Najla Said's "Palestine" to Debut in February 2010

posted on: Dec 7, 2009

The Twilight Theatre Company will produce a six-week Off-Broadway production of “Palestine”.

This one-woman play, written and performed by Najla Saïd, will debut February 9, 2010 and play through March 21st at New York Theatre Workshop’s second stage, The Fourth Street Theatre.

“Palestine” is a a compilation of Ms. Said’s humor, honesty, compassion, familial position, Jewish friendships and experiences, coupled with her acting and writing skills. She is able to illuminate Palestinian and Arabic perspectives in ways that truly allow them to be heard.

Najla Saïd was raised in privilege on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Her father was the eminent Palestinian scholar Edward Saïd. Her mother is Lebanese. Her best friends growing up were Jewish.

“Palestine” is a personal journey from the “toniest” private schools, to the “stench of Gaza,” through two wars, the horrors of 9/11, encounters with the likes of Yasir Arafat, “cheeky” photographers, and, of course, her esteemed family. Rich, honest, and very funny, “Palestine” is a compassionate look at the Middle-East from a very unique point of view.

From its beginnings as a fifteen minute presentation taken from the pages of Said’s diaries, “Palestine” has grown into an intricately woven play of an hour and forty minutes. There have been numerous developmental readings along the way, many at New York Theatre Workshop, whose support of this work has been crucial.

“Palestine” is being produced in association with New York Theatre Workshop, who has generously donated the use of their intimate sixty seat theatre. Twilight Theatre Company, however, carries all of the artistic and producing responsibilities, including the raising of enough money to give “Palestine” a first-class production.

In the past year Najla has traveled the country giving readings of “Palestine” at such places as Berkeley, Dartmouth, Harvard, Brown, Washington D.C., Michigan, Ottawa, among others. The reception has been tremendous. However, a reading is only a skeletal presentation. Said’s goal is to find the full potential of “Palestine” in a carefully crafted production.

Twilight Theatre Company