the community thinks and says about them because honor is everything.
Gossiping old ladies is a common problem and families can be destroyed by bad
rumors.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our talented actors in Simorgh made the play very compelling
and also added lots of humor to it. The two women playing the backbiters were
funny and forceful, and the woman playing the father (yes, women only-troupe
playing all characters) didn’t hold back in her portrayal of a gross, old man.
It’s exaggerated but all too real.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Showtime in the Prison<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i>The day arrived for us to present our play at the women’s
prison!</i> I wasn’t sure what to expect, or how the women would take to the show
or the idea of doing workshops.
How open and accessible will they be, or perhaps closed off, resistant,
even hostile? No telling what will happen, we’re breaking new ground. Here we
go – "hala hamagi hamabaham bedboard!" That is, "Now everybody all together, let’s go!" </div>
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(This has become the catchphrase of the group. In 2011 as I was trying to learn a few Dari words for my teaching, this turned into the daily mantra I would call out, and a running joke we continue to play with.)</div>
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Well, it went fantastically well. About ninety women in all
gathered to see the performance. <i>They laughed and applauded and listened
intently, and a few cried. Afterwards we did a talkback where they had a chance
to speak about the show and go up on stage and engage with the characters. </i>This
is where I wasn’t sure how it would work. But it worked very well. The women
didn’t hesitate to engage. Some stood up and talked about their own personal
circumstances. Others got up on stage to confront characters, especially the
father. They argued with the father for not letting his daughter go to school
and marrying her off so young. The woman playing the father stood her ground
and said “Everyone in my family married before the age of 13, it’s no problem.”
The prisoner countered, “And this is why we’re all in here!” Spontaneous
applause broke out in acknowledgement. Another woman wanted to speak with the
mullah and proceeded to rail against mullahs who are bad and want money and
don’t follow proper Islam. She was animated and passionate in her speaking. All
the women spoke with great passion. It was clear the play really resonated with
them. It reflected and acknowledged their situation and gave them a chance to
have a voice and speak out. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Afterwards, several women came up to me and exclaimed over
and over again, “I’m so happy, I’m so happy, thank you for being here, thank
you for presenting this play to us.”</i><b> </b>One woman seemed particularly taken and
keen to connect. She asked my name and where I was from, I said USA and Sweden,
and then she wanted to know which I liked better, Afghanistan or Sweden. I told
her they are very different, and that I really like the people of Afghanistan
-- they are so friendly and hospitable. She said, “We are friendly because you
are. We respond to you. You are so nice and friendly, and we want to be
friendly back.” At the end, she took a ring off her finger (a crocheted band
with black beads) and put it on mine and told me, “This is a memory from me.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>I wonder what happened to her, what she did that she is here
in prison. </i>Did she run away from home? With her lover? From a threatened forced
marriage? Or was she forced into marriage? Did she run away from an abusive
husband? Was she raped? Did she kill somebody? These are many of the possible
scenarios and circumstances that land a woman in prison in Afghanistan. I did
not want to ask her right away, but Joanna and I have heard many stories since
that first day. </div>
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More to follow!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yz8m4Oeatcg/VYbe2iBRrrI/AAAAAAAAP5M/TncipKtF7ms/s1600/Prison%2Bbarbed%2Bwire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yz8m4Oeatcg/VYbe2iBRrrI/AAAAAAAAP5M/TncipKtF7ms/s320/Prison%2Bbarbed%2Bwire.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-63913207503179230002015-05-28T06:23:00.000-04:002015-06-01T06:28:46.493-04:00The Creative Arts Prison Project <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Our project is up and running and there is lots to report! I spent a busy month in Afghanistan in April setting up the Creative Arts Prison project with Bond Street Theatre and Simorgh Theatre in Herat -- and soon I will post my journal entries and observations from our intensive work together. Stay tuned!<br />
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-23100546485925763702015-03-31T22:44:00.000-04:002015-04-04T22:47:42.576-04:00Streets of Kabul<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Staying in Kabul a few days before going on to
Herat, while Bond Street Theatre checks in on its other ongoing youth project,
and gearing up for our upcoming endeavor. BST now has a headquarters office in
Kabul to manage its youth engagement project spanning the next two years. A
whole house with sleeping accommodation, office and workshop space. It's managed
by an Afghan staff and they don't want the neighborhood to know there are
foreigners here, as it might cause all kinds of complications (due to security
concerns and corruption), so we're not allowed to go out on the street.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My first day in Kabul I spent the day inside
and watched life go by outside the window. People walking by on the way to
work, school, shop. Women with children, a man with a little boy, a couple of
teenage boys hanging out, school girls on the way home, old men on bicycles
bringing home bread, and children flocking to the ice cream man. Ordinary,
peaceful life. (Occasionally interrupted by the loud sound of a military
helicopter.)</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p46nrDIDCYY/VR7vQxTEIuI/AAAAAAAAPRg/6lFT5IRsvrU/s1600/IMG_1413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p46nrDIDCYY/VR7vQxTEIuI/AAAAAAAAPRg/6lFT5IRsvrU/s1600/IMG_1413.jpg" height="194" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #141823; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A couple of days later I got the chance to go
shopping on Chicken Street (where they don’t sell chickens, but a lot of
traditional jewelry, clothing and arts & crafts). Bought a few things, but
mostly enjoyed saying hello to the shopkeepers. Salam aleykoum, khob asti?
Nam-e chist? Az didaretan khosh shoudum! Practicing my Dari and making new
friends. There was Khoja Sardar, the tailor with fantastic colorful Afghan
dresses, and Amin, the tea seller on the street who refused to let me pay for m<span class="textexposedshow">y tea because I was his guest, but also Turyaleh, the
little shoeshine boy who was so very sad... I felt so bad for him. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NBGdVqrlpGA/VR7qizB_xsI/AAAAAAAAPPU/Hjsoim8f5UU/s1600/Khoja%2Bbuddies%2Bin%2Bshop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NBGdVqrlpGA/VR7qizB_xsI/AAAAAAAAPPU/Hjsoim8f5UU/s1600/Khoja%2Bbuddies%2Bin%2Bshop.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-neuNQDN2UB4/VR7oYzFo96I/AAAAAAAAPO4/0injcLDfPi4/s1600/Afghan%2Bdresses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-neuNQDN2UB4/VR7oYzFo96I/AAAAAAAAPO4/0injcLDfPi4/s1600/Afghan%2Bdresses.jpg" height="111" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nfbx3BvJhcM/VR7sOoG5VLI/AAAAAAAAPQc/XRW-69ks0WA/s1600/Turyaleh%2Bshoeshineboy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nfbx3BvJhcM/VR7sOoG5VLI/AAAAAAAAPQc/XRW-69ks0WA/s1600/Turyaleh%2Bshoeshineboy.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823;"><span class="textexposedshow" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Everyone I’ve come across is quite friendly. And
they all offer tea, of course. Afghans are very hospitable. Watching people go
by the window outside the house the other day, I was struck by the ordinariness
of it, just regular peaceful life. But then you have what happened to Farkhunda,
so brutally murdered in midst of day at the mosque by a mob – beaten, stomped,
run over by a car, burned – the level of brutality hard to comprehend. How does
a mob form to do such a thing, so suddenly, immediately, on a notion (“she’s
burning the Quran!”). Would any of these people walking by on the street do
that? This and all the security warnings from everybody (some of our Afghan
friends feel it’s too dangerous for us to leave the house), it makes you feel
life here is precarious and unpredictable, seemingly calm, but at any moment…
shit might hit the fan and you might get killed. As has been pointed out, after
three decades of war and conflict, the people of Afghanistan are suffering from
post-traumatic stress disorder. But it seems this incident has been a wake-up
call for many.</span></span></div>
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<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I went to the Shah-e-Doh Shamshira mosque and there was a demonstration under way with heavy police presence. A policewoman frisked me, and then we smiled and shook hands, and my companion and I chose to go another direction. On the loudspeaker a voice condemned in Dari and English the "vicious cruel attack." I would've liked to have taken part in this protest but it was not a good idea to get too close.</span></span></div>
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<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #141823; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We instead proceeded down the market street on the other side of the river. Bustling with people going about their lives, shopping for all kinds of sundries, and nobody paying me any mind (as the sole foreigner among them). Feeling a little apprehensive, but then quite safe and comfortable. I stopped and chatted with Moska, a young woman selling bangles on the street, and bought a few gifts for the girls in Herat.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-31HLUQtGceo/VR7otF2ZjXI/AAAAAAAAPPA/gqEUFhduQ5c/s1600/Burka%2Band%2Bbangles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-31HLUQtGceo/VR7otF2ZjXI/AAAAAAAAPPA/gqEUFhduQ5c/s1600/Burka%2Band%2Bbangles.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsERWBMvBIGqMYzDhZ4rI_UBJspoY5jw6mpDvId-Z9jjYAAuW0ERuUr8hilD1Ae1OJco4AWRluHWNE1Co6NUcR0rBuzLdSjKSIJG7LPhIKgTg_zFsdOfZPoh8o3NSxaS1Y-MDh5_pq-sBN/s1600/Market+street+near+mosque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsERWBMvBIGqMYzDhZ4rI_UBJspoY5jw6mpDvId-Z9jjYAAuW0ERuUr8hilD1Ae1OJco4AWRluHWNE1Co6NUcR0rBuzLdSjKSIJG7LPhIKgTg_zFsdOfZPoh8o3NSxaS1Y-MDh5_pq-sBN/s1600/Market+street+near+mosque.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y4neJEGtpUM/VSChA0cVBpI/AAAAAAAAPR4/8pw54BvfqyU/s1600/Moska%2Bat%2Bmarket%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y4neJEGtpUM/VSChA0cVBpI/AAAAAAAAPR4/8pw54BvfqyU/s1600/Moska%2Bat%2Bmarket%2B2.jpg" height="176" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As an introduction to our new project in the women’s prison
in Herat, here is an account from my first
experience in the prison in 2011 (a blog report that I never posted!). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* * *</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">April 2011</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the most beautiful and devastating experiences we had
in Afghanistan was visiting the women’s prison. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The prison is located on Prison Street. The front gate is flanked by gigantic
cement planters filled with red pelargonia flowers overrun by barbed wire.
Rather symbolic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All the girls of Simorgh Theatre have their arms marked by the prison
guard with signature and date in large red permanent marker across their
forearm. This is so they can get out again! And not get confused for a prisoner.
Joanna and I are spared the markings, no need.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We enter the courtyard where we are to perform and the women
are already gathered waiting for us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are little children running around. They come right up
to me and surround me, unabashed, unafraid, getting close to me with their
little bodies, into my arms, face to my face, and hold my hands. So sweet.
They’re two, three, maybe four years old.
