Beyond the thrill of the play and Noor Theater’s wonderful production, I was equally impressed by how several quality institutions had come together to offer the public this reading and the illuminating discussion that followed. The Martin Segal Theater Center, at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, hosted the event, under the able leadership of executive director Frank Hentschker. The English translation of the play and its first production in Beirut a few months ago largely reflected the work of two professors at the American University of Beirut – Robert Myers and Sahara Assad – along with Nada Saab at the Lebanese American University.

Interest in the work of Syrian playright Saadallah Wannous has been gaining more and more interest in the recent years. A german production of the play that took place in November of 2012 in TAK (TAK Theater Aufbau Kreuzberg) in Berlin, was recently in Iraq’s Kurdish parts. The play, an adaptation of Wannous’ Rituals for a metamorphosis was well received by the press.