Voices of Muslim Identity & Understanding Islam Workshop

2016-17 UMS LEARNING GUIDE Beyond Sacred: Voices of Muslim Identity & Understanding Islam Workshop 16 BE PRESENT 17

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04 05 06 19 29 ATTEND THE DETAILS LEARN UNDERSTANDING ISLAM CONNECT

07 Why? 20 Foreword: Framing Your Day 30 Being an Audience Member 09 Artist 21 Overview 33 Arts Online 13 Art Form 22 Presenters 35 Recommended Reading 17 Performance 24 The Workshop Agenda 39 Writing About Live Performance 25 Islam – The History and Practice 42 About UMS 27 Islam – Culture 44 Credits and Sponsors 28 Resources february 17february UMS SCHOOL DAY PERFORMANCE

Beyond Sacred: Voices of Muslim Identity

Friday, February 17 // 11 am Power Center

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Coming to your E-mail Inbox!

Map and Driving Directions Logistical Details (drop-off/pick-up locations) Venue Information

UMS.ORG / 734.615.0122

BE PRESENT 4 The Details

ACCESSIBILITY We aim to maximize accessibility at our performances and below are details regarding this performance’s points of accessibility. If you have further questions, e-mail [email protected] or call 734.615.0122.

The following services are available to audience members: • Wheelchair, companion, or other special seating • Courtesy wheelchairs • Hearing Impaired Support Systems

PARKING There is handicapped parking very close to the Power Center on Fletcher Street and in the parking structure behind the Power Center on Palmer Drive. The first three levels of the Palmer Drive structure have five parking spots on each level next to each elevator. There are a total of 15 parking spaces in the garage. VENUE ADDRESS Power Center, 121 Fletcher St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY The Power Center is wheelchair accessible and has 12 seats for audience EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBER members with special needs. 734.764.2538

BATHROOMS ADA ARRIVAL TIME Compliant toilets are available in the green room (east corner) of the Power Between 10:30-10:50 am Center for both men and women.

TICKETS ENTRY We do not use paper tickets for School Day Performances. We hold school The front doors are not powered; however, there will be an usher at that door reservations at the door and seat groups upon arrival. opening it for all patrons.

FOOD No food or drinks (including school lunches) are allowed in the theater.

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Beyond Sacred: Voices of Muslim Identity Ping Chong + Company

UMS.ORG / 734.615.0122

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Why? UMS EDUCATION ARTISTIC STATEMENT

Ping Chong + Company produces theatrical works addressing the important cultural New York City. The participants are not actors and share their personal stories in and civic issues of our times, striving to reach the widest audiences with the this performance. The participants represent a wide range of people in the Muslim greatest level of artistic innovation and social integrity. The company was founded community, from those who identify as culturally Muslim to those who are devout in 1975 by leading theatrical innovator Ping Chong with a mission to create works of in religious practice. The goal of Beyond Sacred is to use theater and personal theater and art that explore the intersections of race, culture, history, art, media, and testimony to foster greater understanding between Muslim and non-Muslim technology in the modern world. communities throughout the United States. UMS is excited to include this important work in our School Day Performance series. We trust it will provide a productive Beyond Sacred is an interview-based, documentary theater performance that opportunity for participants to engage in examination of these often sensitive and explores the diverse experiences of young Muslim New Yorkers. The stories vary in politically-charged issues. many ways, but they share the common experience of coming of age in post-9/11

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Why? ONLINE: CONNECTING TO THE PERFORMANCE

There must be a new paradigm of connectedness, of inclusion, of sharing, of belonging, of respect, of responsibility, of sacredness because with every passing day in our brave new world we are losing more and more of our connection to ourselves, to each other, to the past, to our rich histories, and to the earth itself which nurtures Watch this video to learn of the evolution and us. Because without this sense of inspiration of Ping Chong’s theatrical work. connection there can be no respect for life on this planet.

