Vermont's Independent Voice
Browse News
Browse Arts + Life
Browse Food + Drink
Browse Cannabis
Browse Music
Browse Movies
Browse Events
Browse Classifieds
Browse Personals
We Are the Children of the Camp is performed by children, but it isn't exactly kids' stuff. Presented last week in Burlington, Montpelier and Glover, the work is adapted from the improvisations of 11 Palestinian children, ages 10 to 16, from the Al-Rowwad Theatre Group of Bethlehem. It recounts the history of the Palestinian people told through their own eyes, from the Balfour Declaration of 1917 until the recent peace talks. Using music, dance and pantomime, the children act out scenes of daily life in the refugee camps, from playing amid gunfire to the humiliations of military checkpoints. Many of the play's images and themes are violent and intense, including video sequences of explosions, street warfare and soldiers assaulting civilians. At times its language is provocative, even incendiary, and the play has been criticized for using children as a mouthpiece for anti-Israel propaganda. But it's not essential that everyone agree with its message, said Al-Rowwad director AbdelFattah Abu-Srour. "This is what we live, and it has to come out," he said. "If people don't recognize that, how we can we talk about peace and love and justice?"
More By This Author
About The Author
Ken Picard
Bio:
Ken Picard has been a Seven Days staff writer since 2002. He has won numerous awards for his work, including the Vermont Press Association's 2005 Mavis Doyle award, a general excellence prize for reporters.
Ken Picard has been a Seven Days staff writer since 2002. He has won numerous awards for his work, including the Vermont Press Association's 2005 Mavis Doyle award, a general excellence prize for reporters.
Speaking of...
-
Winooski Strong T-Shirts and a Black Lives Matter Flag for the Onion City
Aug 5, 2020 -
Vermont Arts and Culture Organizations Awarded $600,000 in Relief Funding
Jul 3, 2020 -
The Flynn Cancels Its Teaching Artists Program for Fall
Jul 2, 2020 -
Video: Young Activists Hold Black Lives Matter Vigil in Lyndonville
Jun 25, 2020 -
Barre Opera House to Remain Closed Through 2020 Due to Pandemic
Jun 1, 2020 - More »
Comments
Comments are closed.
Since 2014, Seven Days has allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. While we’ve appreciated the suggestions and insights, the time has come to shut them down — at least temporarily.
While we champion free speech, facts are a matter of life and death during the coronavirus pandemic, and right now Seven Days is prioritizing the production of responsible journalism over moderating online debates between readers.
To criticize, correct or praise our reporting, please send us a letter to the editor. Or send us a tip. We’ll check it out and report the results.
Online comments may return when we have better tech tools for managing them. Thanks for reading.
