THE MECCA TALES
The Sheen Center
Five Muslim women of different ages, backgrounds and nationalities undertake the pilgrimage known as the Hajj. When their bus breaks down miles short of their destination, tempers flare and the women are tested in unexpected ways. They share their personal stories with each other in an attempt to move forward in their lives and find meaning in a spiritual journey seemingly gone awry.
concept rendering
shop photos: "astrolabe" deck, paint treatment in process
THE MECCA TALES by Rohina Malik
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Voyage Theater Company @ The Sheen Center
Crossroads Theatre @ Middlesex College
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director Kareem Fahmy
choreographer Theara J. Ward
scenic design David Esler
costume design Teresa Snider-Stein
lighting & projection design Devorah Kengmana
original music & sound design Fan Zhang
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cast: Cynthia Bastidas, Kimberly S. Fairbanks, Mariam Habib, Gulshan Mia, Jade Radford, Louis Sallan
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photos by William M. Brown, David Esler, Beowulf Sheehan
The Mecca Tales is an essential new work of theatre ... a jewel ... a timely, compelling play [that] should be seen far and wide.
–Jack Wernick, Theatre Times
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The Mecca Tales is the best performance I have seen all year, on or Off-Broadway, in dance, music, or film. At curtain call I did something I have not done this calendar year: I joined the entire audience to give a well-deserved standing ovation. I could have stood clapping all night. Kareem Fahmy's direction, David Esler's scenic design, and Devorah Kengmana's lighting embrace the seamless quality [of the text] by treating the show as if it were one beautiful dream sequence: what is seen is blurred with what is felt in perfect modulation, giving the play a cinematic feel while maintaining verisimilitude. Flashbacks unfurl as a character relives the past, and then recede as she is called back to the land of the living.
–Juan Michael Porter II, BroadwayWorld.com (11/3/17)
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Malik's foregrounding of underrepresented voices enriches the tapestry of contemporary American theater. Following five women whose progress along the road to Mecca also marks their difficult progress towards self-determination ... [the play unfolds] in often tragic flashbacks, which include some doubling by the cast. This multivalent narrative unspools on a terrific set designed by David Esler, featuring an intricately decorated circular stage augmented by images projected on a curved area at the rear.
–Leah Richards, Culture Catch
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The production team did a great job, including scenic design by David Esler, lighting and projection design by Devorah Kengmana, costume design by Teresa Snider-Stein, and choreography by Theara J. Ward. We applaud Crossroads for kicking off the season with The Mecca Tales, a universally appealing and important show, and a gift to New Jersey audiences.
–Marina Kennedy, BroadwayWorld.com (NJ)
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Relatable and entertaining to watch! The set and costume designs were phenomenal.
–Christopher M. Struck, Applause! Applause!