Keep "The Runner" at the Belfry
Keep "The Runner" at the Belfry
The Issue
Keep The Runner at the Belfry - Protest War, Not Viewpoint Diversity
As fellow residents of Victoria (and those outside of Victoria who are our allies), we were saddened to learn of a petition demanding the cancellation of the planned production of The Runner by Christopher Morris. We were shocked to learn that the Belfry Theatre was considering capitulating to this demand.
We call on the Belfry Theatre to host the production of The Runner as scheduled in March 2024, in accordance with its mission and principles. We were informed by the Belfry that in its 46 years of producing theatre, it has never once cancelled a play.
The Runner, a one-man show, exposes the moral dilemmas faced by Jacob, an Israeli volunteer for an organization, Zaka, that conducts search and rescue in response to natural disasters and terrorist attacks. Jacob describes his struggles following an incident where triage compels him to rescue an Arab woman, purportedly a terrorist attacker. Jacob transcends his own tribal affiliations, saves the Arab woman, brings her to the hospital and checks on her at her home. In the play-notes, Morris writes:
“I want to create theatre that explores the extremes of the human condition. I’m interested in what happens to us when we are pushed to our spiritual, moral, and emotional limits because it’s at these times that we see the best, and worst, of what we are."
This award-winning show was created over recent years in both Israel and Canada and had a celebrated premiere at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto. Its call to recognize the humanity of all peoples in the face of conflicting narratives of righteousness is one that art can explore with nuance. This is precisely the kind of work that the Belfry Theatre features and champions.
Our hearts break for the suffering of both the Israeli and Palestinian people, and we dispute the over-simplified narrative in the cancellation petition that the Israelis are oppressors and the Palestinians are the oppressed. Surely, Hamas' role is not insignificant? But we do not need to resolve the Middle East war in order to see the value of The Runner as a work intended to bridge rather than break.
We urge the Belfry Theatre to resume plans to stage The Runner in March 2024 rather than to capitulate to those who would silence artists on the basis of the religion or nationality of their characters. Those cancelling playwrights solely because they are write Jewish characters, spent time in Isreal and write about the Israeli experience, are not good enough reason to cancel a play.
Please sign the petition to signal your support for Free Speech at the Belfry.
Update: The Ex.Dir of the Belfry invited people to discuss their views of The Runner. Thank you Belfry! The Pro-Palestine delegation shouted down speakers, then walked out of the dialogue, turned the gathering into a protest with a bullhorn, and then occupied and defaced the building.
If you'd like more information you can go HERE.
2,958
The Issue
Keep The Runner at the Belfry - Protest War, Not Viewpoint Diversity
As fellow residents of Victoria (and those outside of Victoria who are our allies), we were saddened to learn of a petition demanding the cancellation of the planned production of The Runner by Christopher Morris. We were shocked to learn that the Belfry Theatre was considering capitulating to this demand.
We call on the Belfry Theatre to host the production of The Runner as scheduled in March 2024, in accordance with its mission and principles. We were informed by the Belfry that in its 46 years of producing theatre, it has never once cancelled a play.
The Runner, a one-man show, exposes the moral dilemmas faced by Jacob, an Israeli volunteer for an organization, Zaka, that conducts search and rescue in response to natural disasters and terrorist attacks. Jacob describes his struggles following an incident where triage compels him to rescue an Arab woman, purportedly a terrorist attacker. Jacob transcends his own tribal affiliations, saves the Arab woman, brings her to the hospital and checks on her at her home. In the play-notes, Morris writes:
“I want to create theatre that explores the extremes of the human condition. I’m interested in what happens to us when we are pushed to our spiritual, moral, and emotional limits because it’s at these times that we see the best, and worst, of what we are."
This award-winning show was created over recent years in both Israel and Canada and had a celebrated premiere at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto. Its call to recognize the humanity of all peoples in the face of conflicting narratives of righteousness is one that art can explore with nuance. This is precisely the kind of work that the Belfry Theatre features and champions.
Our hearts break for the suffering of both the Israeli and Palestinian people, and we dispute the over-simplified narrative in the cancellation petition that the Israelis are oppressors and the Palestinians are the oppressed. Surely, Hamas' role is not insignificant? But we do not need to resolve the Middle East war in order to see the value of The Runner as a work intended to bridge rather than break.
We urge the Belfry Theatre to resume plans to stage The Runner in March 2024 rather than to capitulate to those who would silence artists on the basis of the religion or nationality of their characters. Those cancelling playwrights solely because they are write Jewish characters, spent time in Isreal and write about the Israeli experience, are not good enough reason to cancel a play.
Please sign the petition to signal your support for Free Speech at the Belfry.
Update: The Ex.Dir of the Belfry invited people to discuss their views of The Runner. Thank you Belfry! The Pro-Palestine delegation shouted down speakers, then walked out of the dialogue, turned the gathering into a protest with a bullhorn, and then occupied and defaced the building.
If you'd like more information you can go HERE.
2,958
Petition created on December 23, 2023