Coachella Valley Repertory's latest production is one of its most timely to date.

"The Beverly Hills Hotel Peace Talks" is set in 1968 when, in the aftermath of the Six-Day War and its ensuing conflicts, a publicity still is released for the Rastar Productions film version of "Funny Girl" with Egyptian heartthrob Omar Sharif cozying up to American-Jewish star Barbra Streisand. As CV Rep states in its press release, the photo incites outrage among both the Israeli and Egyptian governments, and both threaten to ban the film. So, studio executives invite Israeli and Egyptian diplomats to The Beverly Hills Hotel in hopes of finding a solution.

The play is a work of fiction, but the controversy over the Sharif-Streisand photo really happened. Now, amid the current war in Gaza, the topic of te

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