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B2 Arts & Culture The Epoch Times June 26 – July 2, 2008 Theater Review ‘Palace of the End’ Three fierce views of the Iraqi war By DIANA BARTH Special to The Epoch Times NEW YORK—Canadian playwright Judith Thompson’s “Palace of the End” presents three blistering monologues in the words—some real, some imagined—of three actual participants in the Middle East crisis. Using her playwright’s skills, Ms. Thompson first explores the possible thought processes of U.S. soldier Lynndie England (Teri Lamm), who was convicted of abusing detainees at Iraq’s notorious Abu Ghraib prison. In the play, as the pregnant (by a fellow GI) England awaits her court martial trial, she muses over the events that led up to her present predicament. England came from a low-class, Southern background and was only too happy to escape the monotony of working for a fast-food place. Volunteering for the army, she was sent to Iraq where she could expand her heretofore minuscule ego and have power over those more vulnerable than she—Iraqi prisoners. Some brutal details are discussed, including the various forms of humiliation England devised, such as having a group of prisoners, naked, erect a pyramid comprising their own bodies. There are several far more dire events described, and I warn potential audience members: Know that this play requires strength to tolerate some terrifying and even offensive material. Next, British weapons inspector David Kelly (Rocco Sisto) recounts his story as he lies bleeding to death, alone, in an isolated spot in England. He had been a whistle blower, insisting that he had found no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and had publicly opposed then-Prime Minister Tony Blair. Hounded for his unpopular views, Kelly met a mysterious end. It was never made clear whether the cause of death was murder or suicide. But whichever it was, Kelly’s demise represents one more casualty of the Iraqi cataclysm. Arguably the most compelling of the triptych is the story of Nehrjas Al Saffarh (Heather Raffo), a politically active Iraqi woman who suffered under Saddam Hussein’s regime and whose entire family was tortured and killed. Heartbreaking is the episode describing the vicious torture of her young son, who later died. The conclusion is stark: Wars have always been with us, and their components are always the same. Good people suffer needlessly. They lose their property, their sanity, their lives. Unfortunately, no remedy is offered. For “Palace of the End” Judith Thompson won the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for playwriting. Commissioned by the Epic Theatre Ensemble, the present production marks the play’s New York premiere. Under Daniella Topol’s astute direction, performances are excellent, with Teri Lamm’s portrayal pointedly conveying the poverty of soul that led to her character’s actions; Rocco Sisto’s deliberately underplayed weapons inspector is potently brought to life, while Heather Raffo’s Iraqi woman is profoundly moving. Mimi Lien’s sets deserve special mention, as the three specific-to-the-character set pieces both highlight and mirror each character’s unique dilemma. This is a play not for the faint of heart, but definitely for those who are incensed by the Middle East horror and want to know everything they can about it. THOUGHTS OF WAR: Teri Lamm (left rear) as Lynndie England, Rocco Sisto (center) as David Kelly, and Heather Raffo (front right) as an Iraqi woman in the Epic Theatre Ensemble production of “Palace of the End” by Judith Thompson with direction by Daniella Topol. Now in performance through July 13th at Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Playwrights Horizons. Carol Rosegg An additional offer: Many performances are followed by a talk-back with Iraqi experts and cast and creative team members. Palace of the End Presented by the Epic Theatre Ensemble Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Playwrights Horizons 416 West 42 Street Tickets: (212) 279-4200 or www.ticketcentral.com Closes July 13 Diana Barth writes and publishes New Millennium, an arts newsletter. For information: [email protected] The Antidote: Classic Poetry for MODERN LIFE A Reading of ‘The Apparition’ by Herman Melville By CHRISTOPHER NIELD Special to The Epoch Times The Apparition (The Parthenon uplifted on its rock first challenging the view on the approach to Athens.) Abrupt the supernatural Cross, Vivid in startled air, Smote the Emperor Constantine And turned his soul’s allegiance there. With other power appealing down, Trophy of Adam’s best! If cynic minds you scarce convert, You try them, shake them, or molest. Diogenes, that honest heart, Lived ere your date began; Thee had he seen, he might have swerved In mood nor barked so much at Man. Have you ever undergone a conversion experience? One where, in a sudden flash, you fundamentally changed your perspective? Such moments, which define our lives, are not easily forgotten. In the first stanza of this poem, Herman Melville describes the conversion experience of the Roman Emperor Constantine. It is said that before a crucial battle, he looked up to the sun and saw a cross of light above it. When victory came, he declared that his empire convert to Christianity, even though it had once burned Christians alive. The first word of the poem, “abrupt,” brings home the sudden, unforeseen, almost calamitous nature of the revelation. It isn’t easy to be proved wrong. “Vivid in startled air” the cross sounds like a huge exclamation point in the sky. This celestial sign smites or whacks Constantine over the head—like a slap from the Zen master that both stuns and enlightens the pupil. In the second stanza, Melville turns his attention to the Parthenon, a temple built for the Greek goddess Athena. (Parthenon literally means “virgin’s home.”) Today it stands as a symbol of Ancient Greece and by extension the development of art, philosophy, and democracy. The Parthenon exemplifies a different “power” to the supernatural cross—the power of man. It is a “trophy” not of God’s might but “Adam’s best,” which refers to humanity as a whole. This biblical metaphor in a classical context unites the cross and the Parthenon while also contrasting them. The Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman can indeed be reconciled, as they have been in the strange hybrid creation known as Western civilization. At the sight of the Parthenon, some would gasp in awe. “Cynic” minds, however, would guffaw at such grandeur. Look at those columns! They’re falling down! The original Cynics in Athens thought that man should live in accordance with nature, and thus they had little time for good manners. Cynicism, or the perception of there being a discrepancy between rhetoric and reality, is a useful and even necessary trait—cutting through hypocrisy with robust common sense. Yet the expectation that there must always be such a discrepancy, and that no one can be trusted, becomes in itself a hindrance to truth. It turns corrosive. In Melville’s view, the society of which the Parthenon is part doesn’t take kindly to being mocked and is prepared to “molest” or pick on those who would seek to demoralize it. Is this brutal or wise? Now, if the cross could convert Constantine, who could the Parthenon transform? Melville mentions Diogenes, the biggest and most entertaining Cynic of them all. Philosopher as performance artist and clown, Diogenes once lit a lamp in broad daylight and repeated, as he went about, “I am searching for a human being!” The reference to Diogenes’ moodiness and barking implies that by complaining so much, he became close to being a bully—blinded by his own self-righteous zeal. Indeed, we can often come across certain supercilious souls who spend their lives raging at others simply because they aren’t perfect. Is this high-minded or immature? For Melville, the Parthenon is proof that some good did and still does exist in the heart and mind of man. In our grand designs, our skyscrapers and bridges, we find an abiding virtuous power. Yes they are apparitions in the sense that they make manifest the glory of the imagination. Their temporary nature only offsets the miracle that they ever stood at all. But they are a testament to the human spirit and if we give them a second look, we might find our view of ourselves changed forever. Herman Melville (1819–1891) was an American novelist, essayist, and poet. Christopher Nield is a poet living in London. His email is [email protected].