The play, entitled "MSA: Muslims Struggling in America," and written by two Muslim girls from Irvine, included a nasheed concert, which included new nasheeds and some contemporary songs.
The plot revolved around a girl who was just starting college but having Muslim identity issues. Her involvement with the school’s Muslim Student Association and the complexity of her relationships with friends, both good and bad, was examined.
"We wanted to explore issues that we saw ourselves or our peers experiencing," said Tahereh Jaafari, a second-year UC Irvine student, and one of the play’s co-writers. "We noticed that college is a crucial time in a young person’s life because that is a time when a lot of people either become closer or move further away from Islam, so this was how the plot rolled out."
Despite the underlying moral issues that were dealt with, the play had largely comedic overtones. A comical skit called "Are You My Naseeb?" was performed in two parts during the course of the performance, and involved a traditional Pakistani/Indian geek, an Egyptian sheikh and an American gangster all vying for a female student’s hand in marriage.
The characters in the actual play were also developed to enhance the comedic aspect of the production. Huma Siddiqui, a fourth-year UCI student, played the role of Dania, a Pakistani girl with a thick accent and a lively personality. Though Siddiqui had only previously performed on a middle school stage, she was very excited about the prospect of participating in an all-girls play and playing the role of the Desi FOB - fresh off the boat.
"I was glad something I normally do could be put to use," Siddiqui said laughingly. "[Plus,] I enjoyed working with and getting to know the other sisters."
Siddiqui also appreciated that the directors, which included Jaafari, Sophie Chen and Aminah Galal, the founder of the organization Muslimah Entertainment that hosted the play, constantly reminded the cast to renew their intentions and keep Allah in their hearts throughout the performance.
This advice was further bolstered by the fact that all proceeds from the show went to Islamic Relief’s Orphan Fund. More than $1,000 were collected from the 200-some audience members who attended the performance, which took place at UCI’s Social Science Lecture Hall.
Galal, a freshman at Irvine Valley College, first had the idea of having an all-Muslim, all-girls play as a high school senior during the spring musical auditions at her school.
"I always wanted to act, but at same time, I noticed a lot of the themes and topics in the plays (at my school) weren’t compatible with our deen," she said. "So, I started thinking, ‘Why isn’t there anything for muslimahs out there, hijabis and non-hijabis?’ and the idea of Muslimah Entertainment popped into my head."
Galal then contacted several people she thought would be interested in the project, and Jaafari latched on.
"I was really excited because I liked plays," Jaafari said. "I thought they could be used as a very powerful tool, as a teaching method or as a lesson to society." It took Galal and Jaafari six months to write the play, and another couple of months to cast the characters and rehearse.
Mariam Ansari, another second-year student at UCI and former member of a cappella group, led the half-dozen singers as vocal instructor.
From its conception to opening night, Muslimah Entertainment’s inaugural project took an entire year.
And how did Galal and Jaafari feel about the final result?
"I was amazed," Jaafari said. "I was blown away, [and] very proud of the girls."
Aminah agreed, and was particularly pleased with the positive responses she received from the audience.
"So many moms came up to me after the performance, and they were talking about it and thanking me," she said. "People were saying they could relate to this or that character. But my favorite comments had to be, ‘Thank you for providing something that works for all ages,’ and ‘Thank you for keeping it inside of the Islamic etiquette.’ And that was all I really wanted."
