"Beyond Sacred"

"Beyond Sacred": Play Portrays the Varying Voices of Muslim Identity

Explore the diverse experiences of Muslim communities within New York City with "Beyond Sacred", an interview-based theater production from Ping Chong + Company and LaGuardia Performing Arts Center. The five stars of "Beyond Sacred" vary in many ways, but share the common experience of coming of age in a post-9/11 New York, a time of increasing Islamophobia. In this moving production, you'll hear viewpoints that reflect a wide range of Muslim identities, including the observant, those who were raised Muslim, but have since left the faith, Islam converts and those who identify as "culturally" Muslim. This program was developed through a community-engaged process wherein Ping Chong + Company extensively interviewed local Muslim residents. The interviews became the basis of a script, performed by the interviewees, that weaves together personal, historical and political narratives. The goal of "Beyond Sacred" is to use theater and personal testimony to foster greater understanding among Muslim and non-Muslim communities in New York.