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Northwestern and Cornell Will Stage October 7 Play

The play features survivor testimonies from the 2023 Hamas-led attacks.

Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Lecture and Seminars

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a solitary stage chair illuminated by a spotlight, evoking institutional gravity and survivor testimony.
Northwestern and Cornell universities will host staged readings of the play 'October 7' in late 2026, presenting survivor accounts from the 2023 attacks in Israel. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Northwestern University and Cornell University will host staged readings of the play October 7 in late 2026. The production, presented by the Unreported Story Society and directed by Jeff Gurner, uses interviews conducted in Israel following the October 7, 2023, terror attacks.

Why it matters

The play aims to bring direct survivor accounts to university campuses to foster conversation about the human impact of the 2023 attacks. The production seeks to provide academic audiences with firsthand perspectives on the event.

Northwestern University finalized a $75 million settlement in November 2025 regarding a federal case. The university maintained that it admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement agreement.

The players

Northwestern University

This private research university is located in Evanston, Illinois, and is serving as a host site for the production.

Cornell University

This Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, will host the play in December.

The Unreported Story Society

This is the production organization responsible for presenting the play featuring survivor testimonies.

Jeff Gurner

He is the director tasked with staging the production for its upcoming university runs.

The details

Presented as a staged reading, the play draws from interviews conducted in Israel with survivors of the October 7, 2023, attacks. The production is a key project for the Unreported Story Society, with direction provided by Jeff Gurner.

Timeline

  1. October 7, 2023, marks the date of the Hamas-led terror attacks.

  2. November 2025 saw Northwestern settle a federal case for $75 million.

  3. October 6, 2026, is the date of the Northwestern University performance.

  4. December 8, 2026, is the date of the Cornell University performance.

Industry Dynamics

The staging of this play follows a period of intense student activism and administrative negotiation on U.S. college campuses, including the 2024 Northwestern University encampment protest negotiations. These performances reflect a broader institutional effort to navigate sensitive geopolitical discussions in academic settings.

Interested attendees can plan to view the staged readings at Northwestern University on October 6, 2026, or at Cornell University on December 8, 2026. The performances provide a specific opportunity for the university community to engage with interview-based survivor accounts.

The takeaway

These performances highlight the use of theater as a medium for presenting historical testimony within the university setting. By prioritizing survivor narratives, the productions aim to anchor academic dialogue in individual human experiences.

Further reading

For more information on current academic programming, visit the United States Lecture and Seminars section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Jewish News Syndicate.

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Should your local college campus host events featuring controversial testimonials about international conflicts?