Raeda Taha discusses life-long dreams, life in theatre in lecture at Birzeit

Raeda Taha, a prominent author, playwright, and thespian, discussed her journey into theatre in a lecture organized by the Deanship of Student Affairs together with the A. M. Qattan Foundation on Tuesday, May 7, 2019.

Taha, the daughter of famed Palestinian freedom fighter Ali Taha, said that originally, she wanted to study theatre at college, but due to society’s views on acting and performance at the time, and due to her status as the daughter of a Palestinian icon, she had to choose a more traditional major, namely speech communication and journalism. 

Having graduated with honors from George Mason University’s communication program, Taha was chosen for the post of press secretary for Yasser Arafat, then chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and served in that role from 1987 to 1994.

At age 45 years, however, Taha decided to follow her dreams and enter the world of theatre. She has acted in the plays “Petra Rocks,” “Return to Haifa,” and “80 Steps,” and authored, produced, and performed the one-woman show titled “Where can I find someone like you, Ali?” in 2015 and produced and performed “36 Abbas Street, Haifa” in 2017.

After her address, Taha gave the floor to the attending students, who asked her on her work with Arafat, on her beginnings in theatre, and her future productions.