Judith Sloan (left) and Najla Said (right) will host “Imperfect Allies: Children of Opposite Sides” this Saturday at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick. Courtesy of Judith Sloan and Najla Said

“I think what’s unique is our friendship,” Jewish-American actor and educator Judith Sloan said on a Zoom call. “I think what’s unique is being able to find the ways they converge, and what your father said about two narratives …”

“That we can each have a story and a history,” continued Palestinian-American Najla Said, who sat next to Sloan in frame. Said’s late-father, Edward Wadie Said, was a Palestinian-American activist and academic. He had written the 1978 book “Orientalism,” a text that Sloan said was impactful in her life. “And they don’t have to sort of resolve each other, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not both valid experiences that occurred.”

The two women met about 14 years ago while they were both working on solo shows. They came together, Sloan said, while they were both processing their fathers’ deaths, discovering they had similar storytelling methods. Now, the creative duo is gearing up to host their event, “Imperfect Allies: Children of Opposite Sides,” in Brunswick this weekend. The project explores the art of listening while facilitating conversation on Israel and Gaza.

“[This] was a project that Judith had done before with a different context, but I think she had the idea to revive it with a different subject matter after October,” Said said, referring to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and Israel’s ongoing retaliation that has left over 39,000 Gazans and about 1,200 Israelis dead, according to the Associated Press.

Sloan, a faculty member at New York University who has been coming to Maine for over 30 years, had reached out to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick about the event. The Saturday performance will mark the sixth rendition of the project, which has steadily evolved since October.

“It was a need and an opportunity that we felt like as fellow artists we could embark on sharing our story and modeling a way for people to talk to each other,” Sloan said. “Mostly because people were screaming at each other.”

Sloan and Said described the performance as constantly evolving, since the material grew along with the actors as the conversation changed over time. What first started as a five-minute show has developed to a half-hour performance with an optional discussion afterward. Sloan hopes that by September the performance will be 40 minutes.

“Nobody’s trying to go in to say, ‘OK, I’m going to try and convince you of my opinion or the way I see it,’ ” Said said. “It’s just that we’re allowing people to express themselves and allowing people to just be able to listen — which is hard enough. And I think people are relieved that they’re allowed to, because they’re not listening to respond, they’re listening to listen, and that’s a very different thing.”

Those who attend typically have the intent to tackle the issue, making for productive discussion, according to Said. The event also attracts an array of backgrounds and ages that participate in the group. Both actresses are firmly against bombings in Gaza.

“We’re pretty clear about [stopping] the bombing, so if anybody’s coming thinking they’re going to talk about not stopping the bombing, they’re probably just not going to come,” Sloan said. She added that the work of Said’s late father influenced her perspective.

“We’re not coming in neutral in terms of just, ‘Let’s talk about both sides’ — we’re imperfect allies. We’re allies,” she said.

In Brunswick — which has seen pushes for a local cease-fire resolution and student organizing at Bowdoin College against scholasticide in Gaza — Sloan said that she hopes attendees stay and unpack their experiences together.

The worst thing, she noted, is for people to shut down conversation or pretend like that the situation isn’t happening. Said added that it’s hurtful to push aside the Palestinian experience just because it’s difficult to talk about.

“We can be messy together, if we have to be,” Sloan said. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. But we can’t be dismissive together.”

The event will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick Saturday, July 27. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the show will start around 7 p.m.

For those interested in attending, registration is required and can be made by either filling out a Google form or by emailing info@earsay.org. The event is free, though donations $10 or less are encouraged. Additional proceeds will benefit the Middle East Children’s Alliance for humanitarian aid to Gazan children.