Professors, Guest Artists, and Scholars, in addition to internationally recognized journalists, collaborated to realize Professor Lesley Ferris’s vision for the latest Sahar Speaks stories to be adapted for the stage and brought to Ohio State University (OSU) and our local community. The plays premiered at OSU on October 7, 2019. The performances made distinct Afghan perspectives come to life and added to a legacy of international theatre projects at OSU. A wide array of departments at OSU were represented in the collaboration. We believe the unique combination of researchers, professionals, and practitioners to be one of the secrets to this project’s success.
Thirty-three faculty, students, and staff, from over eleven different departments at OSU, in addition to world-renown guest scholars, journalists, and artists, contributed to the creation of the plays, the overall development of the project, its reach in the community, or to classroom impact – or a combination. They did so by incorporating the plays and related content into their curriculum, contributing to the production of the plays on stage for public performances, extending their reach in the community through public talks and events, and hosting events showcasing current research related to theatre, Afghanistan, and cross-cultural projects. As a theatre project, acting, directing, dramaturgy and the practices of theatre production were central to the project.
Film making is the next big step in the project, and we will be posting further updates about a documentary and other shorter films. We need support to make the next phase happen, in terms of both time contributions and financial. Please let us know if you have skills in that area, if you would like to make a financial contribution, or if you see other ways you could contribute as a member of our community.