Letters evolved from the curiosity to work with the moving body to tell a story. The work brings bodies into a space: bodies that flirt with contact, separation, stillness, speed, silence, levels, even violence, while trying to express something of the vulnerability of reaching out.

How do you dance a series of thoughts? What image, energy, phrasing of movement can convey the story of life – or love as a series of openings and endings? Letters, drawing on the poetry of Sam Shepard, binds four people as they sometimes immerse, sometimes move through the tensions of the moment of being together.

Directed by Ruhanie Perera and performed by Venuri Perera, Jake Oorloff, Pasan Ranaweera and Tracy Jayasinghe, Letters was performed in December 2010 at the Colombo Dance Platform initiated by the Goethe Institute, the German Cultural Centre in Colombo.

For the second stage of the Gaza Mono-Logues project, one cast member from the Colombo production, Tasmin Anthonisz of Ladies College joined an international cast which performed The Gaza Mono-Logues in New York at the General Assembly of the United Nations for its annual meeting on The Question of Palestine. At the UN, the 22 young international participants performed in 12 languages at noon at the Conference Hall, for an audience of ambassadors, country representatives and NGO representatives, who gathered on November 29, 2010 to debate the inalienable rights of the Palestinian People. Various media channels covered the event. Another performance of The Gaza Mono-Logues took place that evening at the Lobby of the United Nations, during the inauguration of the photo exhibition of UNRWA Summer Camp in Gaza.

On invitation by the The Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust, we reproduced the Gaza Monologues as the 67th birth commemoration performance of Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam. The new cast of young actors were amateur performers between the ages of 11 and 22. Continue Reading

The Gaza Mono-Logues are as much stories of childhood, as they are of war. They are told by children who dream of a tomorrow – while hoping they get through their today. And while they may be located in the specific context of Gaza, they speak of a collective psyche of a generation born into, growing up in and altered by experiences of war.

Floating Space Theatre Company partners with the Ashtar Theatre Company based in Palestine on The Gaza Mono-Logues performance project – Ashtar’s global initiative for peace and non-violence. Continue Reading