College and University Monitor

Despite attempting to foster a shared understanding between Palestinians and Israelis, Ismail Khalidi and Naomi Wallace's stage adaptation of Palestinian author's Ghassan Kanafani's "Returning to Haifa" was dismissed by theaters due to its provocative subject matter.

Even the Public Theater, which originally commissioned the novella's adaptation, cut the production a few years ago due to "pressure" from its board. The play eventually had a highly praised premiere at the Finborough Theatre in London in 2018.

On Friday, the play occupied its most recent stage at the Lenfest Center for the Arts, where a reading of Khalidi and Wallace's adaptation was held. The event was co-presented by the Center for Palestine Studies and the Columbia University School of the Arts. A Q&A moderated by Alisa Solomon, director of the arts and culture concentration at the Columbia Journalism School, followed the reading...