The new play tells the heartbreaking story of the October 7th terrorist attack on Israel through the verbatim testimonies of survivors, striving to keep this horrific day front and center.
Irish journalists Felim McAleer and Anne McElhinney traveled to Israel in the aftermath of the attack to talk about the heroic rescue workers who were injured, mothers who wonder if their families survived, and the police officers who killed several Hamas terrorists. I was talking to. Their first-hand accounts became the limited play “OCTOBER 7,” which opens in New York City on Monday.
“We saw people describe the worst days of their lives, and their resilience, strength, courage and hope is what ultimately walks away,” McElhinney told FOX News Digital. Ta.
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A new play tells the shocking story of the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel through the verbatim testimony of survivors. (Aaron J. Houston)
Mr. McAleer and Mr. McElhinney realized the day after the Hamas terrorist attack that people around the world were calling for Israel to leave. This is a sign that the brutal invasion will soon be forgotten.
“If it wasn’t for October 8, there would have been no war in Gaza if it wasn’t for October 7. We want people to realize what happened and not forget,” Makaria said. said.
Mr. McAleer and Mr. McElhinney then spent three weeks traveling to Israel, speaking with people affected by the attack. They found the 13 most convincing witnesses and turned their words into a play.
“We’ve done verbatim theater before, but this is a very unique means of telling a story in a very compelling way for an audience,” McElhinney said. They pointed out that the play is 100% the words of the witnesses who spoke.
McElhinney noted that the timing of the play’s opening coincides with anti-Israel protests plaguing college campuses across the country.
“Even as we try to bury October 7, the Israeli story will not go away, the war will not go away, the controversy will not go away,” McAleer said.
“But it’s a one-sided debate. Everyone is talking about Palestine and Gaza, but no one is talking about Israel on October 7th,” he continued, adding that McElhinney said, “No one is talking about the hostages. “I haven’t,” he added.
“We have American hostages,” she said.
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McAleer and McElhinney believe anti-Israel protesters could learn valuable lessons from the play.
“Everyone who comes out of the play is affected. People were in tears,” McAleer said. “It makes them more resilient.”
McAleer and McElhinney hope “October 7th” will show leaders in entertainment and other fields of the arts that it’s okay to speak out on behalf of Israel. They’re tired of Hollywood not taking a bigger stance, but they’re really frustrated by the music industry’s silence.
“They attacked a music festival…The music industry has been shamefully silent about this,” McAleer told FOX News Digital.
“They have shamefully supported Hamas, an organization that has attacked partygoers, music lovers, and peace lovers,” he continued, then corrected. “They weren’t attacked, they were hunted down and slaughtered. They were slaughtered because they were Jews.”
“There’s a long history of people changing their minds about issues based on powerful works of art,” McElhinney said, adding that he felt the play could be an important experience for campus protesters. He said there was.
“OCTOBER 7” will run at New York’s historic Actors Temple Theater until June 16th. (Aaron J. Houston)
They hope the play will eventually land on Broadway and be performed by local theater companies across the country. In the meantime, they are putting their words into action, touring Ivy League universities in the fall, starting with Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT, Columbia, and Penn, where anti-Semitism is rampant. We are planning to perform it at
McAleer and McElhinney of the Unreported Story Society, which relies on 501(c)(3) donations, say anti-Israel agitators will stay away from the historic Actors Temple Theater, where performances run through June 16. I hope so, but they do. Don’t miss the chance.
“It’s the only play to open under police protection in New York. It’s a terrible thing to say in 2024… but it shows how important these stories are,” McAleer said. , pointed out that security was a huge expense for production.
“There’s a lot of anger around, a lot of toxicity,” he added. “They’re always looking for targets.”
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The creators of “October 7” hope the play will show leaders in other fields of entertainment and the arts that it is OK to speak out on behalf of Israel. (Aaron J. Houston)
of Society for unreported stories According to its website, the organization has a “mission to tell stories ignored by mainstream media through art and contemporary media.”
Board member Mark Paoletta, an attorney and author, said McAleer, McElhinney and director Jeffrey Cantor have “created a great play.”
“A compelling, heartbreaking and moving piece of work. With its powerful immediacy, this play transports the audience back to that terrible day, demonstrating the resilience and humanity of the Israeli people and We aim to ensure that the barbaric attack is never forgotten,” Paoletta said. Fox News Digital.
Tickets can be purchased below October7ThePlay.com.
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Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