PING CHONG [TED TALK 2011]

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Artist

BIOGRAPHY OF PING CHONG Ping Chong is an interdisciplinary artist whose innovative work spans theater, Chong’s important pieces of the 1980s include Nuit Blanche, Kind Ness, dance, film, multimedia, and installation art. His pieces deal primarily with and Snow. These works frequently feature nonlinear storytelling that ties themes of cultural identity, social justice, race, immigration, and “the other.” different characters together through shared experiences. Chong began his continuous production of the Undesirable Elements series in 1992. His 2014 Chong was born in Toronto in 1946 and grew up as a first-generation American piece Collidescope: Adventures in Pre- and Post-Racial America addresses race in New York City’s Chinatown. He began his performance career in the 1970s by weaving through real and imagined events in American history from the as a member of Meredith Monk’s pioneering interdisciplinary theater company. Civil War to the killing of Trayvon Martin. Ping Chong & Company also offers Their collaborations, including The Travelogue Series and The Games, blend workshops and trainings for arts educators from around the world. elements of movement, music, and theater without emphasizing a single specific genre. Chong has received many of the most important awards in the arts, including a 2014 National Medal of Arts from President Obama, six different fellowships from Chong created his first independent production, Lazarus, in 1972. Set in modern the National Endowment for the Arts, and two Obie awards for stage direction. New York City, it equates the Biblical character’s alienation after returning from the dead with contemporary cultural alienation. This work is an early example of Chong’s signature integration of theater, film projection, puppetry, and recorded sound. In 1975, he founded the Fiji Theater Company, now called Ping Chong & Company.

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Artist ONLINE

Getting to know Ping Chong.

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Artist ONLINE

Getting to know Ping Chong + Company and the beginning of the Undesirable Elements series.

Visit the company’s website: Ping Chong + Company.

photographer: Kevin Kennedy

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Artist ONLINE

Read about their work in the community.

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Art Form THEATER

GLOSSARY Actor: The actors are the people who tell the stories Stagehands: These people do much of the heavy characters. The director must keep lighting in mind onstage! This person’s job is to convey a written lifting backstage, moving scenery and props before while blocking the actors. character in a believable way and to accurately or during the performance. represent the director’s vision. Dialogue: This is the conversation between Lighting Designer: The lighting designer works with characters, or the spoken lines in a play. Director: The director is the person in charge of the the creative team and reads the script closely to “vision” for any particular show. All of the elements create the correct time of day and atmosphere for Proscenium: A traditional theater venue with an of a piece of theatre come together under the the performance. They must keep in mind visibility arch that separates the audience and the action on director’s supervision; the director is in charge of of any given character on stage, cost, and of course, stage. lighting, sound, set, costumes, and often works with safety. the actors on how to interpret the script. Set: The scenery and props that are designed and Costume Designer: The costume designer is in placed on stage to create the environment of the play. Producer: The producer is in charge of the financial charge of what people wear onstage. Costumes and managerial aspects of the show you see; they are distinctive forms of dress that reflect gender, Upstage: Upstage is toward the back of the theater. raise the funds and often hire the creative team. class, ethnicity, profession, activity, and nationality. A movement “upstage” is also a movement away The costume can give us clues as to where the from the audience. Playwright: The playwright writes the scripts that character lives, how they make their money, or how will soon be made into fully-fledged productions. they see themselves. Wigs and makeup work with Downstage: This is the part of the stage that is However, a playwright will sometimes work for years costumers to assist in creating this complete vision closest to the audience. A movement “downstage” on a single piece. for the character. in traditional theatre would be to approach the audience. Stage Manager: Stage managers provide their Company: The company is comprised of the entire directors with organizational support throughout cast, crew, and creative team. A company is all staff Stage Left: Left as seen from the actors’ point of the rehearsal process. During the run of the show, associated with a single show. view. If you are an audience member, stage left will they are in charge backstage, calling light cues, and be on the right side of the stage as you are facing it. making sure that actors are at their places. Smaller Cast: The actors or players in the performance. productions will only have a single stage manager, Stage Right: Right as seen from the actors’ point of while bigger productions may hire an entire team. Blocking: Any movement by the characters onstage. view. If you are an audience member, stage right will Blocking is carefully planned to advance the plot be on the left side of the stage as you are facing it. and create meaningful relationships between the

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Art Form WHAT ARE THE BASICS OF STORYTELLING STRUCTURE?

CLIMAX The climax is the point of greatest interest in a narrative. It is the culmination of events that have occurred during the rising action, and is the main dramatic event in a story. This is also called the “crisis.”

RISING ACTION FALLING ACTION The rising action is a series of Falling action occurs after events that build tension or the conflict of the climax has suspense in the narrative. This been resolved, and leads to action leads to the climax. the resolution.

INCITING INCIDENT The inciting incident is the decision or event that sets the plot in motion.

EXPOSITION RESOLUTION Exposition occurs at the beginning of the The resolution is typically the end story. It is used to establish the world in of the narrative. It occurs after which the narrative is set, and the routine the crisis has been resolved, and that will inevitably be interrupted during routine has been reestablished. the piece. This is also called the “stasis.”

