Update from Sandbox Collective Artist Mik Kuhlman

Mik Kuhlman, Sandbox Artists Collective member, had applied for a grant she had heard of through the Collective to perform as part of the Palestinian National Theatre. Here's an update from her:

Hello friends,

I am now two weeks into my residency with The Palestinian National Theatre. It is a great experience so far and I am loving the world that surrounds me. The rehearsals are going well and the cast is a wonderful group of people.

There is myself and two other American actors; Arthur - originally from Salt Lake City, Utah but lives in NY having graduated from NYU's Tish School of the Arts two years ago and Nika - from a suburb of San Jose, CA, a psychology student and actress who is half Iranian and is fluent in Farsi. The Palestinians include: Jamal, a 55 year old funny as hell actor who was well known on Palestinian television for a show he did for many years but lately has been a touring musician. He can belly dance, play drums and sing incredibly and is such a delight to watch that it really won't matter what we do. Jamal speaks very little English which adds to his delight. If I was in the audience, I would not take my eyes off him so I know we have a good show regardless. Then there is Atta and Ivan both quite young but both very magical and open and fluent in both English and Arabic. And finally, we have Nisbat, who replaced the original actress who was fired for not giving anything to the work. Nisbat is twenty and a devout Muslim like Kamel and also fluent in both languages. She has been a big guide for me in this culture and it is rare for a girl to have the freedoms she has but her parents understand her and trust her and they should as she is one of the most mature and enlightened people i have ever met. She is studying to be a mid-wife and I am thankful for her presence in our cast.

The playwright is older and speaks English so slow you think you are never going to be able to get to the end of the thought. Makes me have compassion and understanding why my friends in Paris quickly picked up good English so they didn't have to hear me speak to them in French. But he is a lovely man and he delivered a first draft of the script today that was pretty good so far. and then there is Kamel. I have found a kindred spirit in him. He will be a friend for life. That much I already know. I trust him fully with this production. He is a light in the world and he has a beautiful wife and three daughters whom I also adore. So I am in good hands here. The lighting designer and Props people are fabulous as is the Managing director and his admin staff. The final member to our group is another American and friend of mine, Curtis Taylor who will be arriving in a few days to design the set.

The theatre itself has done a lot of international work and continues to reach to other nations to help it survive. It is playing a key role here in keeping the Palestinian culture alive and they are all in such a limbo in their lives, especially here in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Palestinian holds no real passport. They have Israeli papers to allow them travel abroad, they hold Jordanian passports to travel in Jordan but are not Jordanian and they are able to pass freely between the checkpoints but they have no real state. Their status is in limbo as Jerusalem is tugged at for who's city it is. In the meantime, it is a strong agenda for the radical Zionists to make Jerusalem and Israel a Jewish state and they are doing whatever they can to remove the Arabs from the land. So it is a fight for survival for these Palestinians and they are aware that in the West and in America the media focuses on the security issues which are isolated and not who they are about. It is amazing what I had to cull through in my own knowledge and misinformation before I actually came to this job. We have such a different picture in America then the actuality here. I have never experienced a culture like this one and am quite honored to participate in this artistic exchange. And for anyone who has had concerns, I am quite safe.

I have been writing about it in my very lengthy blog entries and encourage you all to read those details. I will give a presentation of some sort upon my return. I am in a rare position, in that I am not here as an activist, but rather an exchanger of stories and it is the art that must speak and be nurtured.

The theatre(Al-Hakawati) is currently offering a five day tour March 10-15 for under $2,000 if anyone would like to come to the country and see our show, the theatre movement here and see some of the West Bank and holy sites. It is an invitation to theatre professionals and extended to our family and friends. If you are interested, please contact me ASAP and I will forward you the invitation.

In the meantime, know that all is well here. I am very much alive in my spirit and drinking in a whole other world. Or rather the whole of our world.

I have six more weeks here in Jerusalem and the West Bank and then will be journeying to Paris for my birthday and hopefully, a few days in Berlin before returning home at the end of April.

Thank you always for the support, love and friendship you share with me.

Here is my blog: http://www.mikkuhlman.wordpress.com

Moving ever forward,

mik
Mik Kuhlman