Albert Camus along with Jean Paul Sartre are without a doubt the 2 best know French existentialist philosophers. For Camus there is no ultimate purpose or order in the world. The world is hostile. A person chooses and cannot avoid choosing his character and goals, subsequently this person then has a moral obligation to be authentic. In a situation of extreme fear during the years of 1974 I discovered the true meaning of Camus words. Spain was under state of siege, a situation that probably will be defined by Camus as a combination of unfocussed psychological anxiety and extreme fear. A few months earlier on December of 1973, the Spanish Prime Minister, Carrero Blanco was assassinated by a terrorist group. Civil rights were temporarily removed and terrorism became the main focus on our minds. We entered into an uncharted territory. In a small theatre, just slightly bigger than this one, in a much more familiar territory but not far from where the assassination took place, a new theater company was presenting Les Justes or The Just Assassins. I saw this play performed and it had a tremendous impact on me. Little did I know that 28 years later I would be producing and co-adapting this play in a theatre in Miami. Terrorism or the practice of targeting enemy civilians is as old as warfare itself. However, history tells us that it has always failed as a military and political tactic. Unfortunately, the events of September 11, 2001 have brought to us all a new dimension of terrorism. In the original Camus play the situation takes place in Russia in the beginning of the 20th Century. Camus uses some real historical elements, the most notorious of them being the meeting between the assassin and the widower. In our adaptation, the play has traveled to the future, to the year 2030. In Camus original play, there is only one terrorist woman, who played the support role within the terrorist organization, never an action or executioner role as all the woman play in our adaptation. The country in which the situation is taking place in our play is not Russia anymore but an imaginary country in Europe. However, you will find a lot of similarities with the former Republic of Yugoslavia, devastated by a civil war that broke the country into pieces and gave birth to 6 new independent countries in Europe. The kingdom of the South as well as the figure of the King will undoubtedly remind you of Spain and the Independentistas groups of the North could represent either Basque Country Spain, The Padaina in Italy, Russia or once again Yugoslavia. Existentialism sees evil in the world and makes man responsible for it. Camus’ philosophy strongly remarks that “action itself had limits” and “there is not good and just action but the one that recognizes those limits”. Today, people around the world seem to find many reasons to go over those limits… The characters of the play believe that they are The Just Assassins but insisting in Camus’ philosophy man is nothing else but what he makes himself, therefore there is nothing like just assassins because their roles and their actions simply made them assassins. I strongly believe that Camus’ play stands and will stand as an enduring statement about terrorism in the context and the conscience of a 20th Century vision. In an actual adaptation we have tried to meet Camus’ vision but rearranging the characters of the play for a better understanding and definition of the new global consciousness created by the chaos generated by the unmerciful and brutal 21st century terrorism. I would like to thank Yolandi Hughes for her vision in directing The Just Assassins and all the extraordinary cast, designers and staff. adapted by Manuel Martinez & Yolandi Hughes directed by Yolandi Hughes with Haylee Elkayam (Shira) Claudia Latorre (Dora) Laverne Lewis (Foka) Evelyn Perez (Anna) Rafael Roig (General) Edna Schwab (Queen) Deborah L. Sherman (Ynez) Aubrey Zappolo (Veka)   Scenic Design: Michael Essad Costume Design: Ellis Tillman Lighting Design: Burke Brown Original Composition Sound Design: Ozzie Quintana Prop Design: Sue Embler Associate Producer: Earl Hughes Production Stage Manager: Margaret M. Ledford