The Art of Hijab, Kohl Black and the Right Way to Pray

The Art of Hijab, Kohl Black and the Right Way to Pray is inspired by YouTube beauty and hijab styling tutorials for the Muslim woman; shared stories of the Koran, Torah, and Christian Bible; and playwright Sarah Badiyah Sakaan’s culturally diverse upbringing in Memphis. Using multimedia, testimony, nonlinear narrative and cross-gender casting, Polybe + Seats examines gender roles, faith, identity, and Islam in the United States. The play also engages the stigma of Muslim women who choose to wear Hijab in the western world and questions the social basis for beauty norms and gender roles in the United States and beyond.

Polybe’s company members feel intensely that in the current political climate, artistic representations exploring American Islam and feminism are crucial in stemming an alarming tide of intolerance. This play presents a complex representation of two American Muslim sisters growing up in the Bible Belt, stylish Muslim women on the web, and characters of Biblical and Mythical proportions.

Our terrific team includes director Jessica Brater; performers Nuah Ozryel, Aizzah Fatima, Sakaan; sound and video designer Gavin Hecker; costume designer Karen Boyer; lighting designers Natalie Robin and Leslie Smith; and Polybe company members Elaine O’Brien and Lindsay Torrey.

We can’t WAIT to share this with you! As Goddess Isis says in the play, “Are you Ancient Desert Flowers ready to bloom? We are bringing the whole kit and caboodle!”

[March 2016]
workshop at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center Rough Draft Festival

[March 2015]

reading at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center Rough Draft Festival