When writer/performer Stacie Chaiken was invited to write a play in Israel, she visited ancient sites and became fascinated with archaeological excavations—mapping layer upon layer of civilizations that had, over time, shared the very land she stood upon, each of which had been destroyed by earthquake, fire, drowning, tyranny or poison. She signed up to work on a dig, sifted through tons of dirt and discovered the seeds of her new solo play, The Dig: Death, Genesis & the Double Helix, about an American genetic archaeologist summoned to a dig in the ancient Arab-Hebrew town of Jaffa, at the southern tip of modern Tel Aviv. The Dig is a detective story—a treasure hunt that takes its central character from one ancient town to another in search of bones that may lead to a major discovery.

The play will be presented as the culminating event of a month-long series of lectures on related topics: scientific ethics (Michael Quick), biblical artifacts (Bruce Zuckerman), the political ramifications of archaeological findings (Lynn Swartz Dodd) and the history and politics of the Middle East (Aziza Hasan and Malka Fenyvesi).

Lecture Series
Stacie Chaiken invites you to embark on a journey similar to the one presented in her play. Explore the USC campus and visit rare library rooms you may not have known existed, and enjoy a presentation by passionate lecturers who will take us into their far-reaching realms of knowledge. Lunch will be provided.

Bruce Zuckerman: Biblical Story and Artifacts
Wednesday, September 16, 12 p.m.
Doheny Memorial Library, Intellectual Commons, Room 233
Did any of the people in the Bible ever really exist? Can you prove it? And who wrote it all down? When, why and what does it all really mean? Bruce Zuckerman will ask all the right questions and tell you what he has come to believe.

Michael Quick: Scientific and Professional Ethics
Wednesday, September 23, 12 p.m.
Newman Hall, Hancock Living Room
The greater our curiosity and the more we dig for knowledge in our chosen fields, the more likely we are to stumble upon questions about the meanings of our findings and how and whether they should be revealed or applied. Biological researcher Michael Quick will talk about how we think about integrity—in our fields and in the world.

Lynn Swartz Dodd: The Political Ramifications of Archaeological Findings
Wednesday, September 30, 12 p.m.
Mudd Hall, Philosophy Library Conference Room
The things we find just two centimeters from the surface, wherever we dig—for a gas station, a mall, a garden in our yard—have meaning about what belongs to whom and who was where when. Archaeologist Lynn Swartz Dodd will talk about the amazing things she has found in the Middle East and Malibu, and what those things seem to say about who we are and where we come from.

Aziza Hasan and Malka Fenyvesi: Can We Talk?
Wednesday, October 7, 12 p.m.
Doheny Memorial Library, Room 240
Can we talk? Aziza Hasan and Malka Fenyvesi believe that we must. As co-directors of NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change, they bring members of both faith communities together for frank, substantive dialogue. Trained in mediation and conflict resolution, they facilitate dialogue based on the premise that honest communication forges meaningful relationships; from these grow camaraderie and genuine friendship.

Organized by Stacie Chaiken (Theatre).

Photo Credit: Danna Kinsky

For further information on this event:
visionsandvoices@usc.edu