The Veiled Monologues & Is. Man

The murder of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh rocked the foundations of Holland’s famously liberal and tolerant society. In an effort to reach beyond the “live and let live” attitude characteristic of the Dutch and take a look behind the seemingly closed doors of their immigrant neighbors, Adelheid Roosen embarked on hundreds of personal interviews with Muslim men and women. Intermixing live music, dance and film, she has
transformed her conversations into two powerful, dramatic and moving productions.

The Veiled Monologues is a vital, surprising, and poetic portrait of love and relationships under Islam. Roosen collected testimonies of women born and raised in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Somalia, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq. The play is performed by three Turkish actresses of Muslim descent, accompanied by a live musician on the saz, a lute-like stringed instrument from Turkey. Since its premiere in the Netherlands
in 2001, The Veiled Monologues has been performed in Europe, the Middle East, and before the Dutch Parliament and national convention of Holland’s law enforcement agencies. The production at St. Ann’s Warehouse marks the English Language Premiere.

Is. Man reveals the secretive world, complex motivations and feelings behind honor killings in Muslim families. A heart breaking, fictionalized story performed by three generations of Muslim men and a Sufi Dervish Dancer, Is. Man evokes layers of Islamic culture through storytelling, dance, and song. The men in the show speak about “namus” – a notion of honor for a man and his family that refers to the sexual integrity of all the women in the family. As they say, “The women carry it. The men defend it.” If namus is lost in the eyes of the community, it must be restored – in grave cases by murder or forced suicide, ordered by a father, grandfather or uncle and implemented by a son, brother or cousin, often in collusion with the mothers and
aunts. This is the story of Is. Man.

These performances of The Veiled Monologue and Is. Man mark the first time the two have been performed in repertory and in English.