The following is a press release by my friend Wajahat Ali, who is a blogger, journalist for Altmuslim, and also a budding playwright. His first play, The Domestic Crusaders, has received rave reviews from critics and artists alike (including Emma Thompson and Mitch Berman). The play will premiere in NYC at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe on September 11th 2009 and if you are in the NY area or will be traveling there during that time, then make some time for this one – details below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 12, 2009

Buy your tickets today for….

THE DOMESTIC CRUSADERS

A landmark Muslim American play premiering on 9-11-09 in NYC www.domesticcrusaders.com

In honor of the anniversary of September 11, the Nuyorican Poets Café and Before Columbus Foundation present The Domestic Crusaders, a two-act drama written by acclaimed Pakistani-American playwright, Wajahat Ali.

Play Synopsis: The Domestic Crusaders is an authentic, revelatory, no-holds barred depiction of a contemporary Pakistani-American Muslim family. In this post 9-11 world, humor, tensions and sparks fly among three generations of family members culminating in an intense family battle. Each “crusader” struggles to assert and impose their respective voice, while trying to maintain and understand the unifying thread that makes them part of the same family.

“Wajahat Ali is a major new voice in American literature. “The Domestic Crusaders” is to Muslim American theater what “A Raisin in the Sun” is to African American theater.”- Pulitzer Prize nominated author Mitch Berman

“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. I’ll be supporting this all the way – please join me and Wajahat in building this bridge!” – Emma Thompson, Academy Award winning actress and screenwriter

When: Friday, September 11, 2009 through Sunday, October 11, 2009

Curtain times: Thurs, Fri and Sat, 7:00 pm and Sun, 3:00 pm

Final Preview, Thursday, September 10, 7:00 pm

Where: The Nuyorican Poets Café, 236 E. 3rd St., NY, NY

Tickets: $20 general admission; $15 for advance ticket purchases, students and seniors.

For reservations call: (212) 465-3167 or (212) 780-9386

Purchase tickets online through the Nuyorican Poets Café: GET TICKETS

For more information please see attached press release and visit our Online Press Room for additional Reviews and Biographies of Wajahat Ali, the Cast, and more!

VIDEOS: Watch The Domestic Crusaders on The NBC Weekend Today Show and TIME Magazine Online!

Join The Domestic Crusaders on Facebook

Follow The Domestic Crusaders on Twitter

This fully staged production is directed by Carla Blank, co-produced by Rome Neal and Ishmael Reed, and presented by the Nuyorican Poets Café and Before Columbus Foundation. The cast includes South Asian American actors Adeel Ahmed, Kamran Khan, Imran Javaid, Monisha Shiva, Nidhi Singh and Abbas Zaidi.

CONTACT: www.domesticcrusaders.com; dcpublicity@gmail.com