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Summerhall – Old Lab
An autobiographical look at the Israeli–Palestinian conflict sheds much needed light on the meaning of being a pacifist in a war-torn region.Summary
Rating
Excellent
One of my acquaintances from Sardinia, a journalist, seems to find every opportunity to post on Facebook about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He is openly pro-Israel or, more precisely, vocally critical of Palestine and the rest of the Arab world. I always wonder how, without having any direct connections, he feels he understands the situation so well as to take sides. It surprises me, because whenever I try to pick the bones out of it I always feel like it’s far too nuanced for anyone to be certain of what’s right and what’s wrong. If ever peace will be restored in the region (and I certainly hope it will), it’s likely to be through a negotiation where both parties are willing to give and take.
Vancouver-based playwright and performer Itai Erdal was born and spent his youth in Israel where, like everyone else, he was enrolled for a few years in the army. He offers precious insights into how ingrained military activism is in the country. The title of the show is explained with an anecdote about his eight-year-old Israeli nephew, whose teacher gave him an empty box to fill and send to the frontline. An inscription inside the box read: “To the soldiers of today from the soldiers of tomorrow” – a illustration of how the sense of duty is instilled in young generations.
Itai has always been openly pacifist but, like everyone else, felt family and social pressures to join the armed forces. In Israel, he says, whenever you go to a job interview, the first question you’re asked is “what did you do in the army?”. Drawing on his personal experience, he elaborates on the occupation of Palestine, the propaganda of Israel having the most ethical military in the world, and the actual impact its policies have on civilians. By his account, peace seems entirely unattainable.
The storyteller is joined on stage by Emad Armoush, a multitalented musician of Syrian origin who plays the oud (a pear-shaped stringed instrument) and the ney (a type of flute) and plays amongst other things an unusual arrangement of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Engaging in a moral debate that goes beyond the Israeli-Arab dichotomy, this is a sobering meditation. It serves those who want to keep the conflict alive as much as those who don’t quite understand how deeply rooted it is. Regardless of which side one choses to pick (if any at all), the bottom line is that Jews and Arabs are all human beings and it would be just perfect if they could live together.
Written by: Itai Erdal with Colleen Murphy
Directed by: Anita Rochon
Produced by: Elbow Theatre with Aurora Nova
Soldiers of Tomorrow played as part of EdFringe 2023.
