For our second Books in Motion performance we traveled to the very southern part of Lebanon and set up camp in Bint Jbeil.

Once a thriving town, it has now been reduced to 10% of its former infrastructure; a result of the war with Israel in 2006. We were able to speak with some residents who had grown up in the city and recently undertook the complete reconstruction of their childhood homes. Most of the buildings now standing in the area have been completely rebuilt or renovated (slightly giving the impression of a development in silicon valley where a weird assortment of architectural styles live in imposed harmony).

Regardless, the cultural heritage of the place remains intact. One cannot help but hear the whispers of antiquity resounding in the beautiful countryside!

The audience of children was much calmer than that at our opening weekend, a reflection of the generally more somber way of life there vis a vis Tyre or Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon. Nevertheless, the audience (again composed of both adults as well as children) was equally as excitable as that in Tyre and appeared to be thoroughly amused by our production. It certainly warmed the heart to bring new life and love to a place sure to be steeped in hard times for some time to come