The London-based actress is back to headline the controversial play ?My Name Is Rachel Corrie? Sept. 3-4
CELEBRATING HER 30th anniversary in theater this year, as well as her 40th birthday, London-based Monique Wilson is staging ?My Name Is Rachel Corrie,? a one-woman play about an American peace activist who died when she tried to stop an Israeli bulldozer from demolishing the house of a poor Palestinian family in Gaza.

?She was crushed to death, though she was undertaking a nonviolent protest,? says Wilson, who initially thought of launching a new album and holding a concert in Manila to mark the twin milestones in her life and career.

But she thought doing another round of the album-and-concert thing, which she had done five years ago, was already trite. True to form, the founder of New Voice Company (NVC), the maverick theater group that brought ?The Vagina Monologues? to Manila, looked for another sharp, edgy play to stage instead.

It can be remembered that when NVC staged the ?Vagina Monologues? at the Music Museum about a decade ago, it caused uproar among local conservatives. There were even groups of protesters outside the venue. But NVC prevailed, and the play became a long-running success.

Wake-up call

The idea of bringing ?My Name Is Rachel Corrie? to Manila came to Wilson the day Israelis attacked a flotilla ship carrying aid to the Gaza Strip?an assault that killed eight humanitarian workers. She called it a major turning point in her life, a wake-up call.

?I can?t sleep after that. It was only May 31 this year. I remember seeing it on the news, and the next day, people were marching on the streets of London. I joined them. These were not activists or NGO people but British civilians?Jewish, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists?who were outraged by what had happened. How could they attack a ship that?s bringing aid to Gaza??

Since June 2007, the Israeli forces have controlled what can be brought in and out of Gaza, which has been under the control of the Hamas, a militant Palestinian organization. As of 2009, the strip has 1.5 million residents living in harsh conditions, surviving on less than US$1 a day like most Filipino families.

Wilson has been teaching in London and heads the Master of Arts/Master of Fine Arts acting course at the East 15 Acting School. She has directed Federico Garcia Lorca?s ?Blood Wedding? and ?Doña Rosita the Spinster? at Battersea Arts Centre, as well as Martin Crimp?s ?Attempts on Her Life? at Actors Center, both in London.

One of her students was a Palestinian refugee named Bayan Shbib, who gave her a first-hand account of life in Gaza.

?She?s a full scholar and a very good actress,? says Wilson.

Their interactions intrigued Wilson, who immersed herself in Middle Eastern politics and the Israel-Palestine conflict. Deciding to do ?My Name Is Rachel Corrie,? which had become an award-winning play in London before transferring to Off-Broadway in New York, came next.

Her own words

With barely three months of preparation, Wilson lost no time doing research on Rachel Corrie, reading all the books about her and going as far as journeying to Palestine to see for herself the actual situation.

This one-woman play was initially performed at London Royal Court Theater in 2005, directed by Alan Rickman (who plays Professor Severus Snape in the ?Harry Potter? film series).

The text of the play was taken from Corrie?s collection of essays, poems and other writings published in book form, ?Let Me Stand Alone, The Journals of Rachel Corrie.?

Rickman and Katharine Viner took excerpts from the journals, edited them and created a script.

Rickman described Corrie as ?a born writer. It?s like jumping inside someone?s soul. Her relentless, undiluted humanity is inspiring and profoundly moving. And she makes you laugh.?

Eve Ensler, author of ?The Vagina Monologues,? described the Corrie life story as ?a testament to how deeply we need the power and vision and energy of young women to transform the world.?

Considered the fastest-selling play in British theater history, it subsequently won awards for bEst Director, Best New Play and Best Solo Performance in the Theatergoers? Choice Awards.

So controversial

?My Name Is Rachel Corrie? was so controversial that when the production was scheduled to open in March 2006 at the New York Theater Workshop, six weeks before the opening the show was canceled indefinitely due to fears of political reprisals. It was eventually performed in New York?s Off-Broadway Minetta Lane Theater in October of the same year. Since then, it has toured other states and key cities in Europe.

Wilson is making theater history again in these parts by holding the Asian premiere of ?My Name Is Rachel Corrie.? Running an hour and a half, it will play at Music Museum on Sept. 3-4, 8 p.m.

Does she miss doing musicals?

?Not that much,? says Wilson with a laugh. ?I know I?ve been blessed with a voice and that I can sing, but these are the kinds of stories that I really want to do. I just want to do something meaningful. This is what keeps me awake at night.?

Call NVC 8965497, 8966695, 8990630; email nvc@pldtdsl.net; visit www.rachelcorriefoundation.org and www. rachelswords.org.