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Iranian drama and arts from the rest of the Muslim World feature at the festival this year |
You know it’s summer in New York by a few simple things. Central Park is beset with bikers, joggers, skaters and combinations of the three, every weekend some section of the city is closed due to a rambunctious street fair, and the Lincoln Center Festival debuts as the peak cultural event of the season.
This year the festival, which features numerous performances of dance, music, theater, opera and circus, turns its international scope on Iran and the Middle East in yet another cultural olive branch extended to the Arab and Muslim communities. But in an ironic turn of events, festival programmers learned a month ago that 10 members of a 28-person Iranian troupe who are performing the epic Persian drama, “Ta'ziyeh”, were denied visas.
Immigration officials wouldn’t give a reason for the denials, but the Lincoln Center and Iranian troupe are moving on with the show anyway.
“Ta’ziyeh” tells the story of the Battle of Kerbala in A.D. 680 where Imam Hussain, grandson of Prophet Muhammad (saaws), met his death. With more than 200 versions, the 18th-century work has deep meaning for Iranians who are mostly Shiite Muslims that specially revere Imam Hussain. The Ta’ziyeh, or mourning, is usually performed once a year in Iran.
For most Muslim Americans, the Ta’ziyeh is a virtually unknown piece of work, though it is considered one of the greatest theatrical performances by drama critics. Live-action portrayals of key figures of early Islamic history, is highly discouraged in the Islam faith. It is ironic then, that a drama for and about Muslims will be missed by most of New York’s substantial Muslim population. In artistic circles though, this drama is in an elite echelon for its multi-layered symbolic performances and ability to draw the audience into the feeling of the story.
“In the Ta’ziyeh, there is no division between the spectators and the actors,” said Peter Chelkowski, a professor of Middle Eastern Studies at New York University and author of numerous books on Iranian culture and the Ta’ziyeh. “The audience members become participants in the performance. … It is spontaneous,” he told the New York Times.
Nigel Redden, director of the Lincoln Center Festival, said it was high time to bring the “Ta’ziyeh” to an American audience, along with other Middle Eastern cultural events. Though the decision to focus on the Middle East in this year’s festival was made pre-September 11th, the tragic events of that day added a sense of urgency to the performances, he noted.
“I do feel very, very strongly that we are richer for knowing about other people and other cultures,” Redden said in a recent interview. “[When] we don’t speak the same language, one of the best ways [to build bridges] is to see works of art that move them, and that maybe can move us.”
Though the “Ta’ziyeh”, which is the crown jewel of the festival, isn’t quite conducive for Muslims who do not wish to see Imam Hussain portrayed by an actor on stage, other performances promise to bring light to rarely seen parts of Middle Eastern artistic culture.
Once such performance is a series of concerts by North African and Middle Eastern singers titled “Maghreb-Mashreq: East-West Alchemy”. It combines traditional and pop song styles to highlight cultural and religious traditions of that area.
Many famous Muslim musicians are on tap to perform in these concerts, including Marwan Abado (oud, vocals); Muhammad Abu Ajaj (oud); Bachir Attar (rhaita, flute, guimbri); Musa Al Hajuj (vocals); Sultan Abu Takfa (sumsumiya); and Zafer Tawill (q'anun, violin, percussion). “Maghreb-Mashreq” will be performed in four concerts from July 16-20 at La Guardia Concert Hall in New York.
Another Iranian show at the festival is “Logic of the Birds”, a multimedia performance that draws inspiration from a 12th-century Persian poet. Four Iranian artists, including famous filmmaker Shirin Neshat, will perform this show.
The festival will run until July 28th and promises to feature the best in Middle Eastern, American and world culture. It is an exciting chance for Muslim New Yorkers to grasp a feel for an artistic ambiance that reaches beyond present shadows to celebrate the love of religion and life.
For more information visit www.lincolncenter.org.
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