</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MxmIJea3h58/VRb9qqYHAaI/AAAAAAAAPMY/azeq6jGg79M/s1600/Children%2Bprison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MxmIJea3h58/VRb9qqYHAaI/AAAAAAAAPMY/azeq6jGg79M/s1600/Children%2Bprison.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The children stay with their mothers in the prison until age
seven and then go to relatives (or orphanage?). It’s not clear to me who
decides this, does the mother have any say? Generally, as I understand,
according to Muslim law, the child belongs to the mother until age seven and
after that the father takes over and the mother no longer has any right to her
children. I saw a couple of girls around age 10 or 12 as well, but otherwise
they all looked under five. The presence of children is startling and
disturbing, but also joyous – making it less oppressive, less like a prison. Still, it’s a prison. It’s beneficial
for the children to be with their mothers, but on the other hand it must be
detrimental to their psychological well-being to spend their first formative
years behind bars. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xfaTPyDP0Co/VYwI2xFaJbI/AAAAAAAAP7Y/ImmOcR7oGwk/s1600/Prison%2Bdorm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xfaTPyDP0Co/VYwI2xFaJbI/AAAAAAAAP7Y/ImmOcR7oGwk/s200/Prison%2Bdorm.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The facilities, however, are so much more pleasant than one
might expect of an Afghan prison, or any prison (certainly not like jails in the
US). I think I had imagined dark, dank cells with dirt floors and perhaps rats,
like dungeons. But these were more like dormitories. The floors are carpeted in
dark red, and the rooms are large with bunk beds and colorful blankets and a TV
set. The doors are left wide open, but perhaps that’s only for our tour. Then
there are the children running about. There’s a playroom for them filled with
stuffed animals and toys. And for the women there are occupational activities
such as tailoring, embroidery, hair dressing and weaving. Another aspect that
adds to a less prison-like atmosphere is the fact that the women don’t wear
uniforms, they’re dressed in regular clothes of varying colors (i.e., regular
Afghan clothing: tunic with pants, or dress, and headscarf or chador (long
black sheet)).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But, the inescapable truth is they are in prison. And
cannot leave. And it has severe social consequences.<s><o:p></o:p></s></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our girls perform their show about domestic abuse,
specifically centering on conflict between a mother-in-law and her young
daughter-in-law. Domestic abuse is
rampant in Afghanistan and not only from the husband but often from his entire
family (mother-in-law, brothers, uncles, etc.), and the young bride is
sometimes treated as a slave. Many of the young women at the prison are there
because they ran away from home – from an abusive husband and/or abusive
mother-in-law. Running away from home – whether your parents’ or your husband’s
-- is a crime in Afghanistan. A so
called moral crime. Some have fled to escape the fate of an impending forced
marriage, or to marry the one that they love, others to get away from an
abusive home. The brutality of abuse, physical and mental, is beyond the
imaginable. It is so severe that
young girls and women, married off as slaves to an older man and his family,
burn themselves to death. In the
Herat area last year there were about 100 recorded self-immolations. That’s two
a week! And yet, if these women run away, they are the ones who go to jail.
Given their circumstances, prison is a better place for many of these young
women. Indeed, having shamed the family by running away, they may very well get
killed once they leave prison.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And yet, they are in prison, when they have done nothing
wrong but eloping with their lover whom they wish to marry, or escaping an
abusive home! They have been
deprived of their freedom for nothing.
This is so wrong and deeply upsets my sense of justice. But most everything involving women in
Afghanistan will upset one’s sense of justice and fairness. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FLatJDBFOw0/VRb-M81J7rI/AAAAAAAAPMg/kU37onrAQ2I/s1600/Girls%2Bswing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FLatJDBFOw0/VRb-M81J7rI/AAAAAAAAPMg/kU37onrAQ2I/s1600/Girls%2Bswing.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our show is very well-received. The women laugh a lot and
break out in applause, spontaneously at certain dialogue. For instance, when a
character speaks to the mother-in-law in a dream and talks about how it is
possible to change. This is when I wish I understood exactly what was being
said when (the show is in Dari) – what prompted them to clap? After the
performance, we ask for feedback from the audience. The women say we should
bring the show out to the villages. One woman advocated fiercely and
enthusiastically for this. Afterwards Joanna and I go to shake hands with some
of the women in the audience. I hunch down to say hello, “Tashakor, khob bud”?
I can’t say much more, but smile with my hand to my heart. One woman who is
further back in the audience calls out: “What is your name?” Another says: “My
friend says thank you very much!”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HCwnOn3hGl8/VYwIgZ-wAtI/AAAAAAAAP7Q/L-8a7WIte4o/s1600/Women%2Bchild%2Bprison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HCwnOn3hGl8/VYwIgZ-wAtI/AAAAAAAAP7Q/L-8a7WIte4o/s200/Women%2Bchild%2Bprison.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XoOTTRLrS0o/VYwIJjLNwWI/AAAAAAAAP7I/0ENsDsNQfEg/s1600/Red%2Bgirl%2Bprison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XoOTTRLrS0o/VYwIJjLNwWI/AAAAAAAAP7I/0ENsDsNQfEg/s200/Red%2Bgirl%2Bprison.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Two little children kiss my hand with a ritual of placing
their cheek, then the other cheek, then their forehead on my hand (and then
kiss). An old woman kisses my
cheeks and forehead and hugs me closely and strongly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The women disappear behind the prison door manned by two
female guards in uniform. Some then appear behind the bars of a window, and our
girls gather to talk to them. “Where are you from? Are you married? Children?”
And eventually the question – “Why are you here in prison?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xB3GFhJUzwo/VRcC1o9dfiI/AAAAAAAAPNY/XQRXmtJVm98/s1600/Behind%2Bbars%2B%26%2Bgirls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xB3GFhJUzwo/VRcC1o9dfiI/AAAAAAAAPNY/XQRXmtJVm98/s1600/Behind%2Bbars%2B%26%2Bgirls.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One says she killed her husband. Or rather that is what she
was put in here for. She didn’t actually do it, but was accused by the
husband’s brother. And that’s all it takes. A woman has no voice to defend
herself. And even if someone did kill her husband she may have had cause,
considering how horribly many women are treated. But most of them are in prison simply for running away (as described above).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The women behind the bars of the window told the girls they
can’t speak further about why they’re there because they’ll cry if they do, and
the guards are there (they don’t feel comfortable to speak, or cry, in front of
them).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The children sing us a song. They are lined up neat and tidy
in a little square. We think, “Oh, how sweet that they sing for us.” But as we
learn later the song they’re singing is about being abandoned and homeless! I
decide to give the children the balloons I had bought the other day and I still
had in my bag.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GuYPvF26YKc/VRcCw9bv1oI/AAAAAAAAPNQ/lg9fARR7km4/s1600/Children%2Bin%2Bprison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GuYPvF26YKc/VRcCw9bv1oI/AAAAAAAAPNQ/lg9fARR7km4/s1600/Children%2Bin%2Bprison.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T3tFQoJrDpM/VRcC9OI9x_I/AAAAAAAAPNg/KkB6gfA67jk/s1600/Child%2Bballoon%2Bprison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T3tFQoJrDpM/VRcC9OI9x_I/AAAAAAAAPNg/KkB6gfA67jk/s1600/Child%2Bballoon%2Bprison.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our girls are really affected by this visit and especially
because of the children. They are visibly taken and somber on the ride home.
“The children…” one girl starts to say and breaks down crying. Another girl is
crying silently all the way home. This whole experience touched her, I realize,
on a very personal level. She’s facing an arranged marriage, and here are all
these women who have escaped forced marriages either by killing the husband or
running away. She sees herself in these women, her own future perhaps. Or at
the least she acutely understands and feels their plight. Her parents want her
to marry someone she doesn’t want to marry, but they insist and are not
listening to her. She’s been very sad the last few days. I’m told she’s asking
to join us a lot on our excursions, because she wants to get away from home.
She’s 17, she’s not ready to lose her freedom. That’s it, her life will
completely change. And there’s nothing we can do, to help her. I wonder what’s
going to happen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our play about a mother-in-law who treats her son’s young
wife badly has a happy ending. The mother-in-law in the end understands the
error of her ways and reconciles with her daughter-in-law. They find a way to
live happily together. Later I learn that one of the women in the prison came
up to one of our girls and expressed how much she wished her mother-in-law had seen this play. She was in prison because she had killed her mother-in-law.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">-----------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">P.S.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The girl in our troupe facing a forced marriage got a happy
ending too. So far. Her parents relented and she did not have to marry. She has
been able to continue with the theater. And she’ll be joining us on this new
project in the prison!</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><br />
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</div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-gPzHHbqrf4Y%2FVRb9VtBiWgI%2FAAAAAAAAPMQ%2FDbA0Gv6W5wo%2Fs1600%2FPrison%252Barm%252Bsigns.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gPzHHbqrf4Y/VRb9VtBiWgI/AAAAAAAAPMQ/DbA0Gv6W5wo/s1600/Prison%2Barm%2Bsigns.jpg" -->ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-75260156482926422352015-03-25T13:19:00.002-04:002015-03-25T13:45:43.620-04:00Back to Afghanistan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m in Afghanistan again! It is now four years since I was
here. About time for a return! I am going back to Herat to work with members of
Simorgh Theatre for a project in the women’s prison.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Based on our first experience presenting a show in the
prison back in 2011, Bond Street Theatre is now developing a creative program
specifically for the women in prison – a physical theater-based psychosocial
empowerment program! This year-long initiative to bring creative workshops to
the women will use theater as a rehabilitative tool to process and heal
traumatic experiences, encourage self-expression, build self-esteem, develop
communication and leadership skills and the motivation and ability to better
manage their lives both inside and outside prison. This kind of program has
never before been done in prison in Afghanistan. It's an exciting venture. We will discover and develop as we go! </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Everyone we’re in contact
with (including the authorities) are very positive to the proposed program, and
based on our prior experience, the women welcome this activity. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Together with Joanna Sherman, I will help get things started for a month and after that the girls of Simorgh take over to keep the program going. The goal is to establish a self-sustaining, continuing drama group and lay the groundwork for similar programs in other prisons. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We will see how things go! Stay tuned for updates!</span></div>
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</div>
ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-91239616657474010892015-03-16T17:24:00.000-04:002015-03-21T18:10:45.537-04:00More drama in Sudan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This past January I finally had the opportunity to return to
Sudan! Happy happy joy joy! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And finally now posting about it...</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Woeballay sajami! (Oh my God!) What a rollercoaster. I was
all geared up to go and then the program got completely canceled because the
Sudanese ministry wouldn’t give a permit. And then suddenly we did get a permit
through another ministry. But then I couldn’t get a visa! Everybody else had
gotten theirs, but me. Every day I was waiting with baited breath and packed
bags to find out if today would be the day that I’d get my visa and could get
on a plane headed to Khartoum. And the days went by! It started to seem that a
return to Sudan was not in my stars. But finally, finally I got it. Sudan, here I come! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alhamdulillah, together again with my wonderful students!
After the challenging way things had ended last year and now the uncertainty of
my return, there was so much anticipation built up and then so much joy in
actually seeing each other again in flesh and blood. We didn’t think it
possible and here we were. Happy reunion. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because of the delays we only ended up having 10 days
together. It may sound like plenty but it’s not nearly enough! There was so
much to try to accomplish with training and creating performances. A whirlwind
of intense activity, over much too soon. But I was just glad for any time at
all with my dear students. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hit the ground running and went straight from a 13 hour
flight to teach with no time to lose!
