The place is Khan Yunis. The time is the summer of 2003.  Exams are over. It’s hot… very hot. The city is closed… surrounded! Five boys from the camp look at their options for the summer vacation. Karate? A job? Summer camp? Demonstrations? Or just wait for the summer to be over? They ask themselves, “What do we want to do and where do we go?” Together they decide! “To the beach… not the Khan Yunis beach… that’s closed…. to the Gaza beach!  It can’t be that hard to go for a swim… can it?!” Without knowing it, these 5 boys are about to enter into the world of the impossible! Be with them.

Rafat Al Aydeh has written a play that presents the dilemma of the Palestinian youth of today: to dream or not, to play or not, to wish or not, to plan or not. In a playful indirect way, Rafat deals with the reason why our children are unavoidably part of the struggle, the pain, and the politics in the Palestine of today.

The Actors

Islam Al Khatib – Islam
Ali Muhanna –  Mohammed
Ahmad Sirhan – Khalil
Mohammed Abu Zriba – Samir
Mahmoud Dreemli – Ali
Mohammed Al Hissi – Teacher, Woman, Truck Driver
Ala Matar – Soldier 1 & Driver 2
Mari Bashir – Soldier 2 & Driver 1
Mohammed Abu Sayf – Street Boy 1
Mohammed Eliazji – Street Boy 2

The Team
Written & Directed by Rafat Al Aydeh
Based on “Men in the Sun” by Ghassan Kanafani
Sets & Costumes by Jackie Lubeck
Props by The Actors
Assistant Director – Baha Eliazji
Technician – Ibrahim Masarii
Production Assistant – Mohammed Al Hissi
Mervat Hafez – Gaza Administration
Pauline Nunu – Project Office Worker

Artistic Supervision
Jan Willems – Artistic Director
Amer Khalil – General Manager
Jackie Lubeck – Project Coordinator