Hybridge Arts Collective to Present MOSQUE World Premiere, 1/28 & 29

Hybridge Arts Collective presents the World Premiere of Mosque, a story of family and identity set in Manhattan the summer of 2010.

The play deals directly with the controversy and division surrounding the construction of a Mosque near Ground Zero. Abdul and Mohammad struggle to understand each other as father and son with an uneasy truce between them in regards to their cultural differences. But when Mohammad over hears a close family friend speak his mind outside of their corner store, Mohammad is forced to define his life for himself. Mosque is a challenging new work that digs at the core of duty, self-realization, and the reality of living in post 9/11 America.

Hybridge Arts Collective will present the World Premiere of Mosque as a part of their new program, Blueprint Breakout Series, on January 28th and 29th at 6:30PM at the Broad Street Ministry, located at 315 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, Penn. Tickets cost $5 at the door and include a meal and dance performance by a special guest prior to the show.

For more information about this production, visit www.hybridgearts.org, or https://www.facebook.com/events/170184899787907/, or http://mosquetheplay.wordpress.com/.

Mosque is written by Jihad Milhem, a local actor and playwright. This production marks Milhem's first full-length play. Some of Jihad's previous work in the Philadelphia area includes All Places From Here in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival with Bright Light Theatre Company, Fighting For Democracy at the National Constitution Center, Tennessee's Final Curtain at South Camden Theatre Company, and Hazzard County with Azuka Theatre.

Emerging director Candace Cihocki will helm this World Premiere production of Mosque. Most recently, Cihocki directed Travesties at Plays and Players. Hybridge Arts Collective's own Kelly Turner and Julian Karlen will execute the Production Design for the performance. This is the second Blueprint Breakout Series production for Hybridge Arts and they could not be more pleased.

"The play began as a way for me to understand the deep conflict on both side of the mosque issue," said Milhem. "Most of the action in Mosque takes place outside of the family's corner store where that conflict is let loose. Although the people on both sides of the issue love and respect each other, they struggle to find common ground about the Mosque and American Islam in general. While Abdul and Mohammad struggle with their separate ideas for what is best for them as a family, the Mosque controversy (what's going on outside their store) just adds to the fire."

Hybridge Arts Collective presents original works created by emerging artists in Philadelphia. Hybridge encourages audiences to discover a new generation of artists by offering affordable evenings of live performance. We bridge the gap between artists of varying disciplines by presenting them within the same program. These introductions create the opportunity for future collaborations and provide the artists with new resources. Hybridge is committed to producing accessible events that engage, connect and inspire. For more information, visit www.hybridgearts.org.

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