This time I worked with two groups of young adult students at Sudan
University, Department of Drama. In addition to my old students, I had a whole
new group to contend with as well. The first day was a marathon of auditions to
select participants from a seemingly endless parade of students who were all gung-ho
to join. I would of course love to work with them all, but I had to settle on a
manageable group of about 20.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3jlfUC_-0jY/VQ3acXb51sI/AAAAAAAAPKY/-I4DMDmn43o/s1600/IMG_0373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3jlfUC_-0jY/VQ3acXb51sI/AAAAAAAAPKY/-I4DMDmn43o/s1600/IMG_0373.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fierce women!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTQjefjbExwyNMzEioE1lv6RiOnt1gM1K-CiqVrMabHDmwBW2VC-mUdgbpNFwKO9xbmNtfxXPDln3yoxjiwEErbU3R616aTjOI9IYEonCK5KDZctNhVysQMa4wFsVHc5HkBSQu2yaaPuK/s1600/IMG_0359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTQjefjbExwyNMzEioE1lv6RiOnt1gM1K-CiqVrMabHDmwBW2VC-mUdgbpNFwKO9xbmNtfxXPDln3yoxjiwEErbU3R616aTjOI9IYEonCK5KDZctNhVysQMa4wFsVHc5HkBSQu2yaaPuK/s1600/IMG_0359.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yOKO_Jv2N9A/VQ3acyqsbnI/AAAAAAAAPKc/eXlQ3u-SYQA/s1600/IMG_0380%2B-%2BVersion%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yOKO_Jv2N9A/VQ3acyqsbnI/AAAAAAAAPKc/eXlQ3u-SYQA/s1600/IMG_0380%2B-%2BVersion%2B2.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The security guard got a kick out of our antics!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_PdOOx_B9RI/VQ3agqNTjQI/AAAAAAAAPKo/lanzscF7ZOI/s1600/IMG_0383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_PdOOx_B9RI/VQ3agqNTjQI/AAAAAAAAPKo/lanzscF7ZOI/s1600/IMG_0383.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpk875gCe7LPDgolihteNS581sChLNDx4HvqWGemVvBm3maX_mR7NLwpvIVzO1gHCt9bsBHpd2QsYCXM7HMBmzTFm_flMGrByhKpdb4TMmA-2K8MvXJR3EwHGoPlt6MioDv3aF912DeugG/s1600/DSC02881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpk875gCe7LPDgolihteNS581sChLNDx4HvqWGemVvBm3maX_mR7NLwpvIVzO1gHCt9bsBHpd2QsYCXM7HMBmzTFm_flMGrByhKpdb4TMmA-2K8MvXJR3EwHGoPlt6MioDv3aF912DeugG/s1600/DSC02881.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With the new students we developed several short pieces on
social issues relevant to Sudanese youth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Three male students did a piece on drug addiction among
college students, performed entirely through movement with no speaking. All of
them died at the end! It was intense. I didn’t realize drug abuse would be a
huge issue among Sudanese youth, but I guess it’s the same everywhere. And
certainly in Sudan there is a lot of frustration and despondence over lack of
opportunities for youth, which I imagine might drive many to escape into drugs.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another group did a piece about female circumcision and its
harmful consequences, focusing on the reality of childbirth complications. The
mother ends up dying and the young father ends up alone with his newborn girl,
and swears the same thing will never happen to her. In Sudan most girls are
circumcised but there seems to be a debate and a push to end this practice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M3qRa3dT9zs/VQ3Y5Tg1X1I/AAAAAAAAPJ0/sNpeU32OzH0/s1600/IMG_0843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M3qRa3dT9zs/VQ3Y5Tg1X1I/AAAAAAAAPJ0/sNpeU32OzH0/s1600/IMG_0843.jpg" height="138" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A third group created a piece about women’s education and
how often rural, traditional families are against letting their daughters
attend university. Many of the girls in the class had struggled with their
families about letting them study and especially to let them study drama. They
expressed this right away in our first introduction. Of course, even in the
Western world parents don’t want their kids to study drama… These young women
were passionate and proud of their choice to devote themselves to theater. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then another group explored the issue of youth losing touch
with their Sudanese cultural roots and identity, instead obsessed with watching
Indian and American movies. This became a very funny scene with a trio acting
out Bollywood and action film sequences. One female student had an actual black
belt in karate (!) and it was fabulous to see her karate kicks, “knocking out”
the two guys. Girl power! The audience loved it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OdF4D2GUqfZZxlak6v1EBp5-NsUl0xoiDUi3WOqGDuPB_kzmzqDMw7m5bHwTnW8gYGLfHfOpFFffiyl2acr5DaXlSKkOLvkk3ZQf7CO-bk1-SXyIJMgMyVfvNcUL6_63EEexA_sCg6Au/s1600/IMG_0893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OdF4D2GUqfZZxlak6v1EBp5-NsUl0xoiDUi3WOqGDuPB_kzmzqDMw7m5bHwTnW8gYGLfHfOpFFffiyl2acr5DaXlSKkOLvkk3ZQf7CO-bk1-SXyIJMgMyVfvNcUL6_63EEexA_sCg6Au/s1600/IMG_0893.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally, we had a clown trio who played with the theme of
young men who are not able to marry because of the high cost of a wedding. In
Sudan it has become a norm and a requirement to spend tens of thousands of
dollars on a lavish wedding. As much as $50K. Insane! But no self-respecting
young lady will agree to a cheap wedding. What would people say?! So many young
men simply can’t get married, and neither can the young women then, leading to
frustration expressing it in various destructive actions, one of the students
explained, such as petty crime, drug abuse, as well as premarital sex. There
were three guys in the class who were each really funny personas, just
naturally, and I thought they would make an excellent clown trio. I was right!
They took the idea and ran with it – three clowns lamenting that they can’t get
married and desperate to find someone, and finally they pick a woman in the
audience, singing and dancing off with glee to go get her – it was
hilarious. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The students were all wonderful, but overall needed a lot of
training. We worked really hard, and in the end they all rose to the occasion
and did a fantastic show. It was an informal showing this year for other
university students. No gigantic event like last time with press, officials and
huge audience, we kept it on the lowdown this year. But still a great
culmination to an intensive 10 days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dearest to my heart, of course, was getting to work again
with my students from last year. We have a special bond. There was a magic that
happened last year in this group in our work together, Lydia and I and the students.
I have special love for these students. Even if they drive me nuts sometimes
(Sudanese time!*). And they are truly in a whole other league from the other
students. These students are very much in their bodies and really into movement
work. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">[*Sudanese time... Starting a half hour or so late.... or more!]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They expressed a strong desire to learn more about movement
and how to express ideas without speaking. But it seemed to come from a
lingering fear that being too explicit in their work would get them into
trouble. They are still traumatized from last year’s experience! Repeatedly I
was asked to please make sure that their work is symbolic enough so they won’t
get stopped again. We spoke about what happened last year. The students told me
there had been negative repercussions. The press and all the mosques denounced
the show, and they got in trouble with their teachers (this is surprising, I
must say, their drama teachers?!). Because the students had said “bad things”
about Sudan. One student told me he lost a job opportunity once the prospective
employer found out about his involvement in the show. But others said they had
also had positive effects. It had boosted their position as respected theater
practitioners and helped get a position as a university teaching assistant.
Regardless of consequences, they were certainly determined to continue on!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They are such passionate young people -- and deeply philosophical, spiritual in their quest of expression... They wanted to explore a movement (dance theater) piece about struggle, survival and solidarity among disparate peoples seeking unity. It got deep. At first they spoke of focusing on a positive perspective this time, leaving the audience feeling good, finding unity. But little by little they started weaving in the theme of being oppressed as a people... Inevitably!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was sad to have to leave them so soon and not be there
with them for their final performance at the embassy. Because, yes, a big
performance had been arranged and finally they would get to have their show
without interruption! But, alas, it was not to be! I thought we had a happy
ending…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On my last day
with them they took me out on an excursion by the Nile and treated me to
traditional Sudanese food. Such joy and spirit and love! </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A wonderful way to end this time around.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had to leave but a week later they
were to perform their show, and I was tough on them to motivate them to get
together on their own and rehearse. And then because of some mishaps, on the
very day of performance they were told they could not perform! Foiled again!
This time it really was bureaucratic red tape (security issues at the embassy),
and not the Sudanese gov’t that stopped it, but nonetheless of course
the students feel shut down. I felt so bad.
I had promised them they would have their show and they would not get shut down.
But sometimes, shit happens, as they say. Do not let it keep you down. Onward
and upward! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love my Sudanese students so much!</span></div>
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-34515495873823531892013-12-27T13:04:00.000-05:002014-07-16T06:09:19.188-04:00Showdown in Sudan (#4)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On
the day of our actual performance, the whole event was shut down. The imam of
the main mosque had denounced the event on Holy Friday, the day before, and
that’s no small matter in Sudan. There were those in the government completely
against this entire exchange. I was in midst of teaching an additional class in
clowning at another location when the rumors reached us. I gathered my
students together and told them what might be happening. And I said what mattered
most was the experience we shared working together over the past 10 days. They said they would perform
the show somewhere no matter what and send me the video for me to see. We
arrived at the performance space with a mix of trepidation and excitement.
I saw military police stationed at the entrance and thought, "Uh oh, this is getting serious."
Our performance was in a huge parking lot next to a major conference
hall. It turned out the President was next door at a conference!
This was one of the reasons given for why we could not proceed with our
performance. Nonetheless, after much negotiation between our producers
and government representatives, the show was back on again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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However,
all the hold-ups delayed everything and we started really late. My
students waited and waited for their chance to present. (There were many
acts in the entire performance evening, including music, rap and hip hop
dance.) As we were getting ready we began to dance to the music playing.
One of the government representatives approached us and said "no
dancing." <o:p></o:p></div>
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(The
evening before, a government rep had told us all the women must wear
headscarves during the performance or they would cancel the whole show. Several of the women were very upset by
this and one flat out refused.
They compromised by wearing a hat and tucking in their hair. I wore a headscarf in solidarity. Otherwise, as a foreigner I was not
obliged to wear one (unlike my experience in Afghanistan). Indeed, not all Sudanese women wear headscarves, although I
would say it’s the practice of about 99% of women. Covering your hair is not explicitly required, but it can
be arbitrarily enforced by the authorities. Recently, a Sudanese woman was arrested for not wearing a
headscarf and is on trial facing a possible punishment of 40 lashes.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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And then, finally, it was my students' turn. They got on stage, began their
performance, and they rocked it. There were over a thousand people in the
audience (I was told as many as 3,000) who clapped, whistled and laughed in
recognition of what my students were presenting. After all the apprehension, this was so affirming and satisfying to witness, and I was so excited for the performers.<br />
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And then I was told we had to cut their performance short! The
authorities mandated the whole event end at a certain time.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="color: #222222;">The clock struck when my students were only
halfway through their performance. I was the one who had to physically get up there
on stage and stop them.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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The
students were absolutely devastated. After working so hard for 10 days, after all the build-up and anticipation, they were finally getting to perform and have their say -- and then to have the rug pulled from under them!<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;"> </span></span>They got so upset they refused
to leave the stage and were near ready to riot. It was getting serious.
They shouted at me: “We leave this stage only because of you, Anna,
because of you; otherwise we refuse!” It was heart-wrenching.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the midst of this the organizer tells me, “You must leave now!” and I was immediately
whisked off to the airport for my scheduled flight. I had no opportunity
to gather the students and talk about what happened and say goodbye.
Normally I would take time for a debrief, which is something very important to
do at the end of a project, especially one as intensive as this one. It was
really hard to leave in such a state of incompletion. I quickly handed a stack
of certificates to Hashim for distribution -- and he reached out and hugged me.
This set off a chain-reaction of spontaneous embraces. No words, simply
the most deeply heartfelt hugs. It affirmed for me that even in the face
of this terrible breakdown our bond was not broken. It is difficult to
put into words the mix of emotions of the deeply meaningful exchange that had
taken place between us, so suddenly cut short. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>*
* *</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I
have since been in communication with them. They are in good spirits and ready
to perform the piece again elsewhere. They said: "We are artists and we
are strong, we have a message to show the world and you showed us how to give
it out." <o:p></o:p></div>
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This
was truly one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had teaching and traveling
abroad, and trying to make a difference in the world. It’s been a
privilege to experience Sudan and its people, and to get to work with these
beautiful and talented individuals. I hope to be able to come back
soon again. If I'll get another visa... There has been a lot of
controversy in the local press and government in Sudan about our program.
