Guantánamo Reading Project
Put on Readings
8 Steps | The Script | Director's Notes | Publicity Materials | Discussion Guide
Discussion Guide
Choose someone who is knowledgeable about the Guantánamo Bay detention center and related issues to lead a post-reading discussion. But avoid the urge to have one person speak at length. Try instead to facilitate discussion and an exchange of ideas.
Keep an eye on the clock, and limit people’s speaking time if needed to stay on schedule and to allow time at the end to discuss options for action.
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1. Break the ice by asking a few of the actors how they felt reading
their divergent roles, such as Azmat Begg, one of the prisoners, and
Donald Rumsfeld.
2. Ask the audience, What did you learn tonight about Guantánamo Bay prison that you didn’t know when you came in?
3. How did attending this reading affect your opinion of the men and boys being detained? About the presidential executive order to detain people indefinitely, without the right to a trial?
4. Mention that torture methods used at Guantánamo Bay were later used at Abu Ghraib prison, and finally reached the public when the photos reached the media. What do you think of the U.S.’s use of torture and inhumane treatment in interrogations?
End the discussion with ideas for action, and describe the key materials on your Action Table. If time permits, invite suggestions for community action and for involving more members of the community, ask people to join your group, etc.