Maxim Gorki Theater Indefinitely Postpones The Situation, a Multilingual Play by Israeli-Austrian Writer Yael Ronen

On October 13, 2023, Berlin Gorki Theater canceled the showing of The Situation by Israeli-Austrian writer Yael Ronen, which was planned to be staged on October 23rd. Premiered in 2015, the multilingual piece tells a story of individuals from Syria, Palestine and Israel, who encounter each other in a German class in Berlin-Neukölln. The piece was known for its provocative and humorous approach of bringing different perspectives around the conflict in the Middle East, including those that are critical of the state of Israel and Zionism. All of the roles were played by actors from Syria, Palestine and Israel.

Gorki announced the postponement of the show on its website and social media platforms: “Today the 'situation' includes the war. We recognize our powerlessness. We are affected. But in war, there are also those who are hit. We must make that clear to ourselves. We must find positions and languages for that.” The position the theater has found cannot be clearer: “War is a great simplifier. The terrorist organization Hamas’ attack on Israel puts us on Israel’s side. [...] Israel’s latest answer to this affects all Palestinians and will drive them further into the arms of Hamas. But Israel must also defend itself. War demands a simple division into friend and enemy. It will not solve problems. It thrives on escalation. [...] Theatre thrives on the polyphony of multiple voices. On debate, on conflict. But it can do little with the great simplifiers.”

Two days after it was published, Gorki added a director’s note from Yael Ronen to the statement: “This show The Situation represents who we were almost 9 years ago when it was written and the way I understood reality then. Since Saturday reality has been shaken to its core.” Ronen further expressed her grief and shock in her note. The voices of the two Palestinian actors, Maryam Abu Khaled and Karim Daoud, were not promoted by the theater. They each posted statements on their social media platforms a few days after the cancellation, expressing their rage and disappointment. Abu Khaled, sharing her personal experiences as a Palestinian survivor of wars and traumas, criticized the theater's statement for achieving nothing and creating "pain, drama, and a strong sense of injustice." She underlined that the play was created years ago in response to the ongoing occupation and violence in Palestine, expressing her refusal to accept the theater's ignorance towards Palestinian's suffering.

Karim Daoud echoed Abu Khaled's message, condemning the theater for proudly choosing the side of the occupation. He emphasized the real-life impact of the ongoing conflict, stating, “I am reminded that this is not a play or a performance, but a reality, our reality!”