Cast and Crew of Parwaz Playhouse’s debut production, Glass.
New Yorkers often forget that the theater is a treasure. For when you live amongst the fixed twinkle of Broadway, the art of mimicking life can become as repetitive as a bodega or a yellow taxi. But the theater is not something that we should take for granted; it is that one place where we can go to see ourselves through our eyes only, and not through the eyes of the media, which are too often narrowed by societal constraints.
Rest assured, we now know that two young men (both by the name of Imran) have the enlightened-mindedness to not be so jaded. Co-founders of Parwaz Playhouse, the first major Pakistani-American theater company, Imran Javaid and Imran Sheikh have created a self-described “sanctuary” for the creative people within their cultural community. This month, the Playhouse presented its first project, Glass, at the annual Downtown Urban Theater Festival in the East Village. The festival strives to promote “diversity in theater” by speaking “to a whole new generation whose lives defy categorizing along conventional lines.” Glass does just that; at DUTF, it was a hit with Pakistanis and non-Pakistanis alike. In fact, only three of the ten shows featured at the festival sold-out and Glass was one of them. The play, which debuted at the Nuyorican Poet’s Café back in November, is set in the editorial office of a newspaper in “a nation much like Pakistan.” Written by Javaid, Glass challenges the present and future states of its set nation by dexterously weaving a tapestry of political discussion, philosophical rumination, wry humor—and, yes—even a hearty dollop of badminton. And the players of Parwaz do so, all of it, within a tight, 20-minute frame. While all of the actors give commendable performances, it is Sheikh (portraying editor, Khalid) and Adeel Ahmed (copyeditor, Mohsin) who are particularly entertaining with their natural, needling banter.
Clearly, Javaid and Sheikh have embraced their status as pioneers for the Pakistani-American dramatic arts, and with such a honed focus, it’s hard to believe that they have only known each other for one year. The two met during the production of Wajahat Ali’s Domestic Crusaders, a play about Muslim-Americans living in a post-9/11 world that was hailed by the New York Times, the BBC, Time magazine and Academy Award-winner, Emma Thompson. After Crusaders, the Imrans became restless, ravenous to feed their people, who they feel have been theatrically-starved. Up until now, that is.
“You see,” explained Sheikh in an interview, “There is a rich history of artistic ability and intellectualism within [the Pakistani-American] community. So, through the medium of theater we will re-awaken that, and show it to the world. Good theater is a study of the human condition, we think. And there is a maelstrom of imagery of Pakistanis and Muslims in the media.” Unfortunately, that image is too often negative. And so, Sheikh adds, “It is nice to be able to shine a light through that and show us not necessarily as negative or positive, but just us as we are—to show that we are the same thinking, feeling, rational human beings as everyone else.”
That is the mission of the Parwaz Playhouse, its moniker a mirror for the troupe’s refreshingly romantic ideas. The first part of the name is derived from a term which appears countless times within the ghazals, or lyrical poetry, of the modern Pakistani writer/philosopher/politician, Allama Iqbal. In one ghazal, Iqbal writes: “Ascend oneself to the point where even God Himself asks you, a man, ‘Tell me, what is it that you desire?’” In another: “‘You are an eagle. Your parwaz is among the mountains.’” Well, the Playhouse, they want to be heard. And their parwaz is among stages, scattered all across this twinkling city. Don’t take your opportunity to see them for granted.
Although DUTF has come and gone, Parwaz isn’t taking the summer off. Currently, the company is working on a few films, as well as preparing for a full-length, 90-minute play scheduled for this Fall. More info here.
