My Name is Rachel Corrie
Hello my freaky darlings, and welcome to a brand new thing that we at Echo Theatre Reviews, like to call Echo Theatre Previews!
Sometimes a company will invite me along to a show that I sadly can’t make, and rather than let these invitations fall to the wayside, I thought I’d ask a few questions, get to know the creative team a little, and spend time telling my wonderful followers about up and coming performances that I think we should all be paying attention to!
So on that note please allow me to introduce you to the team behind
“My Name is Rachel Corrie”
“So much of this has happened before. We can look at that history and then choose which side we want to be on now.” - Rachel Corrie, June 4, 2002.”
My Name is Rachel Corrie Poster.
Travelling from Olympia, Washington to the Gaza Strip, Rachel Corrie was a young activist who many of us would do well to remember. She was boldly aspirational, with a moral compass she simply could not and would not dim. Rachel travelled to the Gaza strip in 2003, at just 23 years old, to support Palestinians whose homes were being demolished, an act that would take her life. The play is a verbatim piece, taken from Rachel’s own words, where she compels us to condemn Israel's treatment of Palestinians, and now, twenty two years after her death, it is just as relevant and important a message for us to heed.
Edited by journalist Katharine Viner and actor Alan Rickman, and taken from Rachel’s personal journals and emails, this play honors the activism, bravery and morals of a woman taken from this world far too soon.
This play holds such a place in my heart that I decided this week to touch base with the creative team behind bringing it back to the stage. I caught up with director Alex Stroming and actress Lyndsey Ruiz to find out why they decided that this was the play they needed to bring before audiences.
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It's been 20 years since the initial premiere of My Name is Rachel Corrie, and 23 years since the tragic death of Rachel. What inspired you to revive this show, and why now?
I (Alex) grew up in Washington state, close to where Rachel did, but I didn’t hear her story until I was in college, and first read this play. It was the first time I had ever been taught anything about Palestine in school, and it was in an acting class. This play was an essential stepping stone for me as a young American, very sheltered by privilege, to take responsibility for educating myself on injustices around the globe.
Rachel’s words planted a seed in me that has only continued to grow, and they are even more resonant today. It's haunting to hear some of her stories and musings, which hit differently in our current context. As a storyteller and an artist, I cannot stay silent about the increasing and relentless violence and denial of basic human rights in Gaza. As an American living abroad, I am horrified by my government's complicity. I have a limited platform, and I am not an expert on the conflict. I've learned so much as a result of directing this play. But I felt that producing this play was one way that I could use my skill set, not only to share my personal resonance, but, more importantly, to continue to make noise about the larger issue at hand-- and offer an invitation to audiences to learn more and take action.
Lyndsey, as an actor, how do you approach taking on a role such as this, and what challenges do you face in not only performing a One-Woman show, but one that is also a piece of Verbatim Theatre?
This is my first time doing a one-woman show, and it's been quite the learning experience. I think one of my strengths as an actor (specifically Meisner trained) is responding to my partner in front of me and taking hooks from them to run with. Obviously, being the only actor in this piece, I've had to find hooks within myself and the space/set to keep the flow going. Holding that space consistently without dropping the ball or getting in your head has been a huge test of stamina.
Doing this particular piece of Verbatim Theatre, I have found a lot of freedom in trusting the color of the text and leaning into the permission it gives me because of Rachel’s wild imagination. At the same time, I also feel a responsibility to treat her words/the text with care and precision. Finding the balance of both has been a big part of the rehearsal process.
I didn’t want to be a carbon copy of Rachel or produce some idea of what I “thought Rachel was like”. As I would in any other process, I did research and read her extended journals and let them inform my work. It feels wrong to call her a character, but her words and what they provoke in me, “as a vessel” plus the research, create “my Rachel” as a character. I have been encouraged to “make it mine” as much as I can.
I’ve never been a part of a play where the context changes daily. These words were written in 2003. It’s pretty horrific how what is happening now in 2025 makes the words sting in a new way. So it's been a real challenge, but one I am both grateful for as an actor and human.
As a Director Alex, do you feel pressure in bringing Rachel's real words and experiences to the stage, as opposed to presenting a fictional piece of theatre?
