January 11, 2017: Rehan Ansari and Ping Chong + Company: Theatrical Duet

January 11, 2017. From 7 to 9pm at the 8th Floor.RSVP: media@sdrubin.org

Rehan Ansari, PECHS (Society) Cemetery, 2011. Image courtesy of the artist. [image description: photographic image of a graveyard with arid looking ground, on horizontal marble tombs, flowers grow, there is a tree leaning leftwards at the center of the picture]

Rubin Foundation grantee Ping Chong + Company will present an excerpt of its recent performance project Beyond Sacred: Muslim Voices in dialogue with artist Rehan Ansari whose play Unburdened is featured in Enacting Stillness. Ping Chong’s Beyond Sacred is part of Undesirable Elements, an ongoing series of community-specific interview-based theater works examining issues of culture and identity, for individuals who are outsiders within their mainstream communities. Presented as a chamber piece of story-telling, a “seated opera for the spoken word,” these performances are tailored to suit the needs and issues facing specific communities. With his background in investigative reporting, Ansar’s play Unburdened was developed through research methods stemming from journalistic practice.  the evening will feature readings from each script, followed by a panel discussion.

To read a copy of Unburdened, please click here.

Bios

Rehan Ansari is a Brooklyn-based writer. Born in Karachi and a graduate of Vassar College, Ansari was a working journalist in New York during 9/11 and in Mumbai during the attacks in 2008. He traveled to Pakistan in the aftermath of both and Unburdened is based on his experiences. His work has appeared in The Brooklyn Rail, The Globe & Mail, and as a weekly columnist for Mid-day Mumbai. He has been Editor Independent Press Association-New York and Foreign Editor Daily News & Analysis in Mumbai. Ansari’s play Damme This is the Oriental Scene for You! (adapted from the writings of G.V. Desani) had a three-week run at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto. He is at work on a novel.

Ping Chong + Company produces theatrical works addressing the important cultural and civic issues of our times, striving to reach the widest audiences with the greatest level of artistic innovation and social integrity. The company was founded in 1975 by leading theatrical innovator Ping Chong with a mission to create works of theater and art that explore the intersections of race, culture, history, art, media and technology in the modern world. Today, Ping Chong + Company produces original works by a close-knit ensemble of affiliated artists, under the artistic leadership of Ping Chong. Productions range from intimate oral history projects to grand scale cinematic multidisciplinary productions featuring puppets, performers, and full music and projection scores. The art reveals beauty, precision, and a commitment to social justice.