On October 17, Hart House will launch its production of the one-woman play, My Name is Rachel Corrie. Corrie was an activist who travelled to Gaza during the second Palestinian Intifada. At 24, she died after being crushed by an Israeli bulldozer, which she had been standing in front of in order to prevent the destruction of a Palestinian home.
The play describes Corrie’s life before and while she was in Gaza and is based in part on her journal entries, emails, and letters. My Name is Rachel Corrie has also been the subject of international controversy. While some have praised the show for its portrayal of youth activism and the situation in the Middle East, others have pointed out that the course of events leading up to Corrie’s death are uncertain, and have suggested that her story is being exploited to push a political agenda.
Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu, the director My Name is Rachel Corrie, recently sat down with The Varsity to talk about the Corrie’s life, the importance of youth activism and the controversial nature of Hart House’s new play.
The Varsity
What is the premise of the play?
Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu
Rachel Corrie was an activist, and she took time off school to go to Gaza to work with the International Solidarity Movement, a Palestinian organization that uses non-violent means to resist the occupation of Israel in Palestine. Her job was to protect Palestinian homes from being destroyed.
The Varsity
The play is based on Corrie’s emails, letters, and journals. How does that scattered base of material translate into the script?
Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu
It actually makes a lot of sense in how the play is arranged. It was edited in a way that shows [Corrie’s] growth so it’s very much a personal journey. There’s a clear arc in terms of her growth that makes for really good dramatic material.
The Varsity
Can you tell me about the actress who’s playing Rachel Corrie?
Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu
Amelia Sargisson is a Ryerson graduate who really wanted to do this show. She completely relates to Rachel Corrie, and she’s very much like her. She’s very courageous and bold and full of life.
The Varsity
And you are a U of T graduate.
Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu
Yes. I studied biology. After I graduated, I spent time using theatre as a way to raise awareness on public health, which eventually led me to completely focus on theatre. But when I went to U of T, I was involved with Hart House doing theatre.
The Varsity
This is a pretty controversial play, and one of the reasons for this is the accuracy of the story, specifically whether or not what happened to Corrie was an accident. How do you address that uncertainty?
Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu
It’s not something that I choose to take a side on or try and give a political view on because the writing is what it is. What I’m doing is being as faithful to the writing as possible, and being as faithful to the characters in the way they are presented. That’s the only job that I can do as a director. I’m hoping that people see her for who she was, and I’m sure there will be disagreements about who she was, but this is who she was.
The Varsity
Do you think there is something problematic in referring to Corrie as a character?
Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu
It’s inevitable that this [play] is only a window into her character, and in that window we try to flesh out as much as possible, but it’s a window taken from a larger scope. But I believe there’s been a clear intention to show her life before she went to Gaza as well.
The Varsity
How do you respond to the concern that the play shows only one side of a complicated story?
Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu
It shows a slice of Rachel’s life, which includes her involvement in a particular organization working in a particular location. The goal of it is to focus on Rachel. As a director, that has to be my focus. By showing a particular person’s point of view, you are showing a particular point of view.
The Varsity
Within the context of this play, can you comment on the intersection of artistic representations and political statements?
Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu
I hope that people leave the play with more questions than answers. That by showing the complexity of the character … people leave with a debate. I believe that as theatre-makers, our role is to make work that is relevant to where we are at in the human condition. The big question for me that [what] attracted me to the play is the idea of what the role of youth is in global conflict. Is Rachel Corrie a naive or heroic character? I believe we are in a time where there is a strong emergence of youth being aware of global conflict. Youth of this generation see themselves as global citizens with a global responsibility. The question I think that this play is asking is, “Is there a role for youth who want to be involved in global conflict, who don’t want to sit aside?” That for me was the bigger political question that I felt that this play was exploring.
My Name is Rachel Corrie runs from October 17–20 at Hart House Theatre. Tickets are available at uofttix.ca
