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 Baghdad's notorious Abu Gharib 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 foods 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 comprised of 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 Saddham 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 which led to her character's actions; Rocco Sisto's deliberately underplayed weapons inspector is potently brought to life, while Heather Raffo's Iraqui 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.
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.
An additional offer: many performances are followed by a talk-back with Iraqui experts and cast and creative team members.
Palace of the End
Presented by the Epic Theatre Ensemble
Peter Jay Sharp Theatre 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: diabarth@juno.com
Feeds