Our supporters in the government are still defending the program – they
are the ones facing the consequences now (among them Mr. Obay who turned out to
be an ally and advocate) – I hope they prevail!<span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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For more photos, go to: <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/108663803751095148121/albums/5954688589623625217">YES Sudan Highlights</a></div>
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0Sudan12.862807 30.21763599999997-2.6073354999999996 9.56333899999997 28.332949499999998 50.87193299999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-55484634752615524962013-12-26T05:18:00.000-05:002014-01-06T04:26:18.333-05:00Drama in Sudan - continued (#3)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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To begin a dramatic exploration of the issues, we gave the students an assignment to create a phrase and movement that represents one of the chosen themes. What they created in this 10-minute exercise was amazing. Here is one movement piece:<br />
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The students also created several deeply affecting pieces on the issue of cultural identity. In one piece, a woman stands up in the audience and cries out “Who am I?” She runs to the stage, approaching her fellow citizens who turn away. Another approaches with same question. Little by little they come together and collectively ask the audience: Who are we?” They then burst forth with great urgency, demanding: “Who are we?! Who are we?! WHO ARE WE?!”<br />
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In another piece, a group of Arabs enter dancing a traditional Arabic dance and meet a group of Africans dancing a traditional African dance, very different from the former. They see each other, stop and warily circle around each other. Eventually they couple up, one African and one Arab, and all come together. Out of their union, three babies are born. The children are confused. Because the north and the south are divided (as the country has recently been). They do not know who they are and where they belong. Are they Arab like their father, or African like their mother? They collapse in a state of fear and despair. It was quite poignant and profound! The piece then developed so that the children torn between the two in the end find that they are enriched by both, and thusly declare “We are Sudanese.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9iD40GGZqKU/Up1nJstfHvI/AAAAAAAAIeI/QCVnNmTdKjc/s1600/IMG_7067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9iD40GGZqKU/Up1nJstfHvI/AAAAAAAAIeI/QCVnNmTdKjc/s200/IMG_7067.JPG" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the unemployment office</td></tr>
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The students also created a compelling, and comedic, scene about the dire unemployment situation for young college graduates and how you can only get a job if you have a connection. Additionally, they developed a piece about the lack of acceptance in society of artists and innovators; how there is no space for new innovation and no appreciation for artists. This was a recurring theme in their discussions. These young men and women want to push boundaries, and make room for new ideas and new possibilities. As artists, they want to be free to express themselves.<br />
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At one rehearsal what began as a simple physical warm-up erupted into a spontaneous dance party. There was such wonderful energy and expression! "Perfect, this is how we end the play!," I exclaimed. I wanted the show to end in a moment of celebration. No, no, we were then told. This is not appropriate. The students cannot move like that on stage in front of the public. We were also told, the boys and girls cannot hold hands. The students protested that this is what they do in life, they do it at the university and it's fine. I advised that we acquiesce on this one. We were lucky the government representative had said nothing so far about other aspects of our presentation. </div>
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In developing our play, aware of the sensitivity of the issues, we focused on movement and imagery and incorporating comedic elements. We made sure to include positive perspectives and solutions. Two clownish narrators begin the show and provide commentary and comic relief, guiding the audience along the journey, which begins with a declaration of love for Sudan. We then present three problems: Unemployment/Freedom of Artistic Expression/Arab vs African. We end on a positive note of togetherness: We are all Sudanese and together we can make Sudan even greater. <o:p></o:p><br />
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There was a lot of debate about how to present things, what would be appropriate and what adjustments we might need to make. Even as we cloaked our message in comedy and mime, it was still obvious and possibly too obvious. Talking about problems at all was just too controversial. At the end of our last rehearsal, one of the organizers came and voiced concern about what was safe to say. Despite warnings, the students were adamant to proceed with what they had created. They said, “This is what we want to say.” “These problems exist. Others have already talked about them, we’re not the first.” “We are drama students, we are in the arts – this is what we do, we must express ourselves.” They said to me: “You asked us what the problems are. So we are telling you.” </div>
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I assumed the students would know how far they could go. After all, they live in Sudan, I don’t. But as rehearsals progressed, it became clear they don't know what the boundaries are, or they don't care. This was challenging to navigate. I felt responsible because I was directing them and leading them. I was not sure how serious the situation was going to get. At one moment it seemed it wasn’t a big deal. The next I had the impression there could be major consequences. For the students, and for us. I half-expected an Argo-like escape to the airport at the last minute. On dress rehearsal night rumors floated of possible protests and government-placed fire trucks at the ready to hose us down at any moment. Would we even be able to do the show?<br />
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0Sudan12.862807 30.21763599999997-2.6073354999999996 9.56333899999997 28.332949499999998 50.87193299999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-22321769425403867902013-12-26T03:18:00.000-05:002014-03-24T17:39:49.990-04:00Drama in Sudan (#2)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On our first day, close to thirty men and women showed up eager to partake in our workshops. Most of them drama students from the University of Sudan. My co-teacher Lydia had held auditions for a select few to join, but others heard about the program and came too. Some were students in other disciplines but who wanted a chance to explore theater. A few others were older professionals equally eager to benefit from this unique opportunity: to have an exchange with American artists. We couldn’t say no. In the end, we had 34 students.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Moubalara!</span></b><br />
From the first moment, I was so impressed and so excited to work with these students -- they were really talented, expressive and 100% gung-ho. It is immensely satisfying to teach students who are hungry to learn and who appreciate everything you give them – and who give you all the more in return. Over the course of 10 days, we worked intensively together, all of us greatly invested in the creative process and each other.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ppv4YOOcJQw/Up1nNvJRUeI/AAAAAAAAIew/hUmlAuTDv3k/s1600/IMG_7086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ppv4YOOcJQw/Up1nNvJRUeI/AAAAAAAAIew/hUmlAuTDv3k/s320/IMG_7086.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, imagine having only 10 days to train and create a show with a cast of 34 people! We had before us a Herculean task. Add to the challenge the fact that we were not producing an already written play. Our play was an original ensemble creation. This means we draw the material out of the group, developing it and shaping it together. The process was helped greatly by the fact that the students were so creative and so willing to play. My mantra for the workshop became: Koulakoum moubalara! Everybody is amazing! In the end what emerged was a powerful and poignant piece -- not fully developed nor professionally seamless -- but nonetheless a compelling performance, about 40 minutes long. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is not to say that there weren't bumps along the way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As talented as this group was, they still have a lot to learn, and focus was often an issue. Making good theater requires a tremendous amount of focus, energy and discipline. We spent the first couple of days working with the students on group movement to strengthen their cohesion as an ensemble and develop their awareness, sensitivity and concentration. Working in such a large group is challenging, and it’s natural to lose attention – even for seasoned professionals. But as rehearsals went along, it was time to get tough. But as rehearsals went along, it was time to get tough. During run-throughs of the play, many of the students would wander off, away from the stage area, instead of being in their designated spots ready for their next moment on stage. I kept herding them back like cats. At a certain point, I got so frustrated I shouted at them in a fit of fury: "You want to be a professional actor, you need discipline!!!" (I was channeling Debbie Allen in Fame: "You want fame? Well, here's where you start paying: in sweat!"). "Focus, be ready and give your all." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I don’t think I’ve ever done that before, quite so intensely. But I was so passionately invested in their performance, because I knew how much it mattered to them to get to perform and have their say. I had seen their potential and knew how great they could be. The students told me, "We will give our all on performance night." I countered: "Yes, but to get there you must do it now in rehearsal. You must cultivate your performance with 100% engagement from the start!" This was our last rehearsal, there was a lot of tension built up, and the whole session culminated in a declaration of commitment, passion and love for our work together and each other. In ten intense days, we had created a really strong bond. We were working hard on something already complex and challenging -- and to this was added an underlying sense of urgency. Our endeavor was becoming increasingly controversial.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Great Challenge</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>We were creating a performance piece on a social issue. Initially, the theme suggested by the YES Academy producer was national identity (in the wake of separation from South Sudan), but Lydia and I left the question open-ended. We asked our students: We are here to create a show on a social issue relevant to you. What do you want to talk about? What is important to you? We wanted to hear from the students their own thoughts and ideas. And they had a lot to share.<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">From among all the topics of discussion, what emerged as the main issues were:</span><br />
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<li>Unemployment – no work for young graduates</li>
<li>Cultural identity – are we Arab or African?</li>
<li>Acceptance of the arts – society does not accept creativity and innovation<br />and most fervently,</li>
<li>Freedom of expression.</li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">They yearn to speak their minds as artists, to express their passions and points of view. These were all issues our students felt strongly about and that they feel are of great relevance to the Sudanese people. It was interesting to learn about the cultural confusion. Indeed, it’s a real identity crisis for many. Ethnically the majority of Sudanese are African but culturally the majority are Arab (in North Sudan). Some look very Arabic (Middle Eastern), but most look African (black) or a mix. All speak Arabic and are mainly Muslim. There’s great tension between the two, and African-looking Sudanese often feel discriminated against. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But the most burning issue among the students was freedom of expression.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And here was our great challenge: how create a show in which the students can speak out on what matters most to them – social justice, economic opportunity, spiritual fulfillment, freedom to express -- without criticizing the government? I was tasked with doing social theater but under no circumstances to criticize the regime! Bringing up any social issue can be viewed as criticism. The last thing I want to do is stifle my students. But I also don’t want negative consequences!</span><br />
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0Sudan12.862807 30.21763599999997-2.6073354999999996 9.56333899999997 28.332949499999998 50.87193299999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-15485239368638188112013-12-22T08:39:00.000-05:002014-01-06T04:25:58.931-05:00Diplomacy in Sudan (#1)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In November I spent two weeks in Sudan teaching theater and here, finally, is my full account of this amazing experience. It was an intensive time that proved deeply enriching and meaningful. I worked
with a group of young men and women burning to express themselves creatively
within a challenging political and cultural environment.<br />
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Quick country background: Sudan is a country in northeast Africa, south of Egypt, that recently split into Sudan and South Sudan. Sudan has been ruled by one regime since 1989, which instituted
Sharia law, and has been branded by the U.S. as a sponsor of terrorist organizations. The country has suffered financial
sanctions for over 15 years. This past September the government cut subsidies, prices rose sharply, and people
took to the streets in protest, which regime forces quickly quelled, reportedly
resulting in 200 deaths. It is a somewhat precarious time for Sudan...<o:p></o:p></div>
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Enter our cultural diplomacy program. For this project I joined American
Voices and its YES Academy (Youth Excellence on Stage), a cultural exchange
program focused on countries emerging from conflict and isolation. The YES
Academy Sudan program was sponsored by the US Embassy and the Sudanese
Ministry of Culture and took place in the capital Khartoum. The program offers training in American cultural forms such as jazz, rap, hip hop and musical theater. This time they included a social theater component: I was brought on to teach physical theater to university students and children and to create a performance piece on a relevant social issue. We had 10 days
to hone their skills and to create and publicly perform a theater piece. </div>
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This was the first high-profile artistic exchange between
the U.S. and Sudan in many years, or perhaps ever -- and we were watched closely by the Sudanese
government. They sent a government
“minder” to keep an eye on us. I
imagine they wanted to ensure we were not about to corrupt their youth and
foment a revolution. The government representative’s name was Obay. I am not kidding. And he was from the Central Thought and Culture
Office. (You can’t make this stuff
up.) We were suspicious at first,
and a bit nervous about his presence. But Mr. Obay in the end turned out to be an ally who
strongly advocated for our program to the rest of the authorities. There were apparently factions in the government
who were not so keen on our presence.
