Interview: Ryan Rilette Creates Peace with Round House's OSLO

In 1993 a once unthinkable peace between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization was brokered with the Oslo Accords. The story of this historical event is one of diplomatic maneuvering, political intrigue, and unforgettable characters. Director Ryan Rilette now has the profound task of transferring this momentous occasion to the stage with Round House Theatre's latest production, the 2017 Tony Award Winner for Best Play, Oslo.

"With any story, regardless of what it is about, it is important to find the personal moments and ask, 'What is the big question at the center of the play?'" says Rilette. "In Oslo it is about these people who for 40 years were diplomatically opposed to each other, and who, through this extraordinary set of circumstances, came up with this landmark compromise."

Extraordinary may be an understatement, because what Oslo is really about is the story of Terje Rod-Larsen and Mona Juul, and the delegations they were able to bring together for secret negotiations. Even more remarkable is that this real-life Norwegian husband and wife team were able to accomplish something that countless presidents, secretaries of state, and world leaders had tried, but failed, to do - bring the Israelis and Palestinians to the bargaining table.

"We are asking the audience to judge the process, not the outcome, because the most important thing with this play is to show the audience that by having empathy, we can build connections to others," says Rilette. "J.T. Rogers wrote the play as a story about how opposing sides came together and found commonality. They see each other as human beings, trying to accomplish big political compromises by connecting on a personal level."

Rilette adds, "Oslo is a play, it is not a documentary, so some liberties are taken. Characters are drawn in a play unlike how they are in real life, moments are combined, and a few things are fictionalized. But what is important is to use this to understand the truth of what happened. How was this couple able to bring these two groups together?"

Staging Oslo seems like a diplomatic coup in and of itself. Round House's production features a cast of 15. Rilette says that while that may seem large in terms of contemporary play standards, by Shakespearean-standards it is not.

"Staging this, what we found out was that it was less about the size of the cast and more about figuring out story arcs. J.T. has written a story that moves very fast, almost like an Aaron Sorkin West Wing episode with walk-and-talks and instant cuts. So the key is to figure out how a character gets from point A to point B, without losing momentum," says Rilette.

Helping to build that momentum, while also understanding the events that led to Oslo, was Washington's foreign policy community. The cast had the opportunity to meet with the Norwegian Embassy, Israeli and Palestinians representatives, and others who actually took part in the negations. Many of who live in the area.

"Joel Singer, who is one of the characters in the play, and lives in DC, met with us and was able to give us insights into what was going on. Another person we meet with was David Makovsky, who wrote a book on the process, and was a reporter traveling with Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin. It really is remarkable, and rare, to have this sort of experience staging a play," says Rilette.

When the accords were signed at The White House on September 13, 1993, it was a break-through moment in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Not only did it affirm the right of self-determination for the Palestinian people, but many had hoped it would lead to a two-state solution. More than two-decades later that hope now seems to be in jeopardy.

"Look, Benjamin Netanyahu won a fifth term as prime minister on a campaign of doing away with the two-state solution. To be doing a play about a hope for peace, at this moment, is fascinating, because of how far away that moment seems now," says Rilette.

In addition to serving as Oslo's director, Rilette is also in his seventh season as artistic director of Round House. During that time the Bethesda-based company has become one of the Washington's regional theatre powerhouses.

"When I first came here from the Bay Area seven years ago, I asked others, the company, the board, donors, subscribers, everybody, what made them want to get involved with Round House? They all said the same thing - ensemble acting that takes you on a journey," says Rilette. "That is what Round House does."

Oslo runs thru May 19th at The Lansburgh Theatre - 450 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets please click here.

Photo: Ryan Rilette. Credit: Round House Theatre.

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