The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College Presents The Domestic Crusaders

The landmark play about Muslim-Americans returns to New York City September 10 at 4pm & September 11 at 5pm

The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College presents The Domestic Crusaders as part ofThe 9/11 Performance Project, on Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 4pm and Sunday, September 11, 2011 at 5pm, followed by a JUST-US Dialogue Moderated Panel at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, 899 Tenth Avenue, NYC. Tickets are $20 ($10 students) and are available at www.ticketcentral.com or by phone at 212-279-4200.

“This play is brilliant. Moving. Shapely. Clever. Funny. And the cast is amazing!”

— Toni Morrison, Nobel Prize winning author

“Wajahat Ali is writing about contemporary and essential matters, a source not only of laughter but, more importantly, of understanding.”

— Yann Matel, Booker Prize Winner of Life of Pi

The Domestic Crusaders focuses on a day in the life of a modern Muslim Pakistani-American family of six eclectic, unique members, who convene at the family house to celebrate the twenty-first birthday of the youngest child. The play is an authentic, revelatory, and no-holds barred depiction of a day in the life of a contemporary Pakistani-American Muslim family post-9/11/01 and shows the divergent views held by Muslim Americans.

The Domestic Crusaders is written by Wajahat Ali, directed by Carla Blank, and stars Adeel Ahmed, Deepti Gupta, Imran Javaid, Kamran Khan, Monisha Shiva, and Abbas Zaidi. This two-act play written by a Muslim-American is the first play ever published by McSweeney’s and won the 2011 OTTO award. In 2009, the play broke attendance records during its five-week off-broadway run at the Nuyorican Poets’ Cafe in New York City. In 2010, the play sold out at U.C. Berkeley’s Durham Theater, made its international debut at MuslimFest in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, and had standing room only crowds at the Kennedy Center’s Millenium Hall, in Washington, D.C. For more information about the playwright and the company, visit www.domesticcrusaders.com.

“The Domestic Crusaders is exactly the sort of theater we need today. The gulf that separates cultures must be bridged, and Art is one of our best hopes.”

— Emma Thompson, Academy Award winning actress and screenwriter

***

Co-Produced with Professor Seth Baumrin, Chair of the Department of Communications and Theatre Arts at John Jay College, The 9/11 Performance Project is a set of three very different yet complementary plays: The Domestic Crusaders written by Wajahat Ali, Another Life written by Karen Malpede, and Demolition of the Eiffel Tower written by Jeton Neziraj. The Project is a vehicle for cultural diplomacy that advocates reform of the post-September 11th political atmosphere and promotes a return to critical thinking, adherence to the rule of law, respect for civil liberties and upholding human rights in the United States and abroad. The goal of the performances and public dialogue is to create an experience that will engage the public and help society enact more progressive thinking and action in the search for understanding current U.S. and world policies, and their consequences, and furthering the understanding of Islam as it is lived today. A JUST-US Dialogue will follow most performances. Two student productions and a series of free panel discussions will round out The 9/11 Performance Project.

Supported [in part] by a grant from the Open Society Foundations.

Beginning in 2008, the Theater created what has become its signature series, ART OF JUSTICE, which focuses on how the artistic imagination can shed light on the many perceptions of justice in society. ART OF JUSTICE focuses on advocacy for marginalized communities through music, drama, dance and fine art. JUST-US Dialogues, a supplemental series, will be formally introduced this fall. Through intimate discussions, lectures and post-show dialogues with artists and experts, audiences will gain legible context and have the opportunity to exchange critical thinking and share perspectives. Provocative and engaging performances that explore topics ranging from the post 9/11 political and cultural environment in the United States and abroad, immigration and race, religious freedoms and separation of church and state are included in this season’s ART OF JUSTICE series.

Since opening its doors in 1988, the Gerald W. Lynch Theater has been an invaluable cultural resource for John Jay College and the larger New York City community. Its signature series, The Art of Justice, is the only performance series in New York that presents a diverse exploration of the role performing arts have played in the pursuit of social, transitional and criminal justice. The Theater has collaborated with such noted companies as Epic Theatre Ensemble, Gotham Chamber Opera, and has also hosted prestigious events for Lincoln Center Festival, Great Performances, Juilliard, Alvin Ailey and numerous television specials for HBO and Comedy Central.

About John Jay College of Criminal Justice: An international leader in educating for justice, John Jay College of Criminal Justice of The City University of New York offers a rich liberal arts and professional studies curriculum to upwards of 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 135 nations. In teaching, scholarship and research, the College approaches justice as an applied art and science in service to society and as an ongoing conversation about fundamental human desires for fairness, equality and the rule of law. For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu.

For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu/theater.php.