Layla the Body Washer and Incident at Jerusalem

The two plays in this collection focus on the role of religion in causing endless cycles of violence. The first piece, Layla the Body Washer (2w., up to 1 any gender.), focuses on the effort to maintain one’s humanity in spite of the daily destruction of all that is human and is written to provoke thoughtful meditation on the cycles of endless violence that war causes and is caused by. Aliya, who has dedicated her life to preparing the dead for a dignified burial, rescues young Layla from a collapsed building and prepares her to take on the sacred task of respecting and learning from the dead. The second piece, Incident at Jerusalem (2m.), focuses on how religion is used to justify and rationalize the use of violence to gain power and treasures, using the Crusades as a backdrop. Richard the Lionheart is preoccupied with the siege of Jerusalem. His forces are ravaged by disease and dissension and are in turn besieged by the forces of Saladin, who, in disguise, visits Richard to negotiate a path forward. They engage in a verbal and physical joust to test each other’s strength, courage and resolve. In this intimately personal contest, they recognize in each other a common love for truth and the enduring value of friendship that transcends cultures, borders and hate. Layla the Body Washer and Incident at Jerusalem are written to be performed separately as well as together.