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A representative from the Ministry of Culture, who was our main sponsor, also came by
to see how things were going. He
seemed genuinely concerned about how the rest of the world views Sudan, and appeared to think that this artistic exchange will have a real influence on improving
Sudan’s image and relationship with the U.S. I’m glad that he values the arts and
its potential power! He asked me to tell everyone that everything you heard
about Sudan isn’t true. (They are not terrorists.) So if you see Obama, be sure to let him know.</div>
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For myself, what I value is not the political impact, but
the human connection.</div>
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I worked with a group of wonderful people and we had a truly
beautiful exchange. Indeed,
everyone I met in Khartoum was friendly, hospitable and good-humored. One of
the things that touched me about Sudan was how keen the people are to connect
with Americans and for us to have a positive view of their country. I was met with a huge smile and the
immediate question: “How do you like Sudan?” and “Why don’t you stay
longer?” Next time I will! This was a whirlwind and a roller coaster
ride. I did not really have the chance to fully experience
all of Khartoum and Sudan. There’s
so much to learn still. Especially about the theater in Sudan. </div>
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Coming up: Working with the drama students -- koulakoum moubalara!</div>
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0Sudan12.862807 30.21763599999997-2.6073354999999996 9.56333899999997 28.332949499999998 50.87193299999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-36543065364263049802013-11-25T15:12:00.000-05:002013-11-28T14:03:48.873-05:00On the Road Again: Sudan!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been a while, and finally time to venture out into the world again! <br />
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I just got back from an intensive two-week project in Sudan. It was an amazing, beautiful and profound experience. <br />
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I joined the American Voices YES Academy program to teach theater to university students and youth, and to create a performance piece on a relevant social issue, such as national identity (particularly in the wake of separation between Sudan and South Sudan). <br />
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While there I had very little internet connection, so the blogging has had to wait. I was able to post a couple of times to Facebook, and here is my first check-in:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">11/11/13: First day in Sudan. After a bumpy start with logistics, we finally started the workshops -- and the students are fantastic! I am so impressed. The kids are great and the students from the University of Sudan are so talented, so expressive, and 100% into it. What great stuff we're gonna do in the next two weeks. This is the first high-profile artistic exchange between the US and Sudan. A member of the government was there to check us out, make sure everything's on the up and up.... Hopefully he approved.</span><br />
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Over the next few days, I will give more details to bring you along on my journey. Fasten your seatbelts, we're going on an intense roller coaster ride!<br />
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-36541283027405344602012-03-07T01:04:00.003-05:002013-10-25T15:33:29.866-04:00HAITI: Women say: Enough!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Bon soir de Ayiti! La tout se yon bon bagay! N'ap fe bel travay avek fanm Favilek! And as you can see my Kreyol is coming along nicely. And good thing since the women tell me "you must learn to speak Kreyol" and are excited when I do. Both Christina and I can handle basic conversation. One word we have learned is... 'kadejak.' It means rape. This word may not normally be considered part of daily basic conversation, but sadly, for so many women in Haiti it is. We are working with the group Favilek to create a show about gender violence which is rampant in this country. <br />
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These women have such a strong spirit. It is hard to imagine them as victims. (Favilek -- Women Victims Get Up Stand Up -- is an organization of women who are all survivors of sexual violence). But as they expressed in their own words: they may bend us, but they cannot break us; we stumble, but we will not fall. As an assignment after our first meeting and discussion, we told them to prepare something related to the themes we had explored: justice, change, improving life for women. A piece of text, a song, a movement. The poems they came up with are fierce and their energy passionate, indeed militant: <i>Women say enough! For a long time we have been walking with our hands hanging. We demand justice! </i>And then they break into song, a rhythmic catchy tune: <i>Men have sowed the seed of violence, but we ask that violence be replaced with love! We are Favilek: Fanm Viktim Leve Kanpe!</i><br />
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We've been working intensively and things are starting to take shape. The first days we really focused on building performing skills through workshops -- presence on stage, exploring different levels of energy, grounding the body, character and expression. And then exploring the theme for the show through movement and storytelling exercises. We are now sculpting the show. This is drawn from the various things the women have come up with during the exercises of the week, including their very first assignment. Our team then brainstorms on all the elements and we make suggestions, inspired by what the women have given us, to shape a composition.<br />
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The past week and a half has been amazing. We have such a wonderful connection with the women of Favilek. Our return was received with great enthusiasm and joy and we are enjoying a truly lovely camaraderie and mutual appreciation for each other and the work.<br />
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We're also going about town and meeting all kinds of interesting people. While at the street food night market feasting on barbecued chicken, plaintains and spaghetti juice (don't ask), we ran into the legendary Haitian actor Pe Toma. All thanks to Morlon, our Haitian artist collaborator-translator-social butterfly and great connector, who knows everybody and if he doesn't he soon will. Petoma came to visit our rehearsals and all the women were very excited because he is very famous. Today we paid a visit to him and appeared on National Haitian Television! So soon we will be famous too.<br />
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That's all for now. My time here has come to an end. It's been a short and sweet and intense journey for me. The rest of the team is staying through March 16 to facilitate the performances the Favilek women will do around Port-au-Prince. Stay tuned!<br />
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Na we tale!<br />
Anna<br />
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<span style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">P.S. Spaghetti juice is a delicious shake procured from a blend of potato, banana, and spaghetti. Who in the world comes up with such a thing?! But trusty Morlon swore to us it was really good, so we decided to try it. Mmm... hmm. Well, it’s not bad for a sip or two, but after a few more gulps, we couldn’t take it any more. It’s sort of like drinking batter. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: #888888;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><br />
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0Haiti18.492586264711512 -72.3071876562516.571810264711512 -74.88897465625 20.413362264711512 -69.725400656249988tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-44285421523749542062012-02-24T01:00:00.002-05:002013-10-25T15:33:58.258-04:00Anna and Bond Street Theatre back in Haiti!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Finally, we return to Haiti to work with the women of FAVILEK again from February 24-March 16, 2012 to create a show about gender violence. Here is Bond Street Theatre's press release:</div>
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<b><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109341215463&s=4035&e=0017CBXYqoHtRUin4JzHpiTw7whkNE_Ainxog1TIgocVUG8sX7uVyVlfEObtClfzUmqKEMEVTd7iYRUrEgWHBz6ObO2ZrpF_mltVjdG3NPTy7U=" shape="rect" target="_blank"><img align="left" alt="b street logo" border="0" height="72" hspace="5" name="135b9d15045fde5b_135ae10f265f5674_135ae1083bf9ee10_1359f94791cf28d7_ACCOUNT.IMAGE.25" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs033/1101821862362/img/25.jpg" style="text-align: left;" vspace="5" width="267" /></a></b></div>
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<span style="color: #7ce6ff;"><b>FOR IMMEDIATE <span class="il">RELEASE</span></b></span><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><b> </b></span></div>
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<i> </i><i>Contact Olivia Harris Communications Director</i></div>
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<i> <a href="tel:212.254.4614" target="_blank" value="+12122544614">212.254.4614</a> / </i> <br />
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<a href="mailto:olivia@bondst.org" shape="rect" style="color: #7ce6ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">olivia@bondst.org</a> </div>
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<div align="center" style="color: #0066cc; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #003680; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Theatre Addresses Gender Violence in <span class="il">Haiti</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />
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<i><b>Bond Street Theatre Returns to Port-au-Prince to Create an Original Show about the Earthquake, its Tragic Aftermath, and the Ongoing Effects on Women and Girls</b></i></div>
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<span style="color: #00000c;"><i>New York, NY, February 20, 2012</i> - <span style="color: #000090;"><b>Bond Street Theatre</b></span> returns to <span class="il">Haiti</span> this Friday to continue their partnership with Haitian women's group FAVILEK. The program uses theatre to spread information about the violence women still face in the tent camps more than two years after the earthquake.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #00000c;">Ten survivors of domestic and political violence founded<span style="color: #000090;"><b> FAVILEK</b></span> (Women Victims Get Up, Stand Up) in 1991 with a theatrical response to the political coup<i>: O</i><i>chan Pou Tout Fanm Yo Obliye</i> (<i>Tribute To All Forgotten Women</i>). Bond Street Theatre met Maricia Jean, a FAVILEK co-founder, in New York City on the first anniversary of the earthquake. She requested the company's help to create a new piece about the current issues faced by Haitian women in the tent camps. </span></div>
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<i>Maricia stands tall at a 2011 workshop.</i></div>
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<span style="color: #00000c;">When asked why the group chose theatre, Bazelais, another founding member of FAVILEK replied,</span><span style="color: #000090;"><b><i> "to have an outlet for our feelings of what we have endured."</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #00000c;">The Bond Street Theatre <span class="il">Haiti</span> team spent a month in Port-au-Prince last spring performing <i>The Flying Head</i> (<i>La Tet San Ko</i>) in the tent camps and presenting workshops for women and children, thanks to the support of the <b><span style="color: #000090;">American-Jewish Joint Distribution Committee</span>. </b>The team and FAVILEK began work on a new performance to bring information about women's rights and the disasters of gender violence to the Haitian community.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #00000c;">The <span class="il">Haiti</span> team - <i>Anna Zastrow</i>, <i>Christina Pinnell</i>, and <i>Joshua Wynter</i> - returns to Port-au-Prince on <span style="text-decoration: underline;">February 24</span>, again thanks to the American-Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, to teach theatrical skills to the women of FAVILEK and develop the new show for performing in tent camps and other locations in <span class="il">Haiti</span> to raise awareness about ongoing violence against women. The two groups intend to bring the performance to tour the USA.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #00000c;">The </span><span style="color: #00000c;"><span class="il">Haiti</span> Project will also facilitate </span><span style="color: #00000c;">partnerships between FAVILEK and local governmental and non-governmental organizations that need their services and performances to build the sustainability of <span style="color: #00000c;">FAVILEK and ensure more opportunities to alert community stakeholders to this pressing issue.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #00000c;">Two years after the earthquake in <span class="il">Haiti</span>, half a million displaced people still live in tent camps and in increasingly difficult and volatile conditions. Women in the camps face many challenges: lack of income, little to no security, supporting children alone, forced prostitution, and disease. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #00000c;">Theatre provides a mouthpiece </span><span style="color: #00000c;">for Haitian women who are silenced in national and international discourse. The theatre arts serve as an effective means to ease the traumatic effects of disaster and poverty by providing a voice to the voiceless, a safe space to explore the issues, and stimulating creative problem solving and self-expression.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #00000c;"><span style="color: #00000c;">The women of FAVILEK </span><span style="color: #00000c;">were enthusiastic about the 2011 project with Bond Street Theatre:</span><span style="color: #000090;"><b><i>"We feel so much stronger now!" "Now we feel like we can do anything!"</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #00000c;">Bond Street Theatre has a long history of creating successful theatre projects that promote community development and local capacity building, particularly in communities suffering from conflict, disaster or poverty. The ensemble returned February 14 from a month-long project in Myanmar, and will continue their Theatre for Social Development project in Afghanistan this March. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #00000c;">The <span class="il">Haiti</span> Project is made possible by a generous grant from the <b>American-Jewish Joint Distribution Committee</b>, an organization that provides relief and development in some of the most crucial areas around the world, a grant from the <b>US Embassy in Port-au-Prince</b>, and contributions from <b>individual donors</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0067ce;"><i>For more information or to schedule an interview in the US or <span class="il">Haiti</span>, please contact <b>Olivia Harris</b> at <b><a href="tel:212-254-4614" target="_blank" value="+12122544614">212-254-4614</a></b> or <b><a href="mailto:olivia@bondst.org" shape="rect" style="color: #0067ce;" target="_blank">olivia@bondst.org</a></b>.</i></span> </div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Bond Street Theatre</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">, founded in 1978, creates theatre that crosses cultural borders and initiates theatre-based projects for education, conflict resolution and healing in areas of conflict and poverty globally. The company collaborates with local artists to enjoy the benefits of artistic exchange and promotes the value of the arts in shaping a peaceful future. Recipient of a MacArthur Award, the company has also received support from the Trust for Mutual Understanding, ArtsLink, the Theatre Communications Group, Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation, Association for Performing Arts Presenters, Asian Cultural Council, US Institute for Peace, US Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs, NEA, US Embassies, and others, and performs in theatres and festivals worldwide.<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #002659;"><b>Bond Street Theatre is a non-profit organization, and an NGO in association with the UN-DPI. </b></span></span></i></div>
