No Images? Click here Palestinian Australian playwright wins Victorian Drama Awards Palestinian Australian Canadian playwright Samah Sabawi has seen her play about life in Gaza - Tales of a City by the Sea - win two Victorian Drama awards. The awards were for Best Performance by a Theatre Company for VCE Drama and for Best New Australian Publication for VCE Drama and/or Theatre Studies Teachers and Students. In accepting the latter award, Samah said: “This one goes for anybody who has ever fought for freedom of expression. This one goes for anybody who has ever used their art to light a candle in the dark. This one goes to anybody who has ever had the courage to speak truth to power.” Tellingly, nowhere in the play is there a reference to "Jews". It is testimony to the power of Samah's writing and the incredible performances of all those involved, that students did form their own opinion about the universal humanity of a story that indeed does speak truth to power. Click HERE for the Radio 3RRRR interview with Samah Sabawi and Wahibe Moussa about the play and the controversy it engendered. |