Lameece Issaq and Megan Patterson Bid Noor Theatre Farewell

After years with the company, Noor Theatre's Founding Artistic Director Lameece Issaq and Managing Director Megan Patterson will now say goodbye after a year-long transition, culminating in the hiring of Ariana Sarfarazi as Noor's Executive Director.  They will continue to be supporters of the company and its MENA/SWANA artist community from afar as they each step down from their roles to pursue other ventures.

Thirteen years ago, Lameece Issaq, alongside Maha Chehlaoui and Nancy Vitale, joined forces to found Noor Theatre. With a mission to support, develop, and produce the work of theatre artists of Middle Eastern and North African/South West Asian and North African (MENA/SWANA) descent, Noor Theatre holds a distinct and important role in creating work for a community that has been historically underrepresented in the national U.S. theatre landscape. While some theatres elsewhere share this mission, we are unique in the specificity of our work in the New York area.

“It was like becoming a part of a family I never knew I could have,” says Lameece – “We would all navigate an urgent, post 9/11 world, our call to represent our diverse communities vital and impassioned. We would never be artists alone, we would be activists too, insisting on our place in the arts, insisting that we tell our stories our way.”

Throughout the years, the company has undergone significant organizational changes. After Megan joined in 2016, Noor Theatre expanded its rigorous artistic programming and institutional infrastructure to continue building a canon of MENA/SWANA work that we see presented on American stages today. 

“I've had the privilege to listen in on conversations that were vulnerable and deeply personal and I'm so grateful for that. I can't begin to count the number of times I've been moved beyond words watching this community at work,” adds Megan. “While it's hard to step away, I'm so thrilled to make space for Ariana as the new Executive Director as she continues Noor's work. She'll be an amazing addition to the team and I'm so excited to see what she does in this role as she brings new life and vision to the organization.” 

As Noor moves into a new era, although Lameece and Megan will no longer be involved in the day-to-day operations of the company, their impact will continue to be felt. “As Noor's Founding Artistic Director, Lameece carved out space in New York's theatrical industry for artists of MENA/SWANA descent where there virtually was none. Then, in support of that vision, Megan helped to transform a grassroots theater organization into a sophisticated operation that is my absolute honor and privilege now to lead,” says Ariana. “That I have personally been moved to tears as I have experienced works of MENA/SWANA artists is a direct testament to Lameece's visionary leadership and Megan's institution building. The selfless, foundational work that Lameece and Megan have undertaken can often be taken for granted, but not for us at Noor! Their legacy lives on in all that we do.” 

The Noor team now consists of Sivan Battat (Director of New Work Development), Kate Moore Heaney (Artistic Producer), Salma Zohdi (Director of Development and Communication), Ariana Sarfarazi (Executive Director), and Catherine Coray in a consultation role (Affiliate Producing Director). Led by Ariana, the team will work together to further Noor Theatre's mission of uplifting MENA/SWANA theater artists and community. “I'm so thrilled to see this new chapter of Noor unfold.” Megan adds, “I'll forever be supporting from afar.” Lameece shares, “I hope you will continue to champion these wonderful leaders and Noor as they navigate the tough questions and challenges of an ever-changing world.” 

At Noor, we are immensely grateful for the paths Lameece and Megan carved to make our work possible, in service of our larger community of artists and supporters. As a community, let's stand together to thank them for their dedication, leadership, and vision— without which we wouldn't have made it thus far. 

“More than a decade later, I continue to be profoundly inspired by this community, and the enormous strides it has made in so many areas of our industry, through sheer grit and talent. The artists have always kept me going, and being in a room with so many of you over the years has given me hope, joy and a sense of belonging,” says Lameece. 

Noor Theatre supports, develops, and produces the work of theatre artists of Middle Eastern and North African/South West Asian and North African (MENA/SWANA) descent. Noor was founded in 2010 in order to serve these artists; we develop and amplify their voices for diverse audiences. As New York City's only company with this mission, we provide an important space for MENA/SWANA voices to be heard. In doing so, we counter negative stereotypes, share nuanced work that reflects the unique perspectives of our artists, and ensure that our communities are represented and celebrated in the larger theatre ecosystem. We are committed to a programming mission that meets our community of artists at different stages of their artistic process. We strive to provide an artistic home for artists where they can find support throughout their creative process— from inception through development.