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<b>Artistic Director: Joanna Sherman </b></div>
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<b>Managing Director: Michael McGuigan</b></div>
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<b>Communications Director: Olivia Harris </b></div>
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<b>Bond Street Theatre -- 2 Bond Street, </b></div>
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<b>New York, NY 10012 USA</b></div>
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<b>FOR FURTHER INFORMATION and STORIES:<span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span></b></div>
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<i><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109341215463&s=4035&e=0017CBXYqoHtRWhzrnrjEv6F4_mgvkZvbseSLXQe4SvE-52e8WLBiaZ3i1xxWvY3B7vUdzbHXqCcmICiOKNJfw36hVEZhkjzShKcYLjPm77w0r3myce5cVn3ALBpDJaN9Y8PVgagNg-O-g=" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Bond Street on the Road</a></span> blog -----</i></div>
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<i><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109341215463&s=4035&e=0017CBXYqoHtRXr5bTNZsyWTWUqvMywofoN_od344YGUSNdL_0nMoTBKLgNOR8hILnTVh9oDqgU2mZRB_gSKrDD8x6-1IZECUnO5pbp5iDaAUkrszpD6T-ziZ8oSc6I69XyE70ZtwyFugUJ_yiOmRGfaOgNZCC-KH__D9APUOpSshg=" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Artistic-Humanitarian Relief</a> work -----</i></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109341215463&s=4035&e=0017CBXYqoHtRXmCL0KiDjpeRvUwdGDPSPVgL9pAaeJ4VS9ZwHrbdGTFHIuDgw3COnUI61Y-Nc8xk78vQYQGqgOWtvuViO0iCh-2rsx3LhnCC8kEbvJgfhu9TLbNPQ2bBeusH_SGmh1PSrfyWPSoX3so5Wvpk-dziui" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">American </a></span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109341215463&s=4035&e=0017CBXYqoHtRXmCL0KiDjpeRvUwdGDPSPVgL9pAaeJ4VS9ZwHrbdGTFHIuDgw3COnUI61Y-Nc8xk78vQYQGqgOWtvuViO0iCh-2rsx3LhnCC8kEbvJgfhu9TLbNPQ2bBeusH_SGmh1PSrfyWPSoX3so5Wvpk-dziui" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Theatre</a></span><span style="color: black;"> article about Bond Street Theatre in Afghanistan.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109341215463&s=4035&e=0017CBXYqoHtRWynn53wO_2NPZerOp4N0jSbk5lijlXaXuCFN9XrFWc_fvBS3ZGDylBu51PcoO0b5sU8JtrmXaXKmbyCasXWTbqIcy7ihjONM81Bwm0RO0o69BYjXSC2leEsKNQyb2TnUT89OYnlMBZn0ezDKYfG8i1Q9mcsNjpFhA=" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">American Theatre</a></span> <span style="color: black;">article about Burma: "Can Laughter Set You Free?" by Michael McGuigan</span></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109341215463&s=4035&e=0017CBXYqoHtRVdxXGhFmj5XusY03DoQQwVTldb1nmIqMY580Lc-I28XmlscDr3AR7AK5p6TNmYVFZwNmN3MBrsxhEI9v_tpNIOmNnDgcAlXLaNr8bg7mkQhDhAsfl9Is-zlo5X1ie17-e7OvoSgqrprQ==" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Video</a>: Theatre project: Herat, <b>Afghanistan </b></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109341215463&s=4035&e=0017CBXYqoHtRViAT75nWhe6uMBtZF4ym4CShR2VRkeRSqJRj9JV_-Vkkbpcb4d77_C8_sAfWkWQwwDsSzLmipi6FPQw9VKnKOq2TQiHST4L0_uP_2XRE3bIB3jfA2RfaJBggq43ExJBd5tgbENEL4WV9grDaWdCLKjILAetCJEG6M=" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Video</a>: Theatre project with women in <b><span class="il">Haiti</span></b></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109341215463&s=4035&e=0017CBXYqoHtRU74oIv0BbgEhERUV1U5CgCMJdc1majXTqJ2_f3tTVqE6ibTwAwQTw1IKGJ_cu2d2W3xaL_NpXMMCF4PeIOYTBsOCf442wZx1vXWboIbY8QRyldezv_aISmY-Tmyx2_oskkLmZLFULJ43so2yxieaYG00n-IqyE-q3MgvE5lzNt2ZVEpo1BPopMiRx9YjPH5CCfgCs68s94StWkGcQ68XY2" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Video</a>: Theatre collaboration in <b>Burma</b></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109341215463&s=4035&e=0017CBXYqoHtRV8uEqQEd_aA3NbOwIrckLOki6ov6t6I04yKJRUuaNsnnYlE4NFtDGvQp1bKPfXoFvnW6JgT_Qo_LeTfw9kX9Z5F6OnU4kx50p0Tod8oXAuxjEgrqDKRXeht3i46eBAIGLrAmT7UskQYMiL-OI792gSeHsYingJN2YCPVrQgiN2Bw==" shape="rect" style="color: #000090; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Video</a>: </i>Beyond the Mirror<i>: <b>NYC</b> performance </i></div>
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0Haiti18.575918327644388 -72.3071876562516.655142327644388 -74.88897465625 20.496694327644388 -69.725400656249988tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-83102696225901721302011-11-01T19:11:00.000-04:002015-06-21T13:18:41.744-04:00Bond Street in Afghanistan again!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Bond Street is back in Afghanistan, just in time for the <em>Kabul National Theatre Festival,</em> Sept 22-26, 2011 and staying until Nov 2. <br />
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This time our <em>Theatre for Social Development</em> project continues with a new exciting theater group called <em>White Star,</em> based in Kabul and comprised of Kabul University graduates who are eager to breathe new life into theater arts in Afghanistan and bring important social information to the community through compelling and uplifting spectacles. <br />
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I am staying behind and holding up the fort back in NYC this time around. You can follow along the journey by reading my good friend and colleague Kayhan Irani's blog, who has joined Joanna & Michael on the road. Check out these posts: <a href="http://kayhanirani.wordpress.com/2011/09/29/kabul-goes-to-my-head/">Kabul Goes to My Head</a>, <a href="http://kayhanirani.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/bigger-than-me/">Bigger than Me</a>, <a href="http://kayhanirani.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/sisters-are-doing-it/">Sisters Are Doing It</a>, <a href="http://kayhanirani.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/not-just-a-banana/">Not Just a Banana</a>.<br />
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And updates from Michael and Joanna can be found on the <a href="http://www.bondstreetblog.blogspot.com/">Bond Street Blog</a>.<br />
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-43602522222071418452011-07-28T23:24:00.010-04:002013-10-25T15:34:58.458-04:00Afghanistan PHOTOS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Afghanistan -- Performances:</span></i></span><br />
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<i>Afghanistan -- the country and the people:</i><br />
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0Afghanistan34.375484540823408 64.54589050000004120.954251540823407 43.891593500000042 47.796717540823408 85.200187500000041tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-17734934576920924472011-07-20T10:46:00.035-04:002014-01-05T14:15:43.642-05:00Afghanistan - The General and his Men<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(Wednesday April 29, 2011) </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One day we go see the police commander of Herat. He is the general in charge of the paramilitary police in the area. This is at a heavily fortified military compound outside of the city in the middle of desert-like no man’s land. Hakim, who runs the theater group we’re working with here (together with Monireh) is acquainted with him and ran into the commander the night before at a celebration of the Mujahideen Victory Day over the Soviets. He arranges for us to come see him the next day.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Approaching the compound, we stop at a checkpoint flanked by gigantic sand bags, or barrels rather, and a look-out tower made of a massive mound of sandbags. We proceed through an obstacle course of cement blocks. Then, another checkpoint where they check our van with metal detectors and a pole with a big mirror (looking for bombs under the car). Several soldiers in turn approach us to ask what our business is. Then one of them, apparently a buddy to Hakim, hops up on the side of the van, hanging halfway out, and escorts us as we drive through the compound to the office of the commander. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tea and Theater</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Upon being greeted by several officers, we are led into the commander’s office, and there he sits in full uniform behind a large mahogany desk with a flag of Afghanistan and Karzai’s portrait hanging above him on the wall. The room is huge and lined with couches and arm chairs. He is huge. We take a seat. The commander greets us from behind his desk and is quite congenial. A soldier comes in and serves us tea and bonbons. We are having tea with the police commander of Herat!</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Aha,” says the commander, when he hears about our program -- who we are and what we do --“and what can you do for the police?,” he asks. We describe for him what our show is about. Then the commander speaks for a while (I keep hearing the word “teatr”)… "Yes, please do a performance about family conflict. This is a very good thing to present to the men!," he exclaims. Indeed. And so the commander invites us for dinner this very night and to perform our show for his 500 police officers! Wow. OK. Fantastic! I was quite amazed, really. The Afghan police commander just invited us to dinner and to perform a theater show for his men – on a moment’s notice! Just like that. I just could not imagine the same happening with a U.S. Army General. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Elusive Handshake</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When we return in the evening, we are greeted by the commander wearing a white <em>peron tomban</em> (shalwar kameez, or tunic and pants) and holding yellow prayer beads (a common accessory for men here). He shakes Michael’s and the other men’s hands, but not Joanna or mine. One of the soldiers outside, however, stretched his arm out and gave me a firm handshake. I was almost taken aback. He must have gotten used to being around Americans. I was unsure how to approach the matter of shaking hands with men here and generally I did not offer my hand unless initiated by the man. Men and women do not ordinarily touch, in Afghanistan, not even with a handshake. We settle in the commander’s office for tea yet again and chat before dinner. The commander expresses his appreciation for our work and our coming to do this for the police. He says the police officers need to be aware of human rights – for women and children – and to know how to handle it in their work. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Paramilitary and Politics</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The commander, who is a general, has been in the military since the jihad days of fighting the soviets. The police he commands are the ANCOP (Afghan National Civil Order Police). They are involved in civil order protection as a paramilitary force, sort of in between the police and the army. They are specially trained police who handle riots and attacks in addition to regular police patrols. This base is a training center as well as operating base for missions and the men here are deployed from all over the country. They only go home to their families every few months. There are some women on the base, but they mostly do cooking and laundry. Apparently, the commander is open to more women joining the force in all capacities. And, there’s a daycare center! Quite progressive.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are two Americans on the base who join us. One is an “embedded advisor,” that is, he is a U.S. military officer who works on his own immersed with the Afghans offering intelligence advice. He teaches counterinsurgency and specializes in building trust in the community for the police, which in turn builds security. To this end, he does not wear an army uniform but rather Afghan traditional clothing and there is no big military operation let by U.S. soldiers. It’s all Afghan action (indirectly and inconspicuously guided by a U.S. military advisor); as he said, “it’s them for them by them.” They walk around, say hi, talk to the people, find out what the problems are, hand out supplies to the children, with the intent to show care and concern. It’s a policy promoted by General Petreus (although, our new friend says, it has received U.S. Army resistance) and has shown to be effective in Iraq.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We’ve been sitting in the general’s office for an eternity, it’s now going on 9 o’clock at night and we haven’t even had dinner yet! Will we even get to present a show? But finally we are called to the dining room… and then:</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We proceed to the mess hall where all the officers are gathered. The general has changed back in full uniform and everyone quickly rises to attention. There are almost three hundred policemen gathered, all in fatigues and military gear. It’s a sight to see – performing a show surrounded by soldiers with AK-47s. Luckily, they seem to enjoy it and laugh a lot. Of course, whenever the general claps, they all immediately clap as well. But they seem genuinely interested and watching with keen attention. The ones in the back are standing on the chairs and tables in order to see better. Many of them are filming or taking photos with their cell phones. Which is kind of funny – wherever you go in the world, cell phone cameras abound, even here.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">One Blonde American Woman and Three Hundred Afghan Policemen</span></u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LaMZ2EIpkc7RoDhkpahkx1dhPsgi2yVG9lkZlS65NImI_Xvp7gDsq-6IavjQ3R1MPafDkLAAkJae5-qCfXsJ9TWqZD7QlHlxnxYwmPhFqk-FmTcSaKN_GRz35GLTJahtUeb9tnn5zyfc/s1600/a427+018.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LaMZ2EIpkc7RoDhkpahkx1dhPsgi2yVG9lkZlS65NImI_Xvp7gDsq-6IavjQ3R1MPafDkLAAkJae5-qCfXsJ9TWqZD7QlHlxnxYwmPhFqk-FmTcSaKN_GRz35GLTJahtUeb9tnn5zyfc/s320/a427+018.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">What’s funnier is that when I turn my camera toward the audience to snap a shot of the soldiers as they watch (since I am the de facto company photographer), they immediately turn their phones away from the performance to me so they can get a shot of the blonde American woman. <s></s>I’m as much a novelty to them as they are to me, if not more. