Palestinian amputees perform a theater show at the Red Crescent Society theater in Gaza City, on July 6, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
by Sanaa Kamal
GAZA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A group of Gazan amputee actors have creatively and successfully played their real life in a local theater for the first time.
Eighteen amputee actors, the majority of whom were injured in wars, staged two theater performances at the Red Crescent Society theater in Gaza that featured both comedy and tragedy.
Ten actors staged a theatrical performance titled "Saleem Al-Saleem," while the other eight actresses presented a theatrical performance titled "Limb".
Palestinian amputee women perform a theater show at the Red Crescent Society theater in Gaza City on July 6, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
"I have never expected to stand on a big stage to perform a theatrical play, not even in my sweet dreams," said Adli Obeid, one of the performers.
"Before the show started, I was afraid of showing up in front of dozens of strangers. I wasn't sure whether I could utter a single word," recalled the 30-year-old man who lost his right leg.
But as soon as he started to perform, Obeid no longer felt nervous.
"It was my golden opportunity to prove that we (people with disabilities) are ordinary, and we can live our lives normally," he said, as he flashed a smile.
Palestinian amputees perform in theater show at the Red Crescent Society theater in Gaza City on July 6, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
Another actor, Mansour al-Qirim, told Xinhua that he once went to shows that mimicked the lives of persons with disabilities.
"Most of the plays help the audience to feel pity for us, and this is not correct," he said.
"My colleagues and I succeeded in proving to the public that we are strong, and we can confront our reality and integrate into our community," the 28-year-old father of three said.
Even though facing challenges, he said, disabled persons are capable of participating in the majority of occupations.
Palestinian amputees perform in theater show at the Red Crescent Society theater in Gaza City on July 6, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
The show, which was organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), was staged after 35 days of rigorous training. The audience, who filled every seat in the theater, cheered the theatrical plays passionately after each performance.
"I am proud of this distinguished play, the actors helped me change my stereotype of disabled people," said Areej Ayesh, a Gazan audience.
Maria Soledad Rueda, the operations coordinator at ICRC, said the "creative shows have broken the stereotype about them through art," and that "they succeeded in organizing a solidarity campaign to integrate into the community."
"The real disability is not physical. It is in the minds that insist on differentiating one person from another if he loses any part of his body," she added.
According to the performance organizers, the amputee actors are preparing to present more theatrical plays in Gaza, home to about 49,000 persons with disabilities, or 2.4 percent of the total population, according to official statistics.
"I think we are the best ambassadors for the disabled people because we can present our reality in good ways not only in Gaza but also in other Arab countries and even on a global stage," said Obeid. ■
