Making theatrical connection to resilient women of Iraq

In "9 Parts of Desire," playwright Heather Raffo offered theatergoers something new: a multi-faceted portrait of nine modern Iraqi women — "fictional, composite characters," she notes, with stories to tell about sexuality and spirituality, political anguish and exile, subjugation and triumph.

Performed to broad acclaim in London and New York by Raffo, an Iraqi American, and now being performed in previews at Seattle Repertory Theatre by another Arab-American actress, Najla Said, the play was suggested by the lives of actual Iraqi women — Raffo's own relatives and people she met traveling in her father's homeland.

And Raffo hopes the piece, which she began writing before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, can clear up some misconceptions her fellow Americans may have about that war-torn, faraway land and its people.

"Many here don't know about the economic and educational levels of Iraqis, which were quite high before this war," Raffo noted in a recent phone interview.

"Or about Iraq's history and ability to function, even under Saddam Hussein — who was more horrible than most of us can ever imagine."

"But the biggest misperception," she stressed, "is that of Iraqi women. Many are well-educated and have held prominent jobs. And they did not put on the veil. When I went to Iraq in 1993 and friends asked, 'Did you have to veil?' I told them that would be ridiculous."

Raffo grew up in East Lansing, Mich., one of the largest Iraqi (and Arab) communities in the U.S. She first visited relatives in Iraq as a young child, traveling with her Iraqi-born father (who emigrated to the U.S. in the 1960s) and American mother, who was not of Middle Eastern heritage.

But the Iran-Iraq War, and later the Gulf War and U.S. sanctions against Saddam Hussein's repressive regime, made further travel all but impossible.

Yet in her 20s, in 1993, Raffo became determined to make the arduous journey on her own.

"I'd graduated from the University of Michigan and was living in Europe. And once I got to Turkey, I just had to go to Iraq, even if it meant a hard trip overland. It was a big, formative journey for me."

One encounter in particular helped to inspire the play that's earned her international prominence.

"It was a painting in the Saddam Art Center in Baghdad, and it blew me away," described Raffo. "It was of a nude woman, viewed from behind. You could see the shape of her hips, shoulder, and her hanging head. Her arm was gripping a tree that was barren, but strong and beautiful and rooted. And she was silhouetted against this golden sun."

A nude female portrait hanging among all the paintings of Saddam Hussein was startling. And, says Raffo, "I just identified with that woman. She got to me."

Five years later, Raffo returned to that image while writing the script that would be her master's thesis in acting, at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre Conservatory.

She titled it "9 Parts of Desire," after a saying by the ancient Muslim religious leader Ali ibn Abu Talib: "God created sexual desire in ten parts; then he gave nine parts to women and one part to men."

Raffo first performed the show in Edinburgh, in August 2003. But it's since been through several revisions, to reflect the changing situation in Iraq and Raffo's own evolution as a writer.

"I knew initially I wanted to delve into Iraqi female things, and explore the nature of sexuality, but also the nature of desire going far beyond sex — the idea of liberation, freedom, one's wants, needs and the ability to go after them," said Raffo.

She emphasized, "The nine women in the play are not, I feel, victims. They're really strong, active women who are going for something. They speak of their hardships, but only bring them up in order to get past them."

Today, Raffo keeps in touch with Iraqi friends and family via phones and e-mails. And she reports that female veiling in Iraq is much more common now, due to increased violence between ethnic and religious groups.

"It's not a religious thing, it's a safety issue," she stated. "Women put on the veil who never used to, just to be able to leave the house and not be hassled."

And the current mood among Iraqis she stays in touch with? "They're so resilient, they've held out so much hope for so long," Raffo said with a sigh. "But the last few months have been different. The losses have been so great. Once you get that angry, frustrated, depressed, how do you bounce back? Where does the psyche break?

"I'm an actor. I'm concerned with people's psyches. And I'm afraid that soon something's got to give, something's got to blow."

Misha Berson: mberson@seattletimes.com