Many thanks to Cheney Orr for photographing the Washington DC reading for the AWWP website.
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- Theater J Artistic Director Ari Roth introduces the Out Of Silence readings.
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- Director Jessica Lefkow working with the women actresses during rehearsals.
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- “The cruel ones killed my son…I look out my door that he may return.” Allyson Currin (foreground) and Elmina Kulasic read from Winter Day 2008 by Seeta.
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- “Open the door and come help me. My mom is in a coma.” Jessica Francis Dukes (foreground) and Allyson Currin read Where The Wild Dogs Were by Roya.
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- “In the rainy season of Pakistan, the news of my grandmother’s death made our lives rainier.” Zehra Fazal reads Meena Y’s poem Prayer.
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- “You are my enemy. I hate you, poppy.” Rahaleh Nassri (foreground) and Hannah Hessel read Freshta’s poem A Letter To Poppy.
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- “In Afghanistan, falling in love can be a crime.” Erika Rose reads from Yagana’s essay The Crime Of Falling In Love.
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- Adrienne Nelson, who introduced The Sweet Smell of Honey by Aisha. “Nelofar reached for her heart and started breathing fast.”
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- Dawn Ursula, one of the voices in the ensemble piece Kill Silence by Shogofa.
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- “What I write here are the wounded and torn pieces of my heart.” Elmina Klasic reads I Am For Sale by an unidentified AWWP writer.
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- “I was very lonesome away from Afghanistan and felt like listening to music, but we didn’t have enough money to buy a music player.“ Hannah Hessel reads Music Is Not Prohibited, by Elay.
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- The actresses meld together Under Burqa by Seeta and Not An Afghan Woman by Roya.
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- Concluding panelists Director Jessica Lefkow, scholar Dr. Akbar Ahmed, AWWP Director Christina Asquith, Afghan author Awista Ayub.
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- Part of the AWWP team who attended the performance: Elisabeth Lehr, Christina Asquith, Masha Hamilton, Rachel de Baere, SOLA Director Ted Achilles, Terry Dougherty.
Great photos, Cheney!
THANK YOU. Thank you to AWWP writers, AWWP team, Theater J and the nine readers from the OUT OF SILENCE performance.
I look forward to the day when our writers can openly share their words in their own names, reading aloud in their own voices- until then, it remains an honor to have participated in this project.
-Jessica.
let me think deeply, close my eyes, no no no it is not me…
let my touch, am I not sleep, am I dreaming, no no no it is not me…
let me, open my eys as much as I can, and look at the these nice pitures, Yes, there is my name, too which means the actresses read my writings, which means, I was heard, which means audince claped for me, oh yes it is me and it is roya!
Thanks for AWWP project and the wonderful programs, it is important and a need you are working and supporting Afghan writers.
I cant forget the night I was writing and my family turned off the light and said, we are bored what are you writing? and tommorrow of that day when I read my writing to my best friend, she yawned and didnt care. I stoped reading my writing for others, and I never dared to tell any one close or strange to me that I can write, I understand the feelings, I can express my self.
This website is house of my secret writings, when I am not in this world, the readers, those who read my writings and I never know them, will understand us, Hearts will beat for us, and eyes will cry for the very painful life of Afghan women, here in Afghanistan.
Roya, write us a play!