Rachel Corrie to Close Dec. 17

By Zachary Pincus-Roth
and Robert Simonson
05 Dec 2006

The controversial play My Name Is Rachel Corrie will close at the Off-Broadway Minetta Lane Theatre on Dec. 17. It will have played nine previews and 71 regular performances.
The play was originally scheduled to close Dec. 30. The producers say that subsequent productions are being planned for other venues in the U.S. and around the world. Seattle Repertory Theatre has already scheduled the play for March 15–April 22, 2007.

Rachel Corrie is edited by Alan Rickman and the journalist Katharine Viner from the writings of the late Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old American protester who was killed by an Israeli bulldozer.

The solo play, which began previews Oct. 5 and opened Oct. 15, stars Bree Elrod. It is directed by Rickman and produced by Dena Hammerstein and Pam Pariseau. The production is billed as the Royal Court Theatre's production, as that company originally produced the work in London.

The play became the subject of a heated debate this past spring when it was scheduled and then postponed at Off-Broadway's New York Theatre Workshop. The Royal Court and the play's creators accused the New York company of censorship while the New York troupe stated it merely sought to present the play in a climate suitable for the volatile work. The play's eventual New York production did not involve NYTW.

The production has set and costume design by Hildegard Bechtler, lighting design by Johanna Town and sound and video design by Emma Laxton.

The Minetta Lane Theatre is at 18 Minetta Lane, just off Sixth Avenue. For more information, visit www.mynameisrachelcorrie.com.