Building off Lyndsey’s answer, it’s not quite pressure, but there’s definitely a mindfulness to lead with humility, and awareness that we will get things "wrong," no matter how hard we try. But that doesn't mean we should stop trying.
We have had the incredible privilege to connect with folks who knew Rachel, and who generously shared their stories and experiences with her. We have definitely kept those conversations in mind in discussions about characterization and staging. We have taken inspiration in our music and design choices from her extended journals, which have been published in a fantastic book by her family called "Let Me Stand Alone."
Lyndsey Ruiz stars as Rachel Corrie
One of the greatest gifts that we received was an email from Craig (Rachel's father), encouraging us to make the play our own. It can be challenging to strike a balance between artistic integrity and artistic license, but it has also been incredibly rewarding.
You staged a preview performance at Palestine House. Tell us about the experience of performing the show, and interacting with the audience during and after the show.
It was a beautiful and powerful experience, and we are so grateful to Osama Qashoo, Nour, and the rest of the staff at Palestine House for trusting us to share the play in their space. Osama, the founder of Palestine House, knew Rachel, and shared stories about his time with her in a talk-back with the audience. It's a bit difficult to describe. It was also a beautiful moment of surrendering and remembering how this is much bigger than we are. Rachel was only one of the people killed as a result of this conflict. And her story is remembered, not only because of her writings and the shocking way in which she was killed, but also because of the racism of the media. She’s remembered for the fact that she was American and White.
How many Palestinian people have been killed, with lives just as full as Rachel's? Living their whole lives in the conditions that Rachel was exposed to for only a short time, who have been reduced to purely statistics? We need at least 58,000 more plays, and from her writings, I think Rachel would be the first to agree. Some of this work is being done by Palestinian playwright Ahmed Masoud (founder of PalArts, who just had an incredible festival at Teatro Technis in London), Palestinian-Irish playwright Hannah Khalil, and so many others whose work has been featured at Palestine House and beyond. We are inviting people into deeper conversation through Rachel's story, but we hope that they won't stop there.
Have you experienced any backlash following the announcement that you are producing a revival of this show? If so, how have you tackled it and supported each other during it?
We have not. We have experienced only overwhelming generosity and support. This may be because we have a relatively small platform, but I think it is also telling of the collective consciousness and awareness of the atrocities in Gaza.
Would you consider inviting anyone, who may potentially take issue with this show, to come and see it? What do you hope their experience would be?
Absolutely. All are welcome! The beauty of Rachel's story is that it is simply her personal experience. All of the text is taken from her personal journals and emails. We are presenting the story as truthfully as we can, but even if you disagree with the larger issues surrounding the show, you can't argue with someone's personal documentation. Even taking away the larger issues, she was a BRILLIANT writer. And so funny! I think people will be surprised at how much they laugh and enjoy themselves. Though the play may exist as a result of Rachel’s death, it is a celebration of her life. She was full of joy and humor, and so is this play. We hope that they will see themselves in Rachel's humanity, even if it's something as simple as relating to the way that she forgets where her pen is, only to find it in her hair. Who hasn't looked for their glasses, with their glasses on? Or looked for their phone while it's in their hand? Little details like this flesh out our essential human-ness, and bring joy and delight to our production.
Following the performance at Palestine House and your run at Etcetera Theatre, what are your plans for this show moving forward?
We are hoping to do future performances, but have nothing official to announce at this moment. All we know is that the story remains resonant and impactful, we have loved working on it and getting to know Rachel, and we want to share her heart and courage with as many people as possible.
For further updates, give us a follow on Instagram @t.reginatheatreco! Anything we have to announce, we will announce there.
“Though the play may exist as a result of Rachel’s death, it is a celebration of her life.”
My Name is Rachel Corrie plays from 24 - 27 July at the Etcetera Theatre in Camden
24 - 26 July @ 6.30pm
27 July @ 5.30pm
Produced by T. Regina Theatre Company
Cast: Lyndsey Ruiz (Tell Me You’ll Think About It, Scenes with girls, Violence and Son)
Directed by Alex Stroming (Artistic Director, T. Regina Theatre Company)
Set and Costume Design by Ismini Papaioannou (Fabulous Creatures, Código Postal)
Written by Rachel Corrie, edited by Alan Rickman and Katherine Viner.