Second Thought Theater Presents MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE, 3/16-30

Second Thought Theatre continues its ninth season with My Name is Rachel Corrie, a play based on the diaries and emails of Rachel Corrie, adapted by Alan Rickman and Katherine Viner. My Name is Rachel Corrie will open on Saturday, March 16, the tenth anniversary of Corrie's death in the conflict-ravaged Gaza Strip.

"My Name is Rachel Corrie provides Second Thought Theatre an important opportunity to invite members of our community to see a play that discusses pertinent and potentially sensitive issues. We hope to encourage our audiences to engage in productive and informative conversation after the play is over," said STT co-artistic director Kelsey Head. "Our goal with this play is not to focus on controversy, but to tell Rachel Corrie's story in a manner that strips away preconceived notions of right or wrong and to discuss how her story relates to the community we live in."

Corrie, an American peace activist from Olympia, Washington, travelled to Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza Strip as part of college assignment. On March 16, 2003, Corrie was killed by an armed bulldozer operated by a member of the Israel Defense Forces while trying to prevent the demolition of homes belonging to Palestinian people. Exact details and responsibility for her death have been in dispute since the incident occurred.

Tackling the play for a second time are Barrett Nash as Rachel Corrie and director Clay Wheeler. The two are reprising their respective roles at STT after a well-received run at 2012's Festival of Independent Theatres. The Dallas-Fort Worth Theater Critics Forum included Nash on last year's list of Outstanding Performances by an Actress. Elaine Liner of the Dallas Observer said Nash is one half of an acting family "that simply commands your attention and welcomes your embrace."

"This play is, at its core, about the journey of a young woman seeking to reconcile the sheltered, nurturing community of her youth with the ugly, stark realities of a world where millions of people are forced to live in near-constant fear of death and destruction," says Rachel Corrie director Clay Wheeler. "Rachel Corrie is at once singular and universal in its perspective, and explores a human element that identifiable to the modern audience."

My Name is Rachel Corrie opens on Saturday, March 16 at 8:00pm. The Pay-What-You-Can performance of My Name is Rachel Corrie is Monday, March 25 at 7:30pm. PWYC tickets are available at the box office the day of the performance only and are subject to availability. Tickets to the PWYC performance can be reserved at the regular ticket price online at 2TT.co. My Name is Rachel Corrieruns through March 30. Tickets for My Name is Rachel Corrie are on sale now and are available online at 2TT.co or by phone at (866) 811-4111. For this production only, all tickets are $10.

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