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War and Remembrance
Aftermath explores Iraqi experience of invasion
The cast of Aftermath
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So successful was the documentary theater presentation of The Exonerated, that its award-winning creators have revisited the genre. Beginning September 1, Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen will bring Aftermath, a moving exploration of the Iraq war, seen through the eyes of Iraqi citizens, to the New York Theatre Workshop.
The play, which details how ordinary lives were forever changed when the American invaded Iraq, uses cinéma vérité techniques to underscore dramatic moments. Fourteen months ago, Blank and Jensen traveled to the Mideast to interview 35 Iraqis who fled their country for the relative calm of Amman, Jordan. To tell a larger story, they focused on a doctor, two cooks, an imam, a young Christian mother, a theatrical couple and a pharmacist.
On their return to the U.S., the duo crafted the Iraqis’ plight, which chronicled their hopes and fears, into Aftermath. “The play is steeped in our belief that theater has a distinct ability to create connections among individuals normally separated by geography, experience, nationality or beliefs,” say Blank and Jensen. “Through the simple act of speaking to an audience, the characters portrayed in this play reveal the experiences of a community of people with which we, as Americans, are indelibly connected.”
The two are hoping to repeat their success with The Exonerated, which told the true stories of six people sent to Death Row for crimes they did not commit. The play, which received awards from both legal and theatrical organizations, including the American Bar Association and the Drama Desk, ran for two years off-Broadway, did a national tour and earned sold-out runs in London. It was also turned into a Court TV film, featuring Danny Glover, Brian Dennehy, Aidan Quinn and Susan Sarandon.
Aftermath’s creators boast dual talents; they double as actors and writers. Blank’s second novel, Karma for Beginners, is being developed by Jon Bon Jovi’s production company into a movie; Blank and Jensen are adapting the screenplay. She has also appeared as an actor in HBO’s Bored to Death, The Bronx is Burning, and Law and Order: CI. Jensen’s graphic novel The Reconcilers, developed with Batman artist Neal Adams, will be published this year. He’s also co-starred in more than 20 films, including Black Knight and The Love Letter.
The play fits into New York Theatre Workshop’s mission: responding to the events and institutions that shape our lives. Each season, NYTW presents three to five new productions. Past hits include Jonathan Larson’s Rent, Paul Rudnick’s The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told and Claudia Shear’s Blown Sideways Through Life.