Feb 8 play: “9 Parts of Desire,” Foothill College

Foothill College Theatre Arts and the Foothill Muslim Student
Association present
One Night Only! Limited Seating!

Heather Raffo’s
9 PARTS OF DESIRE

Starring Luisa Sermol
Directed By Louanne Moldovan

7 pm SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2009

Foothill College, Lohman Theatre
I-280 & El Monte road, Los Altos Hills
(650) 949-7360

ORDER ONLINE AND MORE INFO:  www.foothill.edu/fa
$15/General
$10/Seniors and non-Foothill students
$7/Foothill Students and Staff

9 Parts of Desire
“God created sexual desire in ten parts; then he gave nine parts to women and one to men.”
–attributed to Ali ibn Abu Taleb, Mohammed’s son-in-law and fourth
caliph of the Islamic world, circa 650.

Playwright Heather Raffo weaves a tapestry of love, longing, sorrow
and wit illustrating the complex and harrowing reality of living in
modern Iraq. Acclaimed in London, New York, and Portland.

‘9 Parts of Desire’ ran in May-June 2008 in Portland, Oregon, at CoHo
Theater to critical acclaim and sell-out crowds. Shape-shifting
actress Luisa Sermol won a well-deserved Drammy for her incandescent portrayal of nine different women old, young, Sunni, Shiite, Kurd,  rich, poor, honest, deceptive, brave, frightened, loving, angry a full spectrum of women’s inner and outer lives in their beloved, broken country.

The remarkable thing about 9 Parts…is the way it burrows beneath
the politics and partisanships of the war in Iraq and unveils the
deeply moving stories of a handful of women who become the faces and voices of everyday Iraq not the extremists, not the terrorists and
civil servants, but the people who are simply trying to survive.
–Bob Hicks, writing in The Oregonian, May 5, 2008

The critics speak:
Over the years, Luisa Sermol has built a well-deserved reputation as
one of Portland’s finest actresses…But she has just blasted to an
entirely new level with her superb, nuanced performance in ‘9 Parts
of Desire’…What makes Sermol’s performance so astonishing is how
quickly she shifts guises, using little more than a black abaya and a
sand-colored scarf in the transformation. But then, she doesn’t need
elaborate costumes: You can see these women in Sermol’s eyes, which reflect shades of innocence, lust, despair and horror.
–Grant Butler, The Oregonian, May 12, 2008

One of the most compelling pieces of solo theatre you will ever see
on a Portland stage…Taken separately, each character and vignette
is unique and fully dimensional. Together, they are a striking
portrait that lends far more insight into contemporary Iraq than any
news broadcast ever could.
–Temple Lentz, The Portland Mercury, May 15, 2008

Audience members speak:

• “It is the stories always, the stories, that tear at us that make us feel that make us human and connected.”
• “This is one of the best, deepest plays I’ve ever seen, acted incredibly. It changed my life.”
• “Unbelievable performance all Americans need to see this play.”
• “Truly the most powerful piece of acting I have ever seen. Keep it going, please.”
• “Thank you for the experience of a lifetime! Truly gifted!”
• “The best, ever.”
• “Thank you for giving voice to these women’s stories and bringing to life their realities for us to witness.”
• “Moving, transcendent, fabulous.”
• “No surprise how awesome (Luisa) is to portray different personalities and give each a signature and a strong message (she) brilliantly delivered…the linguistic aspect had me spellbound.”
• “[I am}…changed forever.”

Parking: Parking Lot 8 provides direct and easy access to the
theatre. Visitors must purchase the required parking permit for $2.
Foothill College is located off I-280 on El Monte Road in Los Altos Hills.