Advanced Theater Arts Students Present 'The Girl in the Red Hijab'
On May 12, as their final Advanced Theater Arts production, ninth grade students presented The Girl in the Red Hijab, a serious play focused on issues of religion, prejudice, and bullying. The audience for this thought-provoking, contemporary high school story was made up of seventh, eighth, and ninth graders, as well as parents and teachers.
Written by Jim and Jane Jeffries and directed by theater arts teacher Sarah Carlin, the drama explores different prejudices and misinformation about Muslims in America. Samira, an outspoken and articulate Muslim girl, gets on the wrong side of a group of students by challenging them on their assumptions about Islam. Offended, they nominate her for homecoming court as a way to embarrass her and then follow with a nasty text campaign. Two of her friends must decide whether to just be bystanders, and a new Muslim student, who just wants to fit in, must decide if it is time to unveil her expression of faith.
According to Sarah Carlin, the piece demanded real courage from her ninth grade actors. "The issues it addresses are difficult ones that could have been ripped from today's headlines," she says, "and the high school students in the play grapple with attitudes and feelings that many of our Upper School students are familiar with, from wanting to fit in to being wary of peers who are different."
For the ninth grade girls, wearing the hijab may have been the most difficult part of the entire production. "Trying to envision themselves as a Muslim teenager in an American school was a challenging and unfamiliar experience. At the same time, it was eye-opening for both the girls and the boys in the class to experience that discomfort and work through it together."
Prior to beginning rehearsals for the play, the students spent time researching and discussing the meaning of the hijab, the diverse views of both Muslims and non-Muslims towards the wearing of the hijab, differences in the roles of women in Middle Eastern societies and the United States, and American attitudes towards Islam.
Dean of Students Sean Melia acknowledged the challenging subject matter and praised the ninth graders' willingness to take it on: "This is a great example of how art can raise our awareness; I've found myself paying attention to the news in a different way after seeing the play. Bravo to the ninth grade - they did a wonderful job."
Watch the video of the complete production below.
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Written by Jim and Jane Jeffries and directed by theater arts teacher Sarah Carlin, the drama explores different prejudices and misinformation about Muslims in America. Samira, an outspoken and articulate Muslim girl, gets on the wrong side of a group of students by challenging them on their assumptions about Islam. Offended, they nominate her for homecoming court as a way to embarrass her and then follow with a nasty text campaign. Two of her friends must decide whether to just be bystanders, and a new Muslim student, who just wants to fit in, must decide if it is time to unveil her expression of faith.
According to Sarah Carlin, the piece demanded real courage from her ninth grade actors. "The issues it addresses are difficult ones that could have been ripped from today's headlines," she says, "and the high school students in the play grapple with attitudes and feelings that many of our Upper School students are familiar with, from wanting to fit in to being wary of peers who are different."
For the ninth grade girls, wearing the hijab may have been the most difficult part of the entire production. "Trying to envision themselves as a Muslim teenager in an American school was a challenging and unfamiliar experience. At the same time, it was eye-opening for both the girls and the boys in the class to experience that discomfort and work through it together."
Prior to beginning rehearsals for the play, the students spent time researching and discussing the meaning of the hijab, the diverse views of both Muslims and non-Muslims towards the wearing of the hijab, differences in the roles of women in Middle Eastern societies and the United States, and American attitudes towards Islam.
Dean of Students Sean Melia acknowledged the challenging subject matter and praised the ninth graders' willingness to take it on: "This is a great example of how art can raise our awareness; I've found myself paying attention to the news in a different way after seeing the play. Bravo to the ninth grade - they did a wonderful job."
Watch the video of the complete production below.
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