Ismaili Community Story Exchange / by Guest User

ismailicenter.jpg

In the spirit of bringing live theatre to Silk Road communities, this collaborative partnership with the Ismaili Community Center of Chicago introduced our work to local Shi’a Ismaili Muslims, a community comprised largely of families from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Because the community’s daily prayer schedule conflicts with most theatre performances, their exposure to live stagework is limited. This initiative enabled us to present enhanced staged readings of three new plays, each with a Muslim theme, and each performed by professional actors in the community center’s social hall. Each performance was followed by a Q&A.

Learn more about the plays:

Featured
Yasmina's Necklace</em>
Yasmina's Necklace

January 17–19, 2014

Written by Rohina Malik
Directed by Corey Pond

Meet Abdul Samee: his father is Iraqi and his mother is Puerto Rican. Longing to shed his cultural identity, he changes his name to Sam, marries an American, and does everything in his power to turn his back on his heritage. But when Sam meets Yasmina, a beautiful woman from his father’s homeland, he begins to learn that a tree without roots cannot stand for long.

Conference of the Birds</em>
Conference of the Birds

June 28–30, 2013

Written by Farid ud Din Attar
Adapted by Meena Natarajan
Directed by Dipankar Mukherjee

Conference of the Birds metaphorically maps out the journey of the human ego and the quest for truth. In this classic tale, the birds of the world take flight on a pilgrimage to find their celebrated king, but the dangers and hardships encountered along the way cause many in the flock to abandon their search. In the end the small number of birds that survive uncover a profound secret.

Dishwasher Dreams</em>
Dishwasher Dreams

February 15–16, 2013

Written by Alaudin Ullah
Directed by Chay Yew

Auditioning to play a terrorist in a major Hollywood movie may be stand-up comedian Aladdin’s big break. As he prepares for his audition, he finds himself thinking back on his deceased father, who left Bangladesh for a better life in New York, and his parents’ futile attempts to raise him Muslim in Spanish Harlem. Accompanied by the tabla, Aladdin takes us on a hilarious and moving journey through art, immigration, family, the Yankees and the nature of the American dream.