This insightful and engaging new title in the Theatre & series explores the various connections between theatre and Islam. Drawing on both historical and recent examples to trace their relationship and offer a new perspective on a topical subject, this persuasive text argues against a long-standing assumption that Islam has worked in opposition to theatrical presentation. From the 13th century puppet plays of Ibn Daniyal to Islamic themes in 21st century productions, Theatre and Islam is chronologically wide-ranging and ambitious in its scope. Ambitious yet concise, this is the perfect introduction for undergraduate and postgraduate students of religious studies, Islamic studies, Middle Eastern studies and drama.

“A continuously engaging, vitally engaged play about thorny questions of identity and religion in the contemporary world, with an accent on the incendiary topic of how radical Islam and the terrorism it inspires have affected the public discourse.” New York Times New York. Today. Corporate lawyer Amir Kapoor is happy, in love, and about to land the biggest career promotion of his life. But beneath the veneer, success has come at a price. When Amir and his artist wife, Emily, host an intimate dinner party at their Upper East Side apartment, what starts out as a friendly conversation soon escalates into something far more damaging. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, 2013, Disgraced premiered in Chicago before transferring to New York's Lincoln Center in 2012. This new Modern Classics edition features an introduction by J.T. Rogers.

Theatre is one of the longest-standing art forms of modern civilization. Taking a global look at how various forms of theatre - including puppetry, dance, and mime - have been interpreted and enjoyed, this book explores all aspects of the theatre, including its relationship with religion, literature, and its value worldwide.

This work examines the evolution of the Ta'ziyeh, which involved elements drawn from Zoroastrianaism, Mithraism, mythology, folklore and traditional forms of Iranian entertainment.

The author of Homeland Elegies and Pulitzer Prize winner Disgraced explores the conflict that erupts within a Muslim family in Atlanta when an independent-minded daughter writes a provocative novel that offends her more conservative father and sister. Zarina has a bone to pick with the place of women in her Muslim faith, and she's been writing a book about the Prophet Muhammad that aims to set the record straight. When her traditional father and sister discover the manuscript, it threatens to tear her family apart. With humor and ferocity, Akhtar's incisive new drama about love, art, and religion examines the chasm between our traditions and our contemporary lives.

From “green” pop and “clean” cinema to halal songs, Islamic soaps, Muslim rap, Islamist fantasy serials, and Suficized music, the performing arts have become popular and potent avenues for Islamic piety movements, politically engaged Islamists, Islamic states, and moderate believers to propagate their religio-ethical beliefs. Muslim Rap, Halal Soaps, and Revolutionary Theater is the first book that explores this vital intersection between artistic production and Islamic discourse in the Muslim world. The contributors to this volume investigate the historical and structural conditions that impede or facilitate the emergence of a “post-Islamist” cultural sphere. They discuss the development of religious sensibilities among audiences, which increasingly include the well-to-do and the educated young, as well as the emergence of a local and global religious market. At the heart of these essays is an examination of the intersection between cultural politics, performing art, and religion, addressing such questions as where, how, and why pop culture and performing arts have been turned into a religious mission, and whether it is possible to develop a new Islamic aesthetic that is balanced with religious sensibilities. As we read about young Muslims and their quest for a “cool Islam” in music, their struggle to quell their stigmatized status, or the collision of morals and the marketplace in the arts, a vivid, varied new perspective on Muslim culture emerges.

Homegrown is an immersive show exploring the implications of radicalisation and extremism on the people and communities behind the headlines. It was shut down half way through rehearsals in 2015 after police intervention.

Cultural expressions of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have a rich tradition, communal narratives, and spiritual connectivity. This tapestry, distinct from the secular drama prevalent in Western cultures, is a unique blend of indigenous traditions and Western influences. This book introduces the rich and diverse theatrical practices developed and matured in the region from the nineteenth to twenty-first centuries. The introduction of Western-style theatre in the nineteenth century marked a shift from traditional entertainment forms. In the twentieth century, subjects of colonialism, nationalism, independence, and Islamic ideology have often dominated the theatrical discourse, reflecting the region’s socio-political realities. The book’s final section looks at theatre from a twenty-first global perspective, including the crucial role of the diaspora. This book shows how colonialism, Islamic ideology, politics, war, refugee crisis, and nationalism have permeated MENA’s theatre in the past and have continued to shape it in the present.

Drawing on medieval Arabic sources and earlier scholarship, this book is a study of the life and work of Ibn D?niy?l (d. 1310). It also presents the first full English translation of his shadow play "The Phantom.”

Balancing the high expectations of the previous generation, the doctrines of their Muslim community, and the demands of secular Western culture, Azeem Bhatti and his wife Saima struggle to straddle the gap between their Pakistani heritage and their British upbringing. With deep compassion, Hammaad Chaudry brings to life a recognizable and unforgettable family, and with sharp intellect, asks potent questions about the challenges of integration and assimilation for immigrants in today's global world. As witnesses, we are all forced to confront pressing questions about the nature of belonging and our own internal prejudices about that which is "other."