Shattering Muslim Stereotypes: DIRTY PAKI Lingerie Gets N.J. Premiere

Dirty Paki Lingerie by Aizzah Fatima - a one-woman show about Muslim life in America that has toured overseas and throughout the U.S. - makes its New Jersey premiere as part of Borderless, the ongoing series about the repercussions of 21st Century globalization, presented by Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC).

Dirty Paki Lingerie explores the lives of six Pakistani-American women as they struggle to negotiate their identities in post-9/11 America. Fatima's thought-provoking play delves into how immigrants negotiate the cultural clash between the traditional and the contemporary while also shattering preconceptions about Muslim life by showing the real lives of women rarely depicted on the stage.

Borderless - the new series by JCTC that runs through March - brings a diverse array of new and emerging voices to audiences with a comprehensive range of art, theatre, readings and performances. Dirty Paki Lingerie is presented by Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) on Saturday March 11/7:30 pm at Merseles Studios, 339 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07302.

"In line with JCTC's mission to showcase progressive and provocative works that deal with the challenges of our times, Aizzah Fatima's Dirty Paki Lingerie invites the audience to see Muslim women and girls in ways we may not expect to," said Lisa Strum, Associate Theatre Coordinator, JCTC. "She's breaking down stereotypes yet simultaneously bridging the divide between women across cultures."

In 2016, Dirty Paki Lingerie went on a 15-city tour in the United Kingdom, including an acclaimed performance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The play was also performed in Pakistan (with the U.S. State Department) and became the first American play to represent the US at the International Theatre Festival of Turkmenistan. The show has also been performed at several University Theaters in the U.S., including: Columbia University, New York University and the University of California/Santa Barbara. This summer, a feature film of Dirty Paki Lingerie, directed by Emmy- Award winning filmmaker, Iman Zahwary, begins production.

"It is important for me to bring this play to Jersey City and highlight stories of immigrants in the US at a time when the political climate is breeding fear of immigrants and the 'other'," said Fatima. "The characters in the play allow audiences to see their own stories in the lives of these six Pakistani-American-Muslim women."

Dirty Paki Lingerie was nominated for an Outstanding Solo Performance award (NYIT 2014), and for a Broadway World award for Best Play in 2016. The play has been published by No Passport Press. In its review of the play, the Wall Street Journal declared that Dirty Paki Lingerie ... "breaks down stereotypes of Muslim women in America."

A New York City based writer and actor, Fatima's other credits include: Romeo & Juliet (Access Theatre), Half Hearted (Cherry Lane Theatre), Play by Play Rendezvous (Stageworks Hudson), High Maintenance (HBO), The Good Wife (CBS). She has also performed at Upright Citizen's Brigade, and in sketches for collegehumor.com. Her short film Stuff in which she starred along with Annette O'Toole won the best comedy award (Asians on Film).

Dirty Paki Linger/Saturday March 11/7:30pm/Doors open: 7:00pm.

Tickets: $25.00. To purchase tickets, visit: jctcenter.org

Jersey City Theater Center
Merseles Studios
339 Newark Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07302
(201) 795-5386

*Photographs and interviews available upon request*

Funding for Borderless & Dirty Paki Linger was made possible by generous support from the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development, Thomas A. DeGise, Hudson County Executive and the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Borderless & Dirty Paki Lingerie was also made possible through the generosity of Ben LoPiccolo Development Group, JCTC's Board of Directors, private donors and local Jersey City businesses.

Jersey City Theater Center, Inc. (JCTC) manages programming at Merseles Studios and the adjacent White Eagle Hall, currently under construction. JCTC is a nonprofit, 501c3 arts organization committed to presenting innovative and progressive performing & visual arts as well as educational arts programs that embrace the multicultural identity and preserve the rich history of Jersey City, bringing its community closer together and enhancing its quality of life. > jctcenter.org

Photocaption: Dirty Paki Lingerie by Aizzah Fatima makes its New Jersey premiere as part of Borderless, presented by Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) at Merseles Studios in Jersey City.

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