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Silk
Road Theatre Project Comes to Pomona College
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On Wednesday, March 9, Pomona College will host the Silk
Road Theatre Project of Chicago performing Precious
Stones, a two actor-play that boldly examines the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the "safe" yet turbulent
terrain of the American Diaspora.
Written by playwright Jamil Khoury, Precious Stones
is the recipient of Gay Chicago Magazine’s 2003 After
Dark Award for Outstanding New Work. The performance will
begin at 7:30 p.m. and be followed by a Q and A session with
the playwright.
Set in Chicago in 1989, the story unfolds against a backdrop
of disturbing images, as the first Palestinian intifadah
rages in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Two women, one
Jewish, the other Palestinian, join forces to organize an
Arab-Jewish dialogue group, only to find themselves falling
in love. As they each cross "enemy lines," they stumble upon
the disputed territories of sexuality and class. The
political finally confronts the personal, as Andrea, the
barely middle class Jewish lesbian, and Leila, the married,
upper class Palestinian, discover new lines in the sand,
once again raising the specter of difficult negotiations,
painful compromises and distant resolution. The play is
directed by Justin D.M. Palmer and features Heather Graff
and Maja Wampuszyc.
Precious Stones illuminates for the audience the
acute sense of pain, sadness and loss that characterizes
Jewish and Palestinian lives. It reveals the narratives of
persecution and suffering that prevent both peoples from
moving beyond their troubled memories and toward a new
narrative of peace and reconciliation. While consciously
challenging American perceptions and stereotypes, Precious
Stones is ultimately about exploring the symbiotic
relationship that binds Arabs and Jews together. In
dramatizing the fear, insecurity, anger, and hurt that
permeate this complex relationship, the play uncovers the
layers of familiarity, hope, kinship and eroticism that
inevitably strengthen it.
Silk Road Theatre Project was created to showcase
playwrights of Asian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean
backgrounds, whose works address themes relevant to the
peoples of the Silk Road and their Diaspora communities.
Maintaining that theatre should entertain as well as educate
and promote critical thinking, they are committed to theatre
that elevates human consciousness, expands representation,
and challenges prevailing stereotypes.
The performance is open to the public, and there is no cost
to attend. It will be held in the Pomona College, Thatcher
Music Building, Lyman Auditorium (340 N. College Ave.,
Claremont). For more information, call (909) 607-2921 or
(909) 621-8155.
Pomona College is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts
institutions, offering a comprehensive program in the arts,
humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. Its
hallmarks include small classes, close relationships between
students and faculty, and a range of opportunities for
student research. Visit Pomona College on the web at
www.pomona.edu.
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