Written and performed by Zaraawar Mistry Created in collaboration with Kathleen Sullivan Music composed and performed live by Tim O'Keefe and Maryam Yusefzadeh

"10 Best Plays of 2002" --- City Pages

Zaraawar Mistry's solo work intertwines an ancient legend from the Iranian national epic, the Shahnameh (Book of Kings) of Ferdowsi, with the tragi-comic drama of a contemporary Zoroastrian family from Bombay. Playing a dozen different characters, Mistry performs a riveting story of family, war and migration. The music for the play is performed live by Persian music virtuosos Tim O'Keefe and Maryam Yusefzadeh.

Zoroastrians are followers of the prophet Zarathushtra (Greek: Zoroaster), whose religion flourished during the great Iranian empires. Today, there are about 150,000 Zoroastrians around the world.

Past Performances:
Stages Repertory Theater, Houston (2005)
Augsburg College, Minneapolis (2005)
Stony Brook University, New York (2003)
Asia Society, New York, (2003)
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (2003)
Southern Theater, Minneapolis (2002)
Center for Ind. Artists, Minneapolis (2002)

MINDFUL PARKING: Dreamland Arts is in a residential neighborhood. Please respect the quiet and privacy of our neighbors. If you live close by, please consider walking. If you drive, park on Hamline Avenue. There is free parking on both sides of the street right in front of the theater.

©2008 Dreamland Arts
677 Hamline Ave. N. | St. Paul MN 55104 | 651-645-5506 | info@dreamland

When We Look is an interdisciplinary theatrical presentation that highlights the plight of women who, because of war or civil strife, face challenges that test their physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being. The cornerstones of the presentation are real stories of remarkable women who, against all odds, have moved from victim to survivor to community leader.

All traditions of spirit and community share a responsibility for looking out for one another. Greatness comes from being able to help others in need and also being generous enough to help others in need.

The chapters of the Network of Spiritual Progressives throughout the country have designated April 15, 2007, as Generosity Sunday. We invite congregations and faith groups, as well as non-religious groups of caring citizens, to join us on the weekend of April 13-15 to celebrate the value of generosity in your own way and in your tradition, talking about how we help each other in communities.

We at the Network of Spiritual Progressives are striving to expand our sense of community to the whole world. We envision America's generosity toward the poor, the sick, and the hungry of the world eventually to constitute 1%-5% of gross domestic product each year. Such a commitment would do far more for world peace and our own security than any amount of power or military aggression. This is a great dream, and every step toward that dream will improve the world community and bring peace. The Network of Spiritual Progressives' national website, www.spiritualprogressives.org, contains ideas and resources for Generosity Sunday programs and faith-based services. We offer these simply as suggestions, without meaning to mandate or limit what you may wish to do. We can provide speakers or DVD's if you like. We ask you to reach out in your communities, to speak in a public voice, and perhaps to provide the opportunity for media to hear your voice. We offer to list activities from all spiritual traditions in Minnesota on our Minnesota website (www.nspmn.org) to spread the word about the nationwide celebration of generosity on April 13-15.

The culmination of Generosity Sunday in Minnesota will be our rally: GENEROSITY SUNDAY, A PATHWAY TO PEACE, from 1 to 5 PM, at Plymouth Congregational Church, 1900 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis MN. That afternoon music, information, education, and inspiration will all convey the message of generosity as our most authentic pathway to peace. Dick Kroeger is available for more information at (952) 476-6126 or Dickemail@aol.com.

"A coming together when things are falling apart, it is a joy to feel ´Peace in the House´. The witnessing of stories, the singing, the colorful dancing. It is important work." -- Mike Hazzard, The Center for International Education

"...a terrific night of storytelling..." City Pages, Minneapolis
"...Mistry creates sound and mood with impeccable skill." Star Tribune, Minneapolis

City Pages selected Sohrab and Rustum among The 10 Best of the year in theater (2002). The play has been presented at the Center for Independent Artists, the Southern Theater and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, at Stony Brook University on Long Island and at Asia Society in New York City. For complete information, please visit: http://www.c4ia.org

ABOUT THE PLAY
Based on the 11th century Persian classic by Hakim Abul Ghasem Ferdowsi, Shahnameh (Book of Kings), the performance tells the tale of the fateful battle between the warrior Rustum and his son Sohrab. Zaraawar Mistry's play intertwines elements of the ancient legend with the tragicomic story of a contemporary Parsi Zoroastrian family from Bombay and is set against a backdrop of the zenith, decline, and now preservation of the Zoroastrians.

Zoroastrians are followers of the prophet Zarathushtra, whose religion flourished during the great Iranian empires. With the spread of Islam in the 7th to 8th centuries, a small band of Zoroastrian refugees fled to India to avoid persecution --- making up the 75,000 Parsis living in India today. While the play is based on an ancient Persian epic, it is also a quintessentially modern-day story about loyalty, generational differences, war and migration.