Seattle Jews are providing the public with information to balance the local production of a controversial play about a pro-Palestinian activist s death. “My Name is Rachel Corrie,” which opened March 15, is a one-woman show chronicling the life of Corrie, a young woman from Washington state who volunteered in Gaza with the International Solidarity Movement. Since her death in 2003 — she was crushed by an Israeli army bulldozer as she tried to prevent it from searching for arms-smuggling tunnels — she has become a martyr-like figure among Palestinian supporters and some in the anti-Israel community. The Jerusalem Post reported Monday that instead of protesting the play’s run, the Seattle community and federation attempted to work with the Seattle Repertory Theater to provide viewers with background for the play. They have taken out ads in the playbill, which promote an informational Web site, http://www.rachelcorriefacts.org. The show, which has been criticized as one-sided and misleading, was protested by the Jewish community of London, where it opened in 2005, and also attracted controversy in New York City.
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