Staging Cultural Encounters Algerian Actors Tour the United States

Jane E. Goodman follows Algerian theater troupe Istijmam as they prepare for and then tour the U.S. under the auspices of the Center Stage program, sponsored by the US State Department to promote cross-cultural dialogue and understanding. The title of the play Istijmam plans to produce has been translated as Apples, written by Abdelkader Alloula, a renowned Algerian playwright, director, and actor who was assassinated in 1994. Apples, found year-round in all US grocery stores, are a luxury item in Algeria, and it is this fruit that inspires an encounter between the familiar and the strange. Questioning notions such as directionality, Goodman offer a frank account of the encounters with American audiences and the successes and disappointments of the experience of exchange.