Veiled Monologues special section

This issue of "Theater" features a special section dedicated to the first English translation of Adelheid Roosen's critically acclaimed and sensational play "The Veiled Monologues". Premiering in the Netherlands amid death threats due to its controversial and sexual content, "The Veiled Monologues" is based on Roosen's interviews with hundreds of Muslim women from around the world who emigrated to the Netherlands. The monologues, delivered onstage by Dutch Muslim actresses, powerfully reveal the challenges for Muslim women as they contend with issues of intimacy, sexuality, and love across complicated cultural and political divides. The issue also explores other artistic encounters between the Muslim world and the West and how individual theater practitioners and productions have recently attempted to bridge cultural conflicts. In addition to the full text of "The Veiled Monologues", an introductory essay discusses the play's early production in the Netherlands, situating the project in the context of the country's explosive debates over immigration and assimilation following the 2003 assassination of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh. Also included is a panel discussion on the controversy surrounding the New York production of "My Name Is Rachel Corrie" - a play based on the life of the U.S. peace activist who was killed by an Israeli bulldozer - one of the most fiercely contested subjects of recent theater seasons. The issue also features British director Andrew Steggall's account of his journey into Iraq in 2004 to mount a production of Stravinsky's "The Soldier's Tale" with a cast of British and Iraqi actors and musicians. This account examines the trials, tribulations, and rewards of creating art in the midst of violence and political chaos.