Professors George Belliveau and Marvin Westwood on "A Smoke Behind the Rope." August 3, 2024, interview by Scott Douglas Jacobsen
A Smoke Behind the Rope
Two young people face torture and death in the longest darkest night of their lives
Sep 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, and 15, 2024 at the Performance Works
Set in a high-security prison," A Smoke Behind the Rope" follows the connection that blooms between Golnaz and Farhad on a night that they fear will end in death. What follows is a poetic dance of story, memory, imagination and passion in the face of oppression.
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Golnaz and Farhad, accidental activists, find themselves in solitary confinement in an prison famous for torture and mysterious disappearances. Imagination and a powerful need for connection allow these two young strangers to find ways to share their pain, joy, fear, and humour in an environment of great uncertainty and profound paranoia. Stories of resistance are etched on the prison walls, serving as a powerful reminder of the struggles and injustices faced by those who resist authoritarian systems.
"We are thrilled to bring 'A Smoke behind the Rope' to the stage and share the powerful stories of these two political prisoners with audiences," said Rzgar Hama, the playwright and director of the production. "Coming from a Kurdish background, I was exposed to accounts of political detainees and executions from a young age. The experience hit particularly closer when my brother narrowly escaped being hanged," he said.
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Sky Theatre Group's production of Phantom Pain was recognized as the Best Overseas Show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2021
The video features a discussion between Dr. Marvin Westwood and Dr. George Belliveau about the 2018 production of SOLDIERLAND by the Sky Theatre Group
We are grateful that we live and work on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
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