Thank you for your kind responses to the call for Welsh support to the 2010 Global Call for Theatrical Action: ‘There is a Field’ originally organized and written by Jen Marlow. Jen (not least myself) was moved and amazed by the worldwide response. 40 cities in 18 countries read or performed There is a Field in 7 different languages, reaching thousands of people with the words of Aseel Asleh and his family and marking the 10^th anniversary of Black October.

Wales was the last country to participate but we manage to get there in December and even managed to sneak in one photo for the final slide show portfolio of the Global Action.

To watch the slideshow of performances and readings from all over the world, please click HERE.

To direct this script-held reading has been the greatest pleasure and honour for me this year, one only possible thanks to Chapter, the Atrium and mostly thanks to the skilful acting talents and commitment of several members of this community.  Once more my motto worked:  Those who come are the right people – indeed the phone was ringing and those who responded have been the right people, even those who weren’t able to perform due to time constrictions or other commitments. We rehearsed as and when we could, in between jobs, in between rooms, in between colds and sneezes, like a script slam, only a few hours here and there all in all. And despite so many things not working as planned on the day of the performance, despite the performance in Chapter being the first and only time the whole team had run the show together,  despite not having but a quick 5 minutes chance to rehearse with the Red Choir supporting the performance, despite of being a work in progress with script in hand in most places, despite all of these and more, the power of the story  and the actors delivery managed to move the audience and take them through a worthwhile experience and a memorable one. It managed to take the audience through an emotional as well as political experience, one that was not forced down their throats and ears (too many political actions tend to do just so) but instead gently finding its way into their hearts.

The presence of ‘There is a Field’ author, the American Jew playwright, documentary filmmaker and human rights activist: Jen Marlowe (author of  award-winning documentary and book: Darfur Diaries), who so kindly stop in Cardiff for a couple of days on her way to Palestine, added after the show an inspiring and informative layer to the experience.

Thanks you all who supported the action and our work by coming to see our script-held staging version of Jen’s script on Tuesday 14^th December at Chapter Arts Centre. Below are just some of your comments. (Please good or critical, all welcome, keep sending them: maria.morancho@ntlworld.com, )        

“It was a very moving performance.” K. Seeley

“Congratulations on tonight’s powerful and extremely poignant dramatization of Jen Marlowe’s incredible work.” S. White

“ I was terribly moved by the events and the impact on Aseel’s family shown by the interpretation of this true story, Brilliant, well done.” D. Baldwin

The Wales version of 'There is Field' by Jen Marlowe, was produced by MMproductions in 2010 on 14^th December at Chapter Arts Center, Cardiff.

We are looking into the possibility of touring it as a fully developed performance. Any interest/advise please contact maria.morancho@ntlworld.com)