THE LIZARD LOFT “The Last Outpost,” a Hawaii Pacific University Theatre production, presents the human side of war.

Local playwright looks
past stereotypes

CORRECTION Saturday, November 13, 2004 » "The Last Outpost" is being presented by the Lizard Loft at the ARTS at Marks Garage. An item on Page D1 Thursday incorrectly said it was a Hawaii Pacific University production. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at corrections@starbulletin.com.

Stereotypes of foreigners have long been staple fare in American entertainment -- particularly in wartime. When Hollywood began cranking out propaganda films to support American involvement in World War II, Asian-American actors of all ethnicities found work playing Japanese soldiers while German refugee actors -- some of them Jewish -- were hired to play Nazis.

"The Last Outpost" Presented by the Lizard Loft Where: The ARTS at Marks Garage, 1159 Nuuanu Ave. When: 8 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday and 8 p.m. Nov. 18 through 20. Tickets: $10 general and $7 for students. Call 536-8047.

America's enemies have changed since then, but the habit of stereotyping film and stage villains has proved hard to shake, and exploiting such tired old devices can turn a potentially interesting story into a generic potboiler. Hawaii playwright Nancy Moss could have cast the Iraqi character in "The Last Outpost," her new play about life in American-occupied Iraq, as a stereotypical Arab, but that wasn't the story she wanted to tell. Therefore, when director Jason Kanda was preparing for the first public reading of Moss' script, he looked for an actor who could also serve as a cultural consultant.

A friend of a friend introduced him to Maseeh Ganjali, who suggested script changes that would more accurately represent Islamic practices and Iraqi culture.

"There were things that Nancy had gotten through research on the Internet, and sometimes you don't get the correct cultural and social aspects from those kind of articles

you just get one point of view," Ganjali said. "After I read the script, there were things that I highlighted, and I went over them with Nancy. When I explained to her the different aspects of the culture, she changed those lines."

After successful "staged readings" in other venues, "The Last Outpost" opens a two-weekend run at the ARTS at Marks Garage tomorrow.

Although the story is set in American-occupied Iraq, Ganjali said "some things (in it) are universal ... friendship, trust, betrayal."

He describes the story as being about the friendship between an Iraqi children's-book writer and the representative of a well-intentioned American company that wants to publish textbooks for use in Iraqi schools. For instance, the books they intend to publish won't be edited to contain subtle messages about the superiority of American culture or denigrate Islamic customs and beliefs.

The tentative friendship between the Iraqi and American are jeopardized when another American seeks to exploit it as a way to investigate the activities of the Iraqi's friends and possibly penetrate the Iraqi resistance.

THE LIZARD LOFT "The Last Outpost" follows a civilian reconstruction worker in Iraq in showing the human side of war.

AMERICANS IN GENERAL know less than they should about Middle Eastern history and culture, but Ganjali says that despite some cultural errors, it was clear that Moss had "done her homework."

"I was really impressed (by how much she got right) compared to the stereotypes most Americans have of Arabs, the Middle East and the issues there," said Ganjali, who is Persian. Although the cultural differences between Persians and Arabs are at least as great as those between Chinese and Japanese, Ganjali brings impressive qualifications to his roles of actor and adviser.

"I've studied the history of Iraq and the culture. ... I've lived with Arabs and have very close friends who are Arabs, so I've done my homework (too) and I know the character very well. I know how he would think. It's clear that he is a Muslim, because he follows his ayatollah and attends his lectures," Ganjali said.

Although he says he would have written a different ending, the changes he suggested addressed the treatment of Iraqi culture and Islamic practices.

"It's a fictional story, so you can't say that the character (absolutely) wouldn't do this ... and because it's a drama there are going to be people who do outrageous things," he said. "But some of the cultural (inaccuracies) were really obvious. Nancy was very sensitive to that and very open to suggestions (about making changes)."