Our world exists in the realm of glaring contradictions – humans yearning to express love are ordered to perform hatred; children and grandchildren of trauma survivors are taught cultural lores that are incompatible with the current material reality; parents who wish to protect offspring from choosing mandatory military service need to contend with their obligations as citizens of the state machinery.
Photo credit: Matt Reznek
Soldiers of Tomorrow is one such tale of a former Israeli Defense Force (IDF) soldier trying to reckon with his personal history by reflecting on the geopolitical complexities that have hindered collective healing. This piece is a performative monologue by Itai Erdal with live music performed by Syrian musician Emad Armoush. The show also features a delightful guest appearance by Abed Slewa.
Itai’s words pack a punch – right from the beginning with a land acknowledgement that defies the conventional standards of performative politeness. Over the course of the next hour, Itai shares some anecdotes about his life and family. His tone is one of empathy, concern and solidarity. While talking about life as an unwilling soldier, at no point does he center his victimhood; instead he uses his story as a jumping point to educate his audience. We begin to glean into the complicated geopolitics underlying the occupation of Palestinian homeland by Israelis. His stories highlight the nature of complex trauma that cascades from one generation to the next, preventing fellow humans from trusting each other.
The stage direction, props and lighting capture the emotional subtext with profound clarity. Emad’s elegant music and sound effects gently guide the audience through the complex emotions invoked by the stories. By channeling emotional healing into coherent political art, Itai and his team succeed in injecting empathy into divisive political discourse.
Soldiers of Tomorrow is playing a few shows from Feb 3-5 as part of PuSh International Performing Arts Festival. Learn more here.
-Annapoorna Shruthi