9 Parts of Desire
Reviewed by David Kashimba
Photo by Eric Chazankin

 “I fear it here and I love it here,” says the character of one of 9 Iraqi women, all played by Denise Elia, in 6th Street Playhouse’s production of Heather Raffo’s 9 Parts of Desire. The 9 women in this play, directed by Bronwen Shears, reveal the stories of their lives before, during and after the regime of Saddam Hussein.

The play is a poetic expression of women caught up in a war they have no control over. “I prefer chaos to this permanent suppression,” says one woman who lost all her children. She finds it hard to “understand why I am alive and my children dead.” She speaks lovingly about the last daughter to be killed. She tells us that her daughter’s name was Gedda, which means tomorrow and she tells us that she is Umgedda (mother of tomorrow).

The author of the play isn’t laying blame on anyone and there are no answers trying to be given. Only deep, thought-provoking questions immerge as these women live their lives in the trauma of suppression and war. “War is a cliff, a sudden jagged edge…” says one of the Iraqi women. “War feels like an absence in my body.” Another woman says: “Always I’m looking for peace… Maybe freedom is better than peace.”

Denise Elia does a virtuoso job playing all 9 women and the music, written by David MacNab that echoes through this drama, really takes you to the world these women live in. Don’t miss this fine performance at Santa Rosa’s 6th Street Playhouse.

For tickets or more information call (707 523-4185 or visit www.6thstreetplayhouse.com.

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