Rehearsal: Samira and Jade

Candy and Mel rehearsed this poignant scene between Samira and Jade; where a clash of cultures, languages, generations and agendas are at play. Samira is grappling with her daughter’s disappearance, raving and wandering the streets, searching for Ishtar. Jade finds her on the road and they have a conversation. As was noted by the actors, this is a key example of “lost in translation”; Arabic and English colliding and each of the characters attempting to reconcile their confusion.

Leticia suggested that Jade follow the mother; trying to shake her out of her trance. As she explained, when Angela wrote the play she had an image of a lady in full burqa, wandering along Bondi Beach – the scene needed to convey that sense of displacement, fear and confusion that Samira experiences at this moment. What was emphasised by the director was how Jade could try and snap Samira out of her trance – vocally, rather than physically (their physical distance further revealing this yawning gap between the cultures). The barrier between them needed to be realised  in order to show the shift in Jade – Mel had to physically show her confusion when Candy said, “Men...soldiers”, to which Jade mentions Ishtar.

Mel and Candy tried this scene a number of ways.
- Samira entering from upstage right and walking across the back of the stage until Jade runs towards the upstage left to confront her and try and get her off the road.
- Samira talking to other women – either implied or actually not there yet she thinks they are.
- Samira wandering down stage right next to the boxes, jabbering in Arabic and Jade runs over to her and stands in front of the boxes
- Jade physically helps Samira cross the road
- Jade yells to get her off the road
- Jade looks at the oncoming traffic fearfully and tries to signal Samira to get off the road
- Connotations of Jade's comment: "You should go home" - displacement, uncertainty, fear, refugees, the notion of home and what it means to different people...

All interpretations seemed to work well, although difficulties with backs to audience, awkward blocking and Jade not wanting to touch Samira – cultural barrier – all informed the decision as to blocking and how the scene played out.