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Alaa Shehada
The Horse of Jenin
Presented by La MaMa in association with GOH Productions
Originally Produced by Troupe Courage (Amsterdam)
photos: Dario & Misja photography, Kamerich & Budwilowitz
“A symbol of freedom and resistance you may be able to destroy, the idea behind it you cannot.” – NRC Handelsblad
After a major invasion of Jenin in April 2002, a German artist led an art workshop using the wreckage of bombed-out homes, cars, and ambulances. A giant sculpture of a horse was constructed, and as an Arabic symbol of freedom, the horse became the pride of Jenin. In November 2023, an Israeli bulldozer removed the horse. In this solo show, performer Alaa Shehada investigates: what happened to the horse? Was it arrested? Did they put it in jail? And did it tell the story of what happened to his best friend Ahmed? Using fragments of his memories and humorous personal stories, Alaa builds a new horse that is a theatrical symbol of resistance, resilience, and the power of imagination.
Note: This production is appropriate for audiences of all ages.
SCHEDULE
Thursday, January 9 @ 7:30 pm
Friday, January 10 @ 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 11 @ 7:30 pm
Sunday, January 12 @ 3:00 pm
Run time: 70 minutes
VENUE
The Club at La MaMa
74A East 4th Street
NYC, NY 10003
Access:
All LaMaMa’s theaters are ADA compliant and wheelchair accessible.
CREDITS
Written and performed by Alaa Shehada
Directed by Katrien van Beurden and Thomas van Ouwerkerk
Stand-up comedy & script consultant: Sam Beale
Masks: Den Durand
Music: Remy van Kesteren and Khalil Albatran
Dramaturgy: Maarten Bos
Production support (Amsterdam): Monique Bos
Production support (USA): 55B Productions
Portrait Photography: Dario & Misja
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Alaa Shehada is an actor and comedian who was educated at The Freedom Theatre Acting School in Jenin, Palestine, a company nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in February 2024. Alaa is a co-founder of The Palestine Comedy Club, a core member of Troupe Courage in Amsterdam, and a “Doctor-Clown” with Red Noses International. He toured extensively in the USA and Australia with Amir Nizar Zuabi’s Grey Rock (UTR 2020), a play about love and dreams in Palestine. He is a recipient of a Jury Award at the International Festival of Liberal Theatre in Jordan, Best Show at the Palestinian National Theatre Festival 2018, and Best Script Co-Writer 2019 for London Jenin. He is one of the few Palestinian men who is still unmarried.
GOH Productions (co-producer/NY) is a nonprofit arts services organization that has been creating, producing and managing performing arts projects since 1982. Based in New York City, its dance, theater, puppetry and youth programs reach across continents and borders. GOH is dedicated to the work of artists and artworks that are not easily categorized, with projects that have reached over 20 countries.
55B Productions (Co-Producer/NY) creates, produces, and manages live arts and events that foster intercultural exchange. Named after the region of the brain that is activated when we hear stories, 55B cultivates new and multidisciplinary projects that expand our thinking. Partnering with artists, 55B develops a strategic context in which a production or event can thrive, generating connections that amplify a story and its impact.
Collective Troupe Courage (original producer/Amsterdam) consists of a diverse group of actors and musicians from different countries, including the Netherlands, Palestine, the US, Lebanon and Iran. Troupe Courage is folk theatre: on proverbial life and death, they bring the energy of survival to the stage. Using only the body, masks and (live) music, they take the audience into a world of imagination in an empty space. Through their masks, they crawl into familiar archetypes: The big boss, the shy kid, the eternal nag, playfully, breaking open complex subjects. Underdogs become heroes, powerful figures lose their shine and elderly people dance like children. Troupe Courage invites a different view of the world, with imagination as playful resistance to the status quo. Their aim is not to tear things down, but to offer hope. They hope for real change in the world. Theatre that is alive and kicking, moving and with the joy of acting.
CREATION + FUNDING
Originally Produced by Troupe Courage (Amsterdam)
GOH Productions is collaborating with 55B Productions for The Horse of Jenin (La MaMa Production)