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Art Form TIMELINE HISTORY OF THE THEATER

Theater is a collaborative art form that attempts to recreate the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience. Live performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music, and dance. Modern Western theater originated largely from ancient Greek drama and has evolved to include many subgenres and related art forms including musical theater, opera, and ballet.

458 BCE 1510 c. 1550 c. 1560

Oresteia by Aeschylus Everyman by unknown Wakefield Mystery Plays by various authors Commedia dell’arte established One of the first dramatic trilogies, which Though the identity of its author is Medieval mystery plays focused on the Translated to “theater of the is a large work comprising three separate unknown, Everyman remains one of the representation of Bible stories. They professional,” Commedia dell’arte plays, the Oresteia tells the bloody story of most popular examples of the medieval presented subjects such as the Creation, originated in Northern Italy and was a form the family of Agamemnon, King of Argos. morality play, in which the protagonist is Adam and Eve, the murder of Abel, and of theater characterized by improvised met by personifications of various moral the last judgement. Mystery plays were dialogue and a cast of stock characters. attributes who try to steer him towards a often performed in cycles that could last Productions were based on set sketches, virtuous and Godly life. several days, and plays were grouped into or scenarios, with which actors could compilations based on where they were take liberties to inject social commentary, performed. political insults, and bawdy humor. c. 1600 1895 1896 1934

Hamlet by William Shakespeare The Importance of Being Earnest by The Seagull by Anton Chekhov The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman Oscar Wilde Shakespeare’s most famous work This play dramatizes the romantic This controversial drama depicts the tells the tragic story of Prince Hamlet Regarded as Wilde’s masterpiece, The and artistic conflicts between four story of two women who run a school wreaking revenge upon his uncle Importance of Being Earnest is a farcical characters. Chekhov created a cast for girls. After a malicious youngster Claudius for the murder of his father, comedy in which the protagonists lead of diverse, fully developed characters starts a rumor that the two teachers are King Hamlet. The play inspired numerous fictitious double-lives. The play uses and wrote dialogue full of subtext, having an affair, it quickly escalates into writers and has been produced live and humor to make subtle satire of Victorian or ideas and emotions not explicitly a scandal and ends in tragedy. In 1952, in film for over 400 years. conventions. communicated but that are implicit in the during the midst of the McCarthy era, characters’ thoughts and actions. copies of this play were removed from overseas US libraries, and Hellman was “blacklisted” in Hollywood.

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Art Form TIMELINE HISTORY OF THE THEATER

Continued.

1948 1949 1959 1976

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Rhinocéros by Eugene Ionesco Einstein on the Beach by Robert Wilson & Subtitled “a tragicomedy in two acts,” Considered one of the greatest plays of This post-war avant-garde play is often Philip Glass Beckett’s play presents two characters, the 20th century, Death of a Salesman included in the “Theater of the Absurd” This 20th-century masterwork of theater, Vladimir and Estragon, who spend the explores the nature of reality, illusion, and movement. In the play, the central music, and dance uses a series of entirety of the play waiting for someone the American Dream through each of its character watches in horror as the people powerful recurrent images as its main named Godot, who never arrives. The main characters. The play uses flashbacks around turn one-by-one into rhinoceroses. storytelling device, which are juxtaposed play deals with the subject of despair to present the main character’s memory The play explores themes of conformity, with abstract dance sequences and short and surviving in an uncomprehending juxtaposed with reality. mass culture, mob mentality, and morality, scenes called “knee plays.” This “opera” and incomprehensible world. and it is often read as a response to the breaks all of the rules of traditional opera, rise of Communism, Fascism, and Nazism and it takes almost five hours to perform. in the years preceding WWII.

1977 1979 1983 2015

Fefu and her Friends by Maria Irene Cloud Nine by Caryl Churchill Fences by August Wilson Fun Home by Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron, Fornes source material by Alison Bechdel This two-act comedy ultimately preaches This “slice-of-life” piece expertly renders Known for its solely female cast, Fefu a message of love and acceptance the struggles and triumphs of an African- This revolutionary musical is inspired by and her Friends was written by Cuban- through a story about sexual repression, American family in the 1950s. Fences is Alison Bechdel’s 2006 graphic novel of American playwright Maria Irene using Churchill’s own feminist and the sixth play in Wilson’s famed ten-part the same name. The story details Alison’s Fornes. The piece was revolutionