Here’s our money exchange from the car window.
Here’s a poor donkey being loaded up with giant sacks of fire wood. See how those men are straining but the little creature just takes the load.
Beast of burden ... even on a Friday
Out the window, life goes on.
Bread house.
I took this photo from the street … then got into a car!
This young man works a kiosk in front of Kabul University. We bought some phone cards from him.
So fashionable!
Inside the gates of the university, we work for 6 days a week training a newly formed theater group in physical theater and the theories and practice of theater for social change. The young people have had very little interaction with theater but they all have a passion for it. One young man was forced to study aeronautics by his parents but left and joined the theater department!
Outside the building we rehearse in. The campus is beautiful.
Our students are eager to learn, showing up early every day and staying late. They are working hard, pushing themselves and trying to incorporate a lot of information in a short period of time.
This first week was all about building an ensemble. Exercises to build their relationships, trust, listening to each other, leadership, and having fun together. The women are actively participating and taking risks, though I sometimes get impatient with their shyness.
Roya rocks the partner balance with Saber.
I have to understand that they aren’t acting this way becuase they are trying to be cute. They probably all have been told at some point to take the back seat, wait, let others go first, etc. So it will take time to get them to fully take initiative. Though, I have a feeling it won’t be too hard.
This week is where it will get really interesting. We will start tolook at local problems and analyze them collectively. They will also start talking to people in their communities to try and get some more perspective on the issues they choose to work on. We’ll continue to build the ensemble, hone their performing skills, and get them to work collectively.
Fatima, Din Mohammed, Kianaz and Nazer crack up.
Power to the people! Actually Roya, Halimeh and Gulam Reza are shouting "I like chocolate"!
I am looking forward to really hearing their thinking, their experiences, their points of view. I forgot how top down even a very open ensemble training can be. I am not used to pointing out where they are making mistakes and giving them suggestions/directions. Now that we are working with their lives, their raw material, I get to encourage and let them lead which is the way I prefer to do things.
Monireh plays paddy cake.
I can’t believe that I miss them all after not seeing them for only one day. It was nice to post their photos here and remember the unique personalities of each individual. You’ll see more from them in the coming weeks. Eventually, I hope to have some video of their pieces. Watch out, these birds are gonna fly!
Mariam does a simple movement story.
That young man who sells phone cards, does he have a phone? If so, get me a phone card, cono.
Abrazones, m’ija. Keep on with your power for the people. Is the news there covering the Wall Street protesters? The movement is expanding to cities across the states and the NY faction sent an “exploratory” group to Washington Square Park to see if that space would be more amenable to their collective goal(s).
Allahu Akbar and All praises due – the world stage is that much better for the work and experiences you are sharing. Please share warm greetings from a friend with your colleagues there and let them know that we all are counting on them to soar & expand so much so that they may not recognize the person they once were. Love, sh7
Ewww sister . . . power to my peeps . . . meaning you Miss Thing! This work is fantastic. I must be feeling your wonderful energy all the way in Boston because I just saw Freedom Theater speak yesterday at Emerson. They are a Palestinian group who has lost their teacher this year (in a car bombing). For real . . . They are here raising money to continue to build their theater and keep the work going which is substantial. Check them out on You Tube and I’m pretty sure they have a website. (I was a bit late for the event so my 411 is sketchy. : )) They were so young and so energetic and beautiful. Their experiences remind me of what I imagine you are helping to build in Kabul. They will be successful at their goal. Freedom Theater will perform at Columbia University next week and then at a fundraiser sponsored by Tony Kushner at Joe’s Pub. . . I gave them my information so that I could hook them up with the Brecht and have TOPLAB sponsor a fundraiser for them if they have time when they are in NY.
I love this post. It gives me a little bit of a firmer context for your experience and the young folks are extraordinarily lovely in their new artistry clothes . . . : ) Love to you and Power to the People. Right on! Gail