Actress Presents Coming-of-Age Tale in ‘Palestine’ at UA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — “Palestine,” a one-woman performance by Najla Said, will be presented at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 20, at the Heritage Room in The University of Alabama’s Ferguson Center.

The performance is free and open to the public.

UA’s African-American studies program is presenting the performance. Co-sponsors are the department of gender and race studies, New College, American studies, The College of Arts and Sciences, the Diversity Committee, Women’s Resource Center, the Office of Community Affairs and Student Affairs.

“Palestine” is “a coming-of-age story about Said’s journey to become an Arab-American on her own terms,” The New York Times said in a Feb. 8, 2010, article. Said’s performance “encourages conversations between Arabs and Israelis and connect people individually across the chasm of speechlessness that so often characterizes the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” according to conductor Daniel Barenboim, quoted in the Times article.

Said is the daughter of the late Palestinian-American intellectual and activist Edward Said, as well as an award-winning actress, comedian and writer. She has appeared off-Broadway, regionally and internationally, as well as in film and television.

For more information, contact the department of gender and race studies at 205/348-5782.

The College of Arts and Sciences is the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All American Team.