productions

Prisoners of the Occupation, 2019

Palestinian political prisoners are the most hidden victims of the Israeli occupation. Camera recordings of any part of the prisons are subject to strict approval and some sections have never been publicly documented. In this play, writer and director Einat Weizman enter to this dark spot of the Israeli occupation and provides a precise, clinical, description of the process of incarceration as narrated by current and former prisoners. The play is the result of a long research process, of interviewing and hearing testimonies from prisoners and ex-prisoners, actively involved at every stage of the creation – from writing to dramaturgy and mis-en-scene. The prison experiences that are uncovered include interrogations, hunger strikes, solitary confinement and family visits, as well as diving into the prisoner consciousness. The play reveals a hard and brutal reality, but also an account of human endurance and solidarity.

The play was banned at the 2017 Acre Festival and was staged after a long struggle at Tmuna theater at Tel Aviv, 2019.

Playwright | Einat Weizman and political prisoners

Director | Einat Weizman

Actors | Kamel Basha, Jalal Masarua, Rabea Khoury, Byan Anteer, Einat Weizman

Translator | Dareen Tatour

Dramaturg | Nitzan Cohen

Stage Designer | Salim Shahadah

Lighting Designer | Eyal Daniel

Assistant Director | Roni Felsen

Photos | David Kaplan

Other world productions of Prisoners of the Occupation:

Japanese version, Production of Prisoners of the Occupatio n - Natory office Theater, 2023