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Indeed, it’s a bit intimidating to be here among all these Afghan military men. As we wait for the show to begin, they are all staring at me. I realize I’m not entirely comfortable meeting their gaze, looking at them with more than a cursory glance, aware that it is not the cultural norm here for women to assertively look upon men, and that if I do and smile to boot, I might give them ideas… ideas that they may already have about foreign (American) women. This is all conjecture, of course. I would have liked to speak with them one-on-one, learn about them as individuals, find out what they think of things, about the show. But I can’t really shake their hands, and I don’t speak the language. Afterwards, there was not much time to “mingle” and get a translator to facilitate communication. We have to contend with the communication inherent in photographing each other.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hassan shared with us afterwards how one of the men expressed in response to the show: “I really miss my family!”</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">A Good Man, A Good Life</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The show the boys present (as I have described in earlier posts) is about domestic abuse and centers on a man frustrated and angry who mistreats his wife and son. Through a journey of experiences, he has a change of heart and realizes the errors of his ways. He hurries home to begin anew with his family.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After the performance, we do a Q&A. Several policemen stand up and offer suggestions on topics for another show. Do something about arranged marriages, where a woman is forced to marry someone she doesn’t want to marry! Do a show about narcotics! Do a show about trusting the police! It’s good to see several policemen enthusiastically speak up. </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p7VCZYENDMM/ToiM4NRe2jI/AAAAAAAAF5w/LKHqDLVKIxM/s1600/a427+065.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p7VCZYENDMM/ToiM4NRe2jI/AAAAAAAAF5w/LKHqDLVKIxM/s200/a427+065.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">To top the evening off, we get a ride home in a Humvee! All the way home from the outskirts of town, through the city center, and into the little community on the other side of town, onto a small side street, which the vehicle barely fits. Escorted by a police truck with soldiers sporting machine guns. It was quite the spectacle. It was a good thing it was night and the neighborhood was asleep. Otherwise, it might have been a disturbing sight. Imagine if it had been the middle of the day, and we had come barreling down that little dirt road in a huge military vehicle. Already, the neighborhood kids, whenever they see us, shout out "The Americans are coming, the Americans are coming!" </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Boys and Girls</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The boys performed for the policemen as it would have been impossible to have the girls come. They really wanted to, the girls. But imagine 300 male soldiers living on a base rarely interacting with females, and a group of a teenage girls show up in their midst. In Afghanistan. They would have been eaten alive. I joked “you want to find a husband?” “No!!!” Joanna in turn joked that they just want to go so that they can hang out with the boys and see them play. And, I realize, of course, that’s it. In their world, this is something unusual and special – the fact that they are hanging out together, they boys and the girls! It is not something that occurs normally in Afghan society. This whole time in workshops, rehearsal and outings, they girls and they boys are mixing and it’s intriguing, titillating, exciting. And the girls are at that age where they are starting to get interested in boys (and vice versa). There are definitely some flirtations going on. Hush hush!</span></div>
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0Afghanistan34.809597314199927 64.72167175000004121.388364314199926 44.067374750000042 48.230830314199927 85.375968750000041tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-8384617441317915592011-05-31T15:30:00.021-04:002014-01-05T14:16:16.448-05:00Afghanistan: The Drug Treatment Center for Adolescents<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We do the show outside for 40 boys all dressed in blue tunics and pants. It’s a good show with great energy – kudos to our young performers! – and everyone seems to really enjoy it. We ask if they have ever seen a play before. None have. Theater doesn’t really exist in Afghanistan in these times. It’s a complete novelty for them to have something played out before them in live action. </div>
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What is the show about? As with the presentation by the girls' troupe, the boys' show addresses family conflict but focuses on the role of the husband. It tells the story of an angry and frustrated man who mistreats his family with verbal and physical abuse. While away on a journey, the man witnesses other ways of living and being. He sees men who act with authority and yet with patience and kindness, and how they as well as everyone around them are so much happier. Little by little, the man sees the errors of his ways and decides to make a change. In great excitement, he returns home to start anew with his family. The story is simplistically laid out here, but in its theatrical presentation it is quite affecting. Our boys are as talented as the girls and play their roles with great commitment. The goal is to present to the community effective and positive ways to handle conflict within the family and how everyone in the family benefits (including the husband) when there is support of each other. We discuss with the boys the difference between the men portrayed and which behavior works best for a happy and productive home and society.</div>
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Did they like the show? Bale! (Yes!) Do they think it’s a good message? Bale!! Is this a good way to bring information to the community? Bale!!! What else should we do a show about? Drug-addiction! Indeed.</div>
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As this is a show with the boys for the boys, Michael (being a boy) leads the workshop section, which leaves Joanna and I free to observe. There is great excitement as Michael engages the group in a physicalized energy game and some silly clown antics. Afterwards, one of the boys breaks out in an impromptu dance performance in our honor as guests. Someone plays Iranian music on a cell phone as accompaniment. The boy dances in the same style I’ve seen girls do, apparently men do the same movements, although this boy is definitely effeminate (Joanna suspects he is a ‘dancing boy’*). Another boy joins in. There is a fun festive feeling of spontaneous joy and celebration in our shared exchange. And I think to myself: these are the moments I live for. This is why I do this work! </div>
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Khoda hafez! Time to go. Joanna and I start to leave, waving goodbye and turning to go but we turn back again and a silly game ensues between us and the boys of turning back and forth while attempting to leave. I suddenly realize I don’t have my shoes on, and burst out “oh no, my shoes!!?” This is apparently hilarious to the boys, and so I start to play with lifting my feet up looking at them and then looking around wondering where in the world my shoes could be. I’m genuinely confused, but then I ham it up a bit too. The boys follow, finding all this very funny. Crazy foreigners! Well, I can’t help but clown around a little! (And I can’t help that someone took my shoes and put them away at the front entrance.)</div>
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* For information on dancing boys, see this article: <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/dancingboys/etc/synopsis.html">The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan</a></div>
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0Afghanistan33.93911 67.70995300000004120.517877 47.055656000000042 47.360343 88.364250000000041tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-47233725857418545832011-05-31T09:56:00.078-04:002013-10-25T15:41:26.794-04:00Afghanistan: The Women's Shelter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;">The very first performance that our girls' troupe undertakes (outside of the try-out for family and friends) is a show at a women’s shelter in Herat.</span> <style>
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</style><span style="font-size: small;"> The shelter is run by Voice of Women, an organization based in Herat </span><span style="font-size: small;">led by Soraya Pakzad who has worked tirelessly since Taliban time to fight for women’s rights, and who started Afghanistan's first shelter in 2003.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">There are about 40 women and girls at the shelter ranging in age from 15 to 25, and mostly under 20. They are escaping abusive marriages, and in most cases forced marriages. Some were about to be married off and ran away beforehand. They are lucky to have ended up here in the shelter, and not in jail or worse. If they are caught by the police they risk getting raped and put in prison, and if sent back home they may be killed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Parwana, who works at VOW and is coordinating our visit, talks to me about the situation the women are in and decries the inhumanity of it all. She exclaims, “they feel…!,” and searching for the words she utters something about “not human!” I think she is saying the girls feel they are not treated as humans, but then I realize she is talking about the husbands, that they are not human the way they act. And she tells me about one girl who came to the center. The husband had cut off her fingers and slashed her face across the cheek from mouth to ear. What kind of man would do such a thing? And why? (Beyond its senseless cruelty, it even seems senseless out of practicality -- now the husband has to look at her disfigured face, and how is she going to be able to do his cooking and laundry with her fingers cut off? How does that serve him? But he doesn't think about this, he doesn't think at all.) Both are true – the girls are not treated as human beings and the men are not acting as humans. What we think of as human – humane – humanity… separating us from the beasts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Unfortunately, this girl’s situation is all too common. Beatings and barrages of mental abuse are an everyday occurrence for young wives in Afghanistan, perpetrated by the husband and any or all of his relatives. Across Afghanistan, girls are forced into marriage and essentially condemned to life as a household slave. Often the girl is young and the man much older. It is not uncommon for a 12-year old to be married off to a 60-year old man! Many of these girls are driven to such despair that they set themselves on fire and burn themselves to death. It is difficult to fathom. In the Herat area there have been 100 such self-immolations in the past year. That’s two girls every week setting themselves on fire. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I look at the women, at the younger girls, and wonder about each one’s circumstances. But I don’t want to ask as it’s such a sensitive matter and I respect their privacy. And it's time to start the show.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The women laugh a lot, and they applaud at the end of each scene! The play is not necessarily meant to be that funny (although we have definitely incorporated some comic bits)... After all, we’re dealing with a serious subject matter that we want to earnestly bring awareness to: the abuse that mothers-in-law so often perpetuate, and how it destroys families. </span><span style="font-size: small;">If women treat each other horribly, how can they make men treat them any better? </span><span style="font-size: small;">We want to make sure people take it to heart and are moved to make a change. In this case, however, the laughter is good and it doesn’t mean they aren’t taking the play seriously or its message. Presented and received as a comedy, it is easier to take in the play and what it addresses. These women have lived through this, they don’t need to see it presented to them in a heavy and serious way. This is how comedy can be cathartic, getting to laugh about something that is painful. The women gain some vindication in seeing their reality acknowledged.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">But this is not enough. In the Q&A afterward, one woman </span><style>
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</style><span style="font-size: small;">speaks up to tell us that we must show this play to the men, to the families, out in the community -- "they are the ones who need to see it, not us in here, we already know!" She is adamant and angry – and we assure her that this is indeed our intent. As we leave, the woman thanks us for our visit and asks us when we will come again. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> They rarely have any visitors, and hardly ever leave the shelter. But this confinement is a blessing compared to the hell they were living before.</span> </div>
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0Afghanistan33.93911 67.70995300000004120.517877 47.055656000000042 47.360343 88.364250000000041tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-43135252349985281192011-05-24T09:02:00.030-04:002014-01-05T14:16:53.349-05:00Afghanistan: The play's the thing!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;">Having finished the workshops sessions, we embark on a period of play development and rehearsal with a select group of our young performers. Our mission is to create a show about a relevant issue, which we will perform out in the community as a way to bring information to people in the most effective way -- straight to the heart and minds through entertaining live action played out right before you, that is, theater! The goal is to bring the show to villages out in the provinces, but it depends on security and which areas are deemed safe. Our performers are all Hazara, an ethnic group often discriminated against by Pashtuns and Tajiks. We ask our young performers if they would be comfortable performing in a Pashtun village. One of the girls blurts out, “Sure, we could do it, but afterwards they’d probably hang us!,” and they all giggle. Then Rohela speaks up and tells us: “When we choose to do theatre it is our task and duty to reflect on the problems and pains in society. It is not important who is the audience, if we have an opportunity to affect a good change in people and society it is our task and duty to do it." Rohela is thirteen years old. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I am amazed at the talent, skill and dedication of these young performers, most of whom are only 12, 13, 14 years old! There are two girls who are 17 and 19, and then the boys are 16-21. During the course of our work, I forget how young they are, because they are so good, so dedicated and so professional! And they are tackling serious subject matters of family conflict and domestic violence, acting out beatings and abuse. But they are wise beyond their years and fully aware of the problems of their society. And, sad to say, many of the wives for whom this is a reality are only 14 years old (or younger)! Innocence of childhood is shattered early in this country.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2GJ9AsAJW1E/TdxgxFjM7eI/AAAAAAAAFPw/onurMdPNlhA/s1600/IMG_6437_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2GJ9AsAJW1E/TdxgxFjM7eI/AAAAAAAAFPw/onurMdPNlhA/s200/IMG_6437_2.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">In discussion with Monireh, the Afghan director, and with our young performers, we decide on the themes for our show. We are actually creating two separate shows. One by the girls to be performed for women, and one by the boys for the men. This creates flexibility to be able to perform in more restrictive places, and also gives us the opportunity to approach a theme from two different perspectives. Since we are supported by the U.S. Institute of Peace, we have been requested to do a show about conflict resolution. We decide to address the issue of family conflict and domestic violence.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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The girls’ show is about a mother-in-law who abuses her daughter-in-law with constant put-downs and beatings. This is actually a big problem in Afghanistan. It is a pattern that gets repeated time and again. Often a young girl is married off to an older man who abuses her along with his grown sons and all other relatives around. Or a girl gets married to a boy -- both of them too young – with the boy trying to establish his manhood and beating his wife at the behest of his mother. A man might get a young wife just to be a slave to his mother. The mother was herself a young bride once who was mistreated by her mother-in-law. And so she perpetuates a behavior that has become ingrained. It is difficult to understand why women would stand against other women rather than stand together in this patriarchally oppressive society, or why a mother would discard her daughter, but it has to do with economics. A daughter brings no economic benefit, since women do not work, so she has no value (but to be a household slave). <br />
