Exposed.

Got this email from the NEW marketing director at Horizon Theatre (YAY!!!):

Hi guys,

I thought that everyone might be interested to see the amazing places that
Suehyla's AP article was picked up.

www.cbsnews.com
www.abcnews.com
www.examiner.com
www.crisscross.com
seatlepi.com
www.oregonlive.com
www.washingtonpost.com
www.ajc.com
Lancasteronline.com
Mlive.com - Everything Michigan
Cnn.netscape.cnn
News.yahoo.com
www.wtopnews.com - Washington's all news radio station
www.phillyburbs.com
dailystaregypt.com
www.lasvegassun.com
chicagotribune.com
Comcast.net
www.myrtlebeachonline.com
nypost.com
philly.metro.us
www.backstagecasting.com
www.thevictoriaadvocate.com - Victoria, Texas
www.ksl.com - KSL Radio Salt Lake City
www.islandpacket.com - Hilton Head, SC
www.fredricksburg.com - Fredricksburg, VA
www.ctnow.com - Connecticut Stage
www.backstage.com
www.tennessean.com - Nashville, TN
www.thewoodlandsonline.com - The Woodlands, TX (Houston suburb)

Among others! Way to go!


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So. Not to shabby for a bit of press, right?

My favorite HAS to be the Daily Star Egypt. Who knew??? *smile*

Several theatre companies (who attended the TCG conference) have expressed interest in reading the script. And i've had one more come to me via the AP article... which is great.

So. The next step is to meet with the literary manager (the ever serene Caleb) of Horizon Theatre and Lisa Adler; putting the final touches on the script before send off, creating a package, and following through on the interested parties.

This comes to the business of it all... *shrug* Again, we'll see. We'll learn (God willing, without a LOT of mistakes).

Associated Press

The AP interview was released yesterday.

Backstage

Did an interview with Kathy Janich (reporter in the southeast theatre scene for Backstage) couple of weeks ago; click here to read it. (note 1 thing: my sisters live in the United States, not in Egypt.) Okay, actually, note 2 things: i'm tired of reading me say, "It doesn't feel real." Supposed I should stop saying it then, eh? *smile* *shrug* It's just how I feel every time someone asks me, "So, how does this feel?"


The interview isn't about the play, though. Janich's focus is on combination artists (playwright/actor) in Atlanta. She interviewed my close friend Lauren Gunderson and Thomas Ward, who is enjoying HIS world premiere of Keeping Watch at Theatrical Outfit in downtown Atlanta.

This weekend is a big to-do as TCG holds their annual conference right here in Atlanta!

Had an interview with Bridges TV last night, too. Don't know when that will air. Been told it's largest audience is based in NYC.

The first question asked was, "Why did you decide to write a Muslim play?"

To which I replied, I never intended to write a muslim play. I had a story to tell and it just happened that I was muslim.

The rest is just the brilliance of God's timing.

Baptism by fire on publicity with this thing...

The Atlanta Journal Constitution

The 2nd review is out, from the AJC.

The Model Muslim *ahem* Not it.

I told my sister the other night how surprised I was by the need of the audience, post-show, to find out more (what's true, what's not, etc). She remarked (along with another friend), "You weren't expecting this? I was."

*blink*
*blink*
No.
I wasn't expecting it. I was only hoping to finish the script and then have an audience like it. That's all. I'm a pretty simple girl. Most of the time.

Anyways, deciding against a knee-jerk reaction to a comment posted to the Creative Loafing review, i'm coming here, to my blog, for refuge.

I'm a rather sensitive individual so it's interesting to me that i'm also the type of person who placed (and, quite often, place) myself wide open to the world, much as I have done with the follow-through of the production of this play.

Martyr? Perhaps.

Glutton? Absolutely.

Ready? Trying. If not, I'll have to just get over it.

Ms Thomas' comments are hard not take personally but have a validity to them on many levels; levels that i've only been able to work through in the last 12 hours and through personal discussions with close friends.

1. Statements and comments she made in her post were rampant in my interviews and the press releases, which lead me to believe she hasn't seen the actual play. I wonder if she will, now. It's occurred to me that the language in the press releases and the images used...are geared toward a non-moslem audience. Looking over it, I know, now, that most moslems will not attend the show...unless they have faith and a lot of curiosity.

2. I was asked last night by a close friend if I had intended to make a political/religious statement with this play. The answer is no. Through the development of the script, I discovered a story that allowed people to relate to an individual...who came from a background that is currently a mystery to most of the American population. Edutainment became the idea. Provide a story for people to relate and discover themselves (or others) in a most unexpected parallel.

3. The choice of words by the reporter for Creative Loafing (in both the short article and then the review) could leave an impression of letting me the choice of a "Model Moslem". *wince* Which is the furthest thing from the truth and one of the reasons that I say that I practice it "philosophically", so as to respect those that are ritualistically based in the faith. I am not representing all moslems. I am only telling one story. It's the only story I know...

4. Ms. Thomas is right that a story, like the one she wants to see, has not been told here. Therefore, somebody should tell it. "Criticize by creating." (Michelangelo)

5. As long as discussion occurrs... there is nothing wrong.