www.brooklynphilharmonic.org/2003_2004/KlinghofferDP.htm

Project Description

In November and December 2003, the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra partnered with The Dialogue Project to organize the Klinghoffer Dialogue Project. Through a series of dialogues set around a performance of the opera The Death of Klinghoffer, the two organizations sought to engage the people of Brooklyn in dialogue on the effects of tensions between Israelis and Palestinians on their community.

The Death of Klinghoffer, a fully staged opera by John Adams and Alice Goodman, reflects on the 1985 commandeering of the Italian cruise liner the Achille Lauro by Palestinian hijackers, and the murder of a wheelchair-bound American Jew. The Klinghoffer Dialogue Project aimed to foster dialogue on issues of identity, nationalism, and the roots of violence within the context of the conflict in Israel and Palestine—as well as their impact on people in Brooklyn—using the opera as a platform for discussion. The Brooklyn Philharmonic also intended to build capacity and experience for incorporating dialogue into future projects.

Armed with knowledge from a marketing survey completed in 2002 that indicated that the Brooklyn Philharmonic's audience and the residents of Brooklyn were deeply interested in becoming more educated about music, the board of the orchestra directed the administration to build infrastructure to support the inclusion of civic dialogue projects as a main component of the orchestra's community engagement programming. In addition to facilitated pre- and postproduction dialogues, the Brooklyn Philharmonic worked with three high schools to engage the community. As part of the orchestra's ongoing Open Rehearsal Initiative, the schools coordinated with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, teaching artists to develop interdisciplinary curricula related to The Death of Klinghoffer. A study guide with background on the Achille Lauro incident and the opera and its creators, a complete libretto of the work, and two CDs containing the entire work were provided to all participating teachers. Following five workshops with the Brooklyn Philharmonic teaching artists, the students attended a daytime rehearsal of The Death of Klinghoffer, complete with staging. Students and teachers were also invited to attend the pre- and postproduction dialogues and the dress rehearsal.

Civic Engagement/Dialogue Activities

Three preproduction dialogues hosted by the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, were designed to provide a safe, moderated place for the public to constructively explore issues of identity, nationalism, and the roots of violence within the context of the conflict in Israel and Palestine, as addressed in the opera. In order to inform the dialogues with an understanding of the opera and to prepare participants to experience a contemporary opera, each preproduction dialogue focused on one aspect of the production text, staging, and music, using a corresponding media—printed material, video presentation, or audio playback—to provide context. In all, 30 people participated in preproduction dialogues.

In addition, a postproduction dialogue was organized. Three days after the dress rehearsal, the final dialogue provided a chance for all who participated in the series to express reactions to the production itself. Many participants, including both of the two Muslims in the group, voiced their disappointment with the dialogue for not having a substantial representation of the Muslim community. Despite concerted efforts by The Dialogue Project, Muslim participation was extended to just three people, none of them Arab or Palestinian. Ideas about creating an advisory committee before such events that would include community members who could then bring the idea of cultural exploration back to the neighborhood, were explored.

"Expert presentations" on the libretto, the music, and the production did provide valuable background for informed dialogue. However, it was observed that the format changes the experience, especially if the "expert" presenter becomes an arbiter. It was suggested that a learning session could be separated from a dialogue session in order to make the most of the character of each session. In general, participants felt that the Klinghoffer Dialogue Project reached the "purging" stage without reaching all the way to the "reflective" stage. They agreed that the first preproduction dialogue, based on the libretto, was the most effective, and that those based on the music and the production were more intellectual and political.

After the Klinghoffer project, both partner organizations are considering how to incorporate arts-based civic dialogue into future activities. Initial discussions indicate that the orchestra should devise a mission statement for dialogue before proceeding further in this direction. In artistic planning, the orchestra should also seek works that explore a constant theme from year to year, or focus on themes of interest to different communities. The orchestra is also considering how dialogues can become part of individual chamber music events in community venues. However, a challenge for the orchestra in any of these plans is to convince existing and potential audiences that music plus dialogue is as worthy of their time as music alone. Marcia Kannry of The Dialogue Project reported that the project taught her a great deal about using works of art as a means of outreach and a basis for rich dialogue in her organization. She would be very interested in building dialogue sessions around a theatrical work if it came out of the Arab community.

Information Sources

Klinghoffer Dialogue Project Final Report, Klinghoffer Dialogue Project Proposal