Lisa Peterson to Direct Noor's Next Highlight Reading, 10/7

Noor Theatre's Highlight Reading Series continues this Monday at 7:30pm with an excerpt of The Shadow Spirit, by Ibn Daniyal. Written in Cairo in the 13th century, this saucy, satirical piece offers a raucous glimpse into medieval Cairo's underworld of pimps, prostitutes and dirty dealings. This is a rare opportunity to hear one of Egypt's earliest secular plays, which was written by a contemporary of Chaucer.

Originally presented last spring with the Martin E. Segal Center and CUNY's Graduate Center, this fresh translation by Dr. Safi Mahfouz and Dr. Marvin Carlson surprises audiences with its irreverence and how it addresses the place of morality in governance.

Lisa Peterson (An Iliad, Slavs!) directs a cast that includes Fajer Al-Kaisi (Nurse Jackie, Aftermath), Maha Chehlaoui (Aftermath, Food and Fadwa), Demosthenes Chrysan (Boardwalk Empire, Golden Boy), Mike Crane (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Damages),Kathryn Grody (A Mom's Life, Law and Order), and Heather Raffo (9 Parts of Desire, Food and Fadwa).

Lisa Peterson's recent credits include An Iliad at NYTW, La Jolla and Berkeley Rep (2012 OBIE and Lortel Awards) and Pullman Porter Blues at Seattle Rep and Arena Stage. She has directed world premieres by Donald Margulies, Tony Kushner, Beth Henley, Naomi Wallace, Chay Yew, Luis Alfaro, David Henry Hwang, Stephen Belber, Ellen McLaughlin, Marlane Meyer, Philip Gotanda, John Belluso, Caryl Churchill, Janusz Glowacki, and many others at theaters including The Public, The Vineyard, MCC, MTC, Primary Stages, Guthrie, Actors Theater of Louisville, McCarter, and more. She received a second OBIE award, numerous Dramalogues, Drama Desk and Calloway nominations, and an NEA/TCG grant. She was Associate Director at La Jolla Playhouse for 3 years and Resident Director at Mark Taper Forum for 10 years. Executive Board of SDC.

The performance takes place this Monday, October 7th, at 7:30 PM in the 3rd Floor Rehearsal Studio of New York Theatre Workshop(83 East 4th Street), where Noor Theatre is a Company In Residence. To reserve a seat email RSVP@Noortheatre.org.

Noor Theatre is dedicated to supporting, developing and producing the work of theatre artists of Middle-Eastern descent. Created in 2010 by Lameece Issaq, Maha Chehlaoui and Nancy Vitale, Noor is a Company-in-Residence at New York Theatre Workshop.

For more information about Noor Theatre, visit www.noortheatre.org, follow on Facebook and Twitter (@NoorTheatre).