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In our story, the mother in law suffers from the bad memories of her own life as a young bride terribly abused, all the while lashing out at her young daughter-in-law, purposely getting her in trouble with her son, the husband, and beating her. One day, a friend comes to visit, catching her in the act of mistreating her daughter-in-law, and the friend berates her for it, telling the mother-in-law of her own misery having done the same. The friend’s daughter-in-law set herself on fire and killed herself as a result of all the abuse (this is a common occurrence in Afghanistan, I’m aghast to say!), now her son left her and she is all alone. The friend reminds the mother-in-law that she once was a young bride too. Slowly the mother-in-law realizes she is doing the very same that was done to her, and after some struggle, she decides she must and can make a change. In the end there is a reconciliation with the daughter-in-law. They realize standing strong together and supporting each other is a better way of living, and as a result, the son/husband also has a transformation. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">- Photos from rehearsal - </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">To develop the show, we start our young actors off with a simple scenario and let them improvise around it, playing with character and action. They make our job easy as directors, because they are so creative! Of course, they have a lot to learn yet about theatrical presentation and how to make strong, physical choices on stage, but they are impressively adept already. Such clever dialogue, improvised on the spot! And funny little character quirks. In less than two weeks, we have a half-hour play fully developed and ready to go – and it’s amazing how much our work and our actors have grown. Madiya and Hasti who play the two narrators have become a knock-out clown duo. They bring the audience along the journey and provide some comic relief. And they’re really funny! Marzia has really found solid strength in her portrayal of a man. And Rohela is truly an amazing actor – intensely expressive as the mother-in-law, showing both nasty cruelty and vulnerability. Her transformation in the moment of reconciliation with the daughter-in-law is full of so many emotions. It is a very touching scene. (I just can’t believe this young actor is only thirteen years old!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mother and daughter-in-law reconciliation</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I hope Rohela can continue doing theater, and the other girls, too. But the risk is that in a few years they will be married (off) and that will be the end of it. To encourage their families and the community to accept theater as something good, indeed, to show that it is something that can bring income to the family, we are paying the girls (and boys, too) a fee for participating in the workshops and for their work as performers. See, theater brings economic as well as social benefit to the community!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">For the first performance, we invite the performer's families and friends as well as all the workshop students. We present the girls' and boys' shows and then we have a certificate ceremony for everyone involved in the workshops. It is great to see the smiles on the parents' faces!</span></div>
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-75466432546327339592011-05-01T13:13:00.016-04:002014-01-05T14:19:03.288-05:00Afghanistan: Baba-jan and badan-jan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;">We are living with our Afghan partner Monireh's family -- her sister Madiya, brother Reza (who are both in the workshops and the shows we are doing -- theater runs in the family), and then her mother and father. It's a typical Afghan house with a tiny courtyard behind a tall gate along a dirt road in the midst of Jabraeil, a village community right outside the town of Herat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The father is really funny, he’s quite the clown! Good humor abounds in this household. He has decided I’m his American daughter, his sixth daughter after Nahib, Monirah, Tahira, Halima and Madiya (or actually I would be the first, since I’m older). He’s having a good time playing with this. “Dokhtar-jan”! he calls out (“daughter, dear”). Come here, time for breakfast, time for tea, time for joking around. So I call him “baba-jan.” I had learned that “baba” is how you say daddy in Dari, and “jan” is a term of endearment you add after a name, like saying “dear.” I give him a hard time and he threatens me with the fly swatter, all in good fun. Last night we were having tea and fruit after dinner, and he starts singing to me, a lullaby about “dokhtar” and “baba.” That’s so sweet! Joanna and Michael are juggling the oranges and putting on a show. Impromptu we start making percussive sounds, the father drumming on his big belly. Lots of laughter together. These are the precious moments!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">This is an Afghan man with a good heart. We hear so much about women being oppressed, forced marriages, abusive husbands, horrible men. But of course not all men are like this, there are good happy loving homes and families too in Afghanistan. This is one of them. I can see that Sayed Hassan loves and appreciates his wife, Fatima, very much. Yesterday in the afternoon, while we were enjoying tea time together, he leaned his head on her shoulders and looked at her with adoring eyes. Then he tweaked her nose. Ever the jokester. Even if it’s an easy-going and open-minded family, it’s still a traditional house-hold, since the father is adamant the women must wear the head scarf with Michael there; and the mother does the cleaning up, while the father takes a nap. But then when I jumped in to do the dishes after lunch, and Michael took it upon himself to clean up after dinner, the father sprang into action and had to show how it’s really done. I thought to myself, here’s a first! An Afghan man doing dishes! I bet he’s never done this ever before, but he was quite swift so he might have some experience after all. And actually he does do household chores, he helps with the laundry and they do the cooking together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Everyday baba-jan goes to the market to get the greens for the day’s cooking, and then sits and chops them all up to make, for example, “ku ku” – like a vegetable patty, or quiche but without the crust. And let’s not forget the “badan-jan” – eggplant with tomato fried in a lot of oil. I normally hate eggplant but this is really good! And thank goodness, because it’s served every other meal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">But the best is the “bulani,” which are like pierogis filled with cooked greens or potato, and making this is a whole family affair – madar-jan flattens the dough, baba-jan puts the filling on, and sister Monireh readies them for the cooking and fries them up on the stove. And then I eat them! Yum! </span></div>
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-38838171130779852592011-05-01T12:51:00.005-04:002014-01-05T14:19:33.619-05:00Afghanistan: The students (PHOTOS)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Sabera -- Mariam -- Sakina (Hasti)</div>
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Madiya -- Amina -- Samira</div>
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Anna and Joanna with Wahija</div>
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Our students giving us feedback on the workshop<br />
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Me and Mahboubeh</div>
Hussein Hassan<br />
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Zainab and Zahra and me<br />
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Wahija, Zahra, Samira -- my best buddies!<br />
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Michael and the gang (Jafar, Amir Mahdi, and Ali)<br />
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Goofing off with Hassan, Mohammed, and Hussein</div>
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Lollipops!</div>
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-18395035495186342622011-05-01T01:17:00.005-04:002014-01-05T14:20:08.861-05:00Afghanistan: PHOTOS from the workshops!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click on photos to view larger!</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Celebration!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Acting out a story from a poem</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Acting out the Taliban...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Wahija in center, who loves the stilts, because they make her feel tall and strong</span></div>
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4658832971341857635.post-24718658002916959122011-04-30T13:18:00.003-04:002014-01-05T14:20:57.360-05:00Afghanistan: The workshops and our amazing students!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We are partnering with a young theater company here in Herat called Simorgh (which means 'thirty birds' based on a Sufi legend about a great flock of birds on a journey to enlightenment, along the way bird after bird drop out and in the end only thirty remain...). Simorgh is forging ahead to build a future for theater in Afghanistan, a daunting task and what they have already accomplished is quite the feat. But more on the company later, now on to our talented youngsters!<br />
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For the first nine days here in Herat, we have been doing workshops with Simorgh's young company members and students, mostly girls age 12-20 and also some boys. They are so amazing! I am really impressed with their level of imagination and creativity and expressiveness. These are kids who have not had much exposure to theater as a medium in their culture (indeed such activity is generally frowned upon, and theater really doesn’t even exist). As children they are taught to be quiet, unnoticeable and have no opinions, especially the girls – and yet they are so spirited and jumping right in to play, game to try out whatever we throw at them. Some of the newer girls are very shy, but as the workshops progressed we could see that they got more comfortable and felt more free to express themselves, in action and in words.<br />
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On the final day, we had a conversation with the youngsters and asked them about their experience: what did you enjoy about the workshop, what did you discover, and how can it be useful to you in your lives? How do you think theater can be of value to the community? I was blown away by their responses! They are so young but already so wise.<br />
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Theater, they tell us, serves to reflect our society and its problems in order for us to better see ourselves… <em>Zainab</em> points out that after working on different characters, she now feels she can better understand people, and this is how theater can be useful: to help us understand each other. <em>Mahbouba</em> said that she discovered how she can connect with people, beyond her small circle of friends – through theater she can make a connection with the audience and thereby with people in the community.<br />
<em>Zahra</em> describes how men traditionally have more power than women in the society, but in this workshop she felt equal to the men, everybody on the same level, free and comfortable. <em>Marzia</em> points out that she even forgot the boys were there!<br />
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The fact that both boys and girls are working and playing together in the workshop is not without controversy. One girl, unfortunately, was not allowed to continue because her brothers discovered there were boys in the workshops, and even though her mother had agreed to her participating, the brothers as men had the veto power to decide what their sister may or may not do. On the final day, she nonetheless snuck out of the house and joined us for a last chance to play.<br />
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<em>Marzia</em> loved yelling her name out, throwing it far over the mountain, because, she told us, it was the first time she had ever said her name out loud, and it felt so good to know that “Yes, I am Marzia!”<br />
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Little <em>Wahija</em> liked the stilt-walking best. Why?, we ask her. “Because I stand tall and feel in control of everything! It makes me feel more confident.” Wahija is a very small girl, she is twelve years old but really looks eight. Everybody loved the stilt-walking. It’s amazing the power such a simple activity can have. And everyone loved the acrobatics too.<br />
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<em>Mahbouba</em> tells us she really saw value in the exercise of passing the mask that transforms. It’s the same in life, she points out, because when one is in an argument with someone, they pass on to you their angry mask which you take on, but you don’t have to keep it, you can change it to one of joy before you get home!<br />
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Wow. I have to say I am shocked and awed by their astute insights. And these were just a few examples. It is so affirming to hear how enthusiastic they felt about the work we’ve done together, how much they got out of it, how eager they are to continue, and the insights they gained. It makes me feel like we truly have offered something worthwhile and made a difference. This moment to me was the culmination, the highlight, of the entire project. (And this was less than two weeks into the program. Who knows what amazing things will happen in the next few weeks!?)<br />
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Then we ask them what the problems are that make it difficult to do theater in Afghanistan, and they all shout out in unison: “Everything!!!”<br />
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ANNA ZASTROWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07106296539719049411noreply@blogger.com0