In light of the 10th anniversary of the Iraq war this month, the University Theatre opens “9 Parts of Desire” this weekend, a play that tells the story of Iraqi women of various backgrounds, religions and political beliefs and their experiences with the first and second Gulf War.
Written by Heather Raffo, “9 Parts of Desire” was originally made as a one-woman show about the stories that Raffo, an Iraqi American, learned while visiting her family in Iraq and speaking with women there about their experience with the wars.
The play focuses on the lives of 8 Iraqi women — a war-zone doctor, an exile living in London, a professional mourner, a radical communist and a second-generation Iraqi American, to name a few. According to Michael Najjar, the director of the show and an assistant professor in the theatre department, the play explores the experiences of these women and the war. It also discusses questions such as “what does it mean to have to leave your country because of war?” Or, “what does it mean to have to stay in your country because of war?”
“You get to see all of these different women who are of Iraqi descent, but of very different religions, very different ethnicities, all coming together to be in the play,” Najjar said. “That’s really exciting as well, getting to explore the different cultures and religions of Iraq. Because too often we forget that Iraq is a very diverse place.”
In order to make the play as culturally authentic as possible, international students from Iraq and the Middle East were consulted, and most of the cast worked with a dialect coach on their accents, which vary depending on the character and where they are from. At one point the eight main characters form a chorus together (which makes up the “9th” woman) and sing a traditional Iraqi folk song in Arabic.
“All of these things I think are important because it helps us understand somebody else’s experience on a much deeper level. Through voice, through acting, through costume,” Najjar said.
“I hope the audiences walk away saying ‘I knew about Iraq or I didn’t know about Iraq and I walked away knowing more and I’m glad for that experience,” Najjar said.
“9 Parts of Desire” opens on the Hope Theatre stage this Thursday, with further performances on March 8, 9, 14, 15 and 16. Tickets to the show are free to UO students with student ID, $14 for general admission and $12 for UO faculty and staff. The show begins at 8 p.m. on every night except for on the 17, when the show starts at 2 p.m.
Additionally, playwright Heather Raffo will attend the performances on March 7 and 8 and answer audience questions following the show.