CHICAGO, Jan. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicago's Silk Road Rising (www.silkroadrising.org) has designated the upcoming theatre season between January 2016 and September 2016 as "Crescent & Star: A Radiant Season of Arab and Muslim Journeys." This season will mark the first continuous theatre programming to express Arab and Muslim American voices in the Midwest.
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The season will feature Arab and Muslim artists as they present stories of gender, religion, politics, music, the immigrant and refugee experience, and war, in varied formats.
Almost daily, politicians are making reference to America's Arab, Middle Eastern, and Muslim communities. Pew Research has indicated that majority of Americans do not know Muslims. This lack of personal relationships has resulted in widespread mistrust and fear of a community that is expected to grow significantly over the coming decades.
In response, Silk Road Rising has committed major resources to build bridges of understanding through the arts. The company's productions will shed light on the experiences of Arab and Muslim Americans—experiences that are as vivid and varied as the stars in the sky.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND PRODUCTIONS:
"PANIC INTERSECTING: MOSQUES, ZONING, AND ISLAMOPHOBIA," A PANEL DISCUSSION
JANUARY 19, 2016 AT 7:30 PM
This panel will create a broader understanding of the difficulties facing the Muslim American community when they attempt to secure zoning permits to build mosques.
OH MY SWEET LAND
JANUARY 30 AND 31, 2016
Written by Amir Nizar Zuabi
Directed by Anna C. Bahow
A moving story of a Syrian refugee who shares her stories of a lover and a land torn apart by cruelties of war.
"SHAKESPEARE IN THE MIDDLE EAST," A LECTURE
FEBRUARY 8, 2016 AT 7PM
PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EVANSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
Riad Ismat, former Syrian Minister of Culture, will examine the history of Shakespearean performances in the Middle East.
ZIRYAB, THE SONGBIRD OF ANDALUSIA
FEBRUARY 18 - FEBRUARY 28, 2016
Written and Performed by Ronnie Malley
Directed by Anna C. Bahow
A musical tale set during the Golden Age of Islam in Al-Andalus (current day Spain) exploring the life and legacy of the ninth century musician, poet, and polymath, Ziryab, and featuring Arabic music.
MOSQUE ALERT
MARCH 24 - MAY 1, 2016
Written by Jamil Khoury
Directed by Eddie Torres
Inspired by the "Ground Zero Mosque" controversy in New York City, Mosque Alert tells the story of three fictional families living in Naperville, Illinois, whose lives are interrupted by a proposed Islamic Center on the site of a beloved local landmark. Learn more about the play by visiting www.mosquealert.org.
THE FOUR HIJABS
JUNE 2016
An Animated Short
by Dr. Manal Hamzeh & Jamil Khoury
Directed by Liz Wuerffel
Animated by Anna Hayden-Roy
An animated film that explores the "four hijabs": the visual, spatial, ethical and spiritual.
UN-AMERICAN: A PATRIOT ACTS
SEPTEMBER 6 - SEPTEMBER 25, 2016
Written and Performed by Azhar Usman
A brutally honest, unflinching show exploring the tensions and paradoxes surrounding the multi-faceted identities and double consciousness of Muslim Americans living in an ever-polarizing modern world.
VENUE
All performances held at The Historic Chicago Temple Building, 77 W Washington St, Lower Level, Chicago, IL 60602.
TICKETS
Tickets can be purchased online at www.silkroadrising.org or by calling (312) 857-1234 ext. 201
ABOUT SILK ROAD RISING
Silk Road Rising creates live theatre and online videos that tell stories through primarily Asian American and Middle Eastern American lenses. In representing communities that intersect and overlap, we advance a polycultural worldview.
For more information about our productions, please visit www.silkroadrising.org.
Media contact:
Malik Gillani
312-857-1234 x202
SOURCE Silk Road Rising
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