"Gathering" by Samar Haddad King is on tour in the southwest of France. (Credit: Pierre Planchenault)
Oranges are scattered across the stage. A young woman calls out to her mother: "Mum." "I'm here," her mother replies. The dance becomes a series of falls and recoveries. These leitmotifs punctuate "Gathering."
Suddenly, the festivities sweep everything away like a huge wave of joy crashing across the stage. The performers break into a dabke, drawing in some of the audience while others clap in rhythm. The bride and groom are lifted onto shoulders. It's euphoria. But it won't last.
Thus begins the tale of Israa, a 25-year-old woman in love with Ali who dreams of marriage, a white veil, and children. In this show, which blends theater, music, song, and dance, Palestinian-American artist Samar Haddad King affirms her faith in her culture. Fifteen performers from various backgrounds — Palestine, Lebanon, Turkey, the United States, Japan, Taiwan, and more — take the audience on a vibrant and moving journey.
"I started with this story I had written about a young woman who dreams of marriage, and what happens if it doesn’t come true," the director tells L'Orient-Le Jour.
"I was also inspired by the idea of gatherings, which are intrinsic to Palestinian society, as to many other cultures, Arab or otherwise. For us, these gatherings can be voluntary or forced, whether in prisons, due to bombings, or displacement. I drew inspiration from major life events like weddings, births, funerals, as well as gatherings that are not by choice."
Israa's wedding will not take place. Ali, her betrothed, is lost. They search for him among the oranges. The lovers’ bodies are separated. The performers collapse on stage in piles of bodies, evoking images of carnage in Gaza, even though the place remains unnamed.
Then couples form for dances that are tender and slow. A ladder is raised at the center of the stage. Performers climb up, only to fall again. The falls multiply, but the bodies rise each time, just as in the traditional dance of dabke — grounded in the earth, striving upwards. Like Palestinian and Middle Eastern life, where one must keep rising up.
Blues entwines with Palestinian incantations
The music supports the dance, ranging from Vivaldi’s "Four Seasons" — life as an ever-renewing cycle — to the blues, beautifully embodied by Ash Winkfield, whose melancholy blends into the Palestinian ritual chants and incantations.
Theater, storied and poetic, crowns it all. English is heard mainly, but also Arabic and French. Samaa Wakim, a marvelous actress and dancer, plays Israa. She recounts her story and declares, "So many of our friends never had the chance to grow old — the worst thing about war is that it steals our dreams."
The poetry takes visual form as well: an ostrich crosses the stage, takes the bride's white veil in its beak. "The ostrich is a very fast bird," explains Samar Haddad King, "but it falls under the hunters' bullets and cannot fly. Similarly, Israa can’t take off."
Spectacular scenes give way at last to intimacy. The artists weave among the spectators, whispering stories and rumors — life rustles all around.
A true gatherer, Samar Haddad King breaks the fourth wall and invites the audience into a collective celebration of life and death. A cathartic theater.
"Artistically, the more people take part in a wedding, the merrier it is," says the director. "And in this way, my heart is lighter, I feel joy, because one day, I hope, we’ll perform at home in Palestine and it will be a real invitation for the Palestinian audience to join the celebration."
The play premiered at the National Theater of Bordeaux as part of the FAB (Bordeaux Arts Festival), thanks to a co-production with eight national stages in southwest France, where the show is touring through the end of November.
Angoulême: Nov. 18
Poitiers: Nov. 20
Niort: Nov. 22
La Rochelle: Nov. 25
Aubusson: Nov. 27
More information on the company’s website: Ya Samar Dance Theatre https://ysdt.org/
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