A Line in the Sand

David E. Kemp is a drama professor at Queen’s University and the
author of The Pleasures and Treasures of the United Kingdom.

A Line in the Sand is the powerful story of a Canadian soldier stationed
in the Persian Gulf (just before Operation Desert Storm) who develops a
relationship with a 16-year-old Palestinian black marketeer. From the
military hostilities arises an unspeakable act of violence.

This edition includes the original second act of the play, which was
replaced by a less political version before the Tarragon Theatre
production in 1996. In the original Act Two, which lacks sufficient
dramatic tension to really work on stage, Youssef writes sensitively
about his attempts to come to terms with his Arab roots. He also makes a
persuasive case that the Gulf War was a criminal act of monumental
proportions. Youssef writes with passion and commitment. I say
“Youssef” because I suspect that Verdecchia’s main contribution
was to change the play’s structure (he directed both of the first two
productions). Unfortunately, the details of authorship are left a
mystery. We are not told who contributed what or anything about the
textual evolution of the play. Biographical information about the
authors is also not included.