theater

Tamer Nafar. (Courtesy)

‘Our role is to hold on’: Palestinian artists in Israel after October 7

Three Palestinian creatives grapple with their responsibility to make art that meets the moment while Israeli authorities stifle free expression.

By Tamer Nafar July 21, 2026

Palestinians visit the Phoenix Library in central Gaza City, April 29, 2026. (Phoenix Library)

Reviving Gaza’s cultural scene from beneath the rubble

After Israel destroyed the Strip’s literary and arts institutions, Palestinians are launching new initiatives to preserve knowledge and insist on a right to life.

By Ruwaida Amer May 15, 2026

Dorgham Qreaiqea leads children's activities in a tent in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis in southern Gaza, Dec. 12, 2024. (Courtesy of the Qreaiqea family)

Remembering an artist who gave life to the children of Gaza

Dorgham Qreaiqea led film, theater, and painting projects with an unshakeable belief in the power of art to transcend the war. An Israeli airstrike killed him.

By Loaay Wattad April 18, 2025

Latest

Hadi Tabbal in the New York premiere of The Vagrant Trilogy,
written by Mona Mansour and directed by Mark Wing-Davey, at The Public Theater, March 8, 2022. (Joan Marcus)

Staging exile: A Palestinian refugee epic takes its place in the spotlight

Mona Mansour discusses her play, "The Vagrant Trilogy," about the choices a Palestinian scholar makes in 1967, and the heartbreaks that follow.

By Natasha Soffer-Roth May 16, 2022

Haythem Noor, Amir Babayoff, Bryan Burton, Nicole Kontolefa and Jonathan Raviv in ‘Martyrs’ Street’ (Left to right). (Photo by Lee Wexler/Images for Innovation)

Israeli-Palestinian ‘normalization’ debate reaches NY theater

Palestinian solidarity groups and pro-Israel Jewish groups both stay away from a theater production that addresses the extremists on both sides of the conflict. By Misha Shulman “Thank you for reaching out to us, however, as SJP has a policy of non normalization, we will not be advertising this play.” This was the response we…

By +972 Magazine April 24, 2015

Demonstrators protest against the decision of the Israeli authorities to close the El Hakawati children's theater festival in East Jerusalem earlier this week. (photo: Activestills)

Artists, activists and theater lovers gather to protest closure of Palestinian children’s festival

At East Jerusalem demonstration against the banning on an annual children’s festival, friends of el-Hakawati Theater share past memories and present disappointment. Festival programs and posters were laid out on a table outside the theater. More were stacked in an office on the floor, still in packaging. At el-Hakawati, the Palestinian National Theatre in East…

By Matt Surrusco June 28, 2013

Member of a dance group of Sudanese refugees from the Darfur region dressed with traditional costumes dance on stage as part of a cultural festival of the Sudanese community at a cultural centre in south Tel Aviv on February 15, 2013. (Shiraz Grinbaum/Activestills.org)

Photos: Sudanese refugees in Israel celebrate their culture with dance and music

The Sudanese refugee community gathers in south Tel Aviv to remember their homeland, celebrate their culture, music and dances and share them local Israelis. Text by: Adam Bashar Photos by: Activestills.org The idea behind The Cultural Day of the Sudanese refugees community, held at the Goren Goldstein Country Club in south Tel Aviv, was to expose…

By Activestills February 17, 2013

Carrying giant puppets, Palestinians of Al-Walaja, together with Palestinian, international, and Israeli supporters organized by the Freedom Bus campaign march through the West Bank village of Al-Walaja to protest the Israeli separation wall, September 28, 2012. (photo: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org)

Photo essay: Freedom Bus tour teaches cultural forms of resistance

Text by Decca Muldowney The Freedom Bus, an initiative of Jenin’s Freedom Theatre, uses interactive theatre and cultural activism to bear witness, raise awareness and build alliances throughout occupied Palestine and beyond. From September 23-October 1 2012, Palestinians and allies from around the world took part in a 9-day solidarity ride through 11 communities in the West…

By Activestills October 2, 2012

tolerance graphic thumb (Photo: flickr/srqpix)

Survey: Theater helps Israeli youth humanize Palestinians

It’s unusual to get good news about levels of tolerance toward the other, when it comes to Israelis, Palestinians and the conflict – especially youngsters. As my colleagues and I found in a large study of Israeli youth, intolerance, exclusive and discriminatory attitudes are embraced by a large and perhaps growing numbers of young folks.…

By Dahlia Scheindlin July 9, 2011