In a discussion about whether death threats should stop production
of a play, RN wrote: "You stop it. Art is less
important than life. . . . It's sad that violence
is effective as a threat but the director of Birmingham Stage
Company who wanted to re-stage the play is being unrealistic if
he wants his troops to face death threats for a play."
Ratna got death threats for "insulting" her religion
and leaders. Ratna and her daughter were jailed, and we in ICWP
protested. When she couldn't continue to risk the lives of her
fellow actors, she did a one woman play and put her own life
on the line. If an artist believes her work is true and that
she has a sacred duty to bear witness to that truth, isn't that
something worth risking death to accomplish?
When we produced my play about the abortion clinic, we knew
that the local militants who were threatening and attacking
clinics might come after us. Every actress in the play acknowledged
this, and committed to the production because she believed the
courage of the abortion counselors who were putting their own
lives on the line should be honored, and their stories told.
Producing Eliza Wyatt's play about women under the Iranian Revolution,
we operated under the assumption that there was a chance we
would be attacked by fanatics-- from either side. It was a low
profile occasion, and nothing happened (unless you count the
police detention of an "armed" actor playing an Iranian
soldier who had to cross around the back of the theatre to make
an entrance). But there, too, the actors thought truthful "controversial"
art worth the risk.
Many actors have courage that would put soldiers and saints
to shame. They practice it every time they step on stage. (12/22/04)
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