Reviews of 9 parts of desire portland center stage at. May 11, 2011 elizabeth huffman plays 9 women in heather raffos powerful one woman play. I was planning a trip to carmel, and my sisterinlaw suggested we go to a onewoman play called 9 parts of desire. First, they collaborated with city circle acting company of coralville and the englert to present the all in a day play festival.
Nine parts of desire ebook by geraldine brooks rakuten kobo. One woman show about the ordinary and extraordinary lives of iraqi women. The materials promoting that play say it is based on the characters in geraldine brooks boo i have to state right up front that i saw a performance of the chamber version by heather raffo, rather than reading the script. I would now also protest vigorously for the right of a woman to wear that covering, if it is what she wants and believes in. A manhattan ensemble theater presentation of a solo piece. It was extensively researched over a period of six years, presenting much new information on the lives of islamic women from a western journalists point of view. A view from the bridge by arthur miller october 8, 9, 15, 16 2010 the classic play of a man who betrays his familys trust and suffers the consequences. When vanessa sabourin went in search of a new play for her edmonton theatre company, the maggie tree, she remembered a script shed come across many years before. Geraldine brooks, middle east correspondent for the wall street journal for six years, portrays an extremely varied and complex universe in her first book, nine parts of desire. Yet 9 parts of desire feels even more significant now as a lasting work of art wrested from the damage wrought by saddam husseins regime and americas injudicious responses to it. Actor and playwright heather raffo has performed nine parts of desire to great acclaim both in london and across the united states, where it is currently in an openended run at the manhattan ensemble theater. The ecf grant has also allowed the producers to immerse. Obong lighting design by matthew jefferson ishee sound design by joseph schefer production stage management by anne rowell technical direction by austin manning choreography by carolyn demanelis and alexandra degliseumble 9 parts of desire is presented by. The book deals with cultural and religious practices, describes positive as well as negative experiences, and in parts is critical of.
Cultural authenticity brings 9 parts of desire to life on. We really know so little about life in the middle east, and how our presence there has changed things. On nine parts of desire, by geraldine brooks griffith. Being an iraqi but living in america was difficult on raffo. It was extensively researched over a period of six years, presenting much new information on the lives of islamic women from a. If we put money into art, well stop producing weapons. Nine parts of desire is a highly evocative, nonfiction text recounting the lives of women in muslim countries.
The parts of desire in the title refer to an arab fable that god created ten parts of sexual desire. Parts of desire is a play written by heather raffo. Presented by curious theatre company through february 23, 1080 acoma street, 3036230524. What she heard and learned from the women she interviewed became the nine stories of life and survival in a land tyrannized by saddam hussein and war. For her creation and performance of 9 parts and its national and international tour, she garnered many awards including the lucille lortel award and the prestigious susan smith blackburn and marian seldesgarson kanin playwriting awards. Nine parts of desire americas involvement in iraq has been painted in a harshly negative light by stuff happens, embedded and what i heard about iraq, and the u.
May 18, 2017 the choreography jonathan benshaul and original music composition arthus robijns bring an additional layer of complexity to the sadness and hope of the narrative, without overwhelming the script. Nine parts of desire fab book club recommendations. It later moved to the bush theatre in londons offwest end where critics hailed it as one of the five best plays in london in late 2003. Australian author geraldine brooks, who wrote the book based on her coverage of the middle east while working as a reporter for the wall street journal, went to live among the women of islam. One of raffos powerful and telling monologues is delivered by. Heather raffos 9 parts of desire university of virginia. Presented at the riverside stage in lower city park, the show was originally performed as a one woman show, chronicling the effects of war on the women of iraq. A grant from edmonton community foundation is helping edmonton theatre producers in their understanding and portrayal of iraqi culture.
Malak fakhoury portrays umm ghada in 9 parts of desire. Defying our stereotypes about the muslim world, brooks acute analysis of the worlds fastest growing religion deftly illustrates. We meet an attractive painter, a radical communist, doctors, exiles. Heather raffo herself has acted in productions of nine parts of desire. The title comes from the teachings of the seventhcentury imam ali ibn abu talib.
Ayatollah khomeini and jacques chirac have much more in common than either of them. The play ran for nine sold out months and was critics pick for over 24 weeks in a row. Apr 03, 2017 in fact, as raffo has explained, in her playwrights notes to the script, it was a painting called savagery in the saddam art centre that inspired her artist character, layla, in 9 parts of desire. Nine parts of desire quotes showing of 75 while i would champion any campaign to support muslim women who do not wish to cover. Heather raffos 9 parts of desire is a meditation on the pity of war and its effects on the lives of ordinary people, specifically iraqi women, during and between the two gulf conflicts and subsequent occupation. It was an international bestseller, translated into 17 languages. Amid the official portraits of saddam, there it was, a portrait of a naked woman, clinging to a tree. Nov 09, 2009 9 parts of desire is an example of how art can remake the world.
A mosaic of the lives of nine iraqi women that pieces together countless events of wartorn iraq, 9 parts of desire presents a point of view which is unseen by many americans today. An interesting fact given most of these stories show the limitations put on these women. It was published in 2006 by northwestern university press and dramatists play service. Be the first to ask a question about 9 parts of desire acting edition. Explore the similarities and differences of writing plays and films, and learn how to bring your ideas to life on the pages of a script. Written by american playwright and actress heather raffo, 9 parts of desire details the lives of. In march 2005, the play was awarded a special commendation from the blackburn prize. John lahr, the new yorker the off broadway hit play 9 parts of desire, written and performed by heather raffo, was inspired by a trip to a modern art museum in baghdad in august 1993 and details the lives of nine iraqi women that span the. Discover if you are a screenwriter or a playwright. But first, i want to comment on the basic premise of the book, which is brooks liberal feminist desire to know the muslim woman to get to the truth about hijab. As a woman reporter covering the middle east for the wall street journal, geraldine brooks found herself confined to the corridors of highlevel offices, shunned by muslim men, and prohibited from the more adventurous. The off broadway hit play 9 parts of desire, written and performed by heather raffo, was inspired by a trip to a modern art museum in baghdad in august 1993 and details the lives of nine iraqi women that span the decades between the first and second gulf wars and occupation. Dps offers an extensive list of titles that includes many of the most significant plays of the past century. The book is actually called nine parts of desire because the prophet ali declares that god created desire in 10 parts and gave 9 parts to women.
Even so, the drama flows at even pace, allowing the script to breathe, never flagging tension or interest. Provided to youtube by sa re ga ma 9 parts of desire trickbaby bluff master. A portrait of the extraordinary and ordinary lives of a whole crosssection of iraqi women a sexy painter, a radical communist. Nine parts of desire is a political play with a human feel that will leave. The hidden world of islamic women 1994 is a nonfiction book by australian journalist geraldine brooks, based on her experiences among muslim women of the middle east. However, in its unflinching, unromanticised look at the traumas of war and oppression. In fundamentalist iran, brooks finagles an invitation to tea with the ayatollahs widowand discovers that mrs. In this remarkable onewoman show, heather raffos performance is deft and vivacious. Very rarely, a piece of theatre hits on the ideal combination of writing, performance, emotion and reality. Aug 25, 2014 provided to youtube by sa re ga ma 9 parts of desire trickbaby bluff master. Theatreusf presents 9 parts of desire school of theatre. Geraldine brooks nine parts of desire, the hidden world of islamic women at times does both of these things. Heather raffos 9 parts of desire northwestern university press. Following each performance except the march 28 matineee, ms.
Nine parts of desire by geraldine brooks overdrive. Especially at a time when the news media practically forces us to think of iraq only in strategic or geopolitical. A traditional hired woman who leads call and response with women mourning at a funeral. Nine parts of desire by geraldine brooks overdrive rakuten. But this positive and even hopeful account of muslim women turns bleak in the concluding chapters of nine parts of desire, a title derived from a quotation by ali ibn abu taleb, the fourth leader of the islamic world after muhammad himself. I will analyse nine parts as a classic example of orientalist feminism. Aug 05, 2003 nine parts of desire 4 5 stars 4 out of 5 stars. Sep 15, 2015 nine parts of desire is a play about women from iran who face suffering and torture from living in a war zone. Sep 14, 2008 after hearing a national public radio story about an offbroadway, onewoman show called heather raffos 9 parts of desire now in rehearsals at performance network director ed nahhat felt. Muslim women have for centuries been vaguely perceived by the western world as exotic creatures hidden behind veils, an aura of mystery and interdiction surrounding them. Elizabeth huffman plays 9 women in heather raffos powerful one woman play. Joanna settle directed the plays first productions.
They survive regardless of having nothing left to give because who they are has been constantly beaten down. Playwright heather raffos 9 parts of desire offers an example of how art can remake the world, according to the new yorker. Jan 17, 2008 the amiriya catastrophe plays a significant role in 9 parts of desire, heather raffos onewoman play about the lives of iraqi women. Tickets are not currently available online for this event. In fact, as raffo has explained, in her playwrights notes to the script, it was a painting called savagery in the saddam art centre that inspired her artist character, layla, in 9 parts of desire. Heather raff o herself has acted in productions of nine parts of desire. Aug 18, 2010 and now as summer comes to a close, they are back with 9 parts of desire by heather raffo, a collaboration with the iowa city community theatre, the oldest theatre in town. In 9 parts of desire, you dont just see the blood, you smell it. And now as summer comes to a close, they are back with 9 parts of desire by heather raffo, a collaboration with the iowa city community theatre, the oldest. Oct 14, 2004 but taken on its own, more ambitious terms, as a polished theater piece about the collective suffering of iraqs invisible female population, nine parts of desire is only four or five parts. Nine parts of desire at the corpus playroom is a tragically evocative. A streetcar named desire by tennessee williams and so it was i entered the broken world to trace the visionary company of love, its voice an instant in the wind i know not whither hurled but not for long to hold each desperate choice the broken tower by hart crane scene one. Taika waititi and stephen merchant break down a scene from jojo rabbit duration. The hidden world of islamic women promises the reader.
An artist in iraq who is a resilient and fragile woman. Winner, 2007 chicago book clinic crystal book award for excellence in design as topical as todays newspaper headlines. Dramatists play service, one of the premier playlicensing and theatrical publishing agencies in the world, was formed in 1936 to foster national opportunities for playwrights by publishing affordable editions of their plays and handling the performance rights to these works. In the original version, a single performer plays all nine characters. Heather raffos 9 parts of desire directed by kate burke scenic design by hilary landowski costume design by mfonabasi j.
Posts about 9 parts of desire, play written by chandleur1. The hidden world of islamic women is the story of brooks intrepid journey toward an understanding of the women behind the veils, and of the often contradictory political, religious, and cultural forces that shape their lives. Nine parts of desire is not for the squeamish, as made obvious by the involuntary gasps of horror heard from the audience during the performance. Stories about saddam, and the graphic horrors he inflicted on the people, are more absorbing than many of the scripts personal romantic anecdotes. The discovery that the islam texts and prophets words have been manipulated to ensure the suppression of women. Portland mercury raffos script puts faces and emotions on the side of the iraq war that americans seldom see. The amiriya catastrophe plays a significant role in 9 parts of desire, heather raffos onewoman play about the lives of iraqi women. A 38 years old woman who has been divorced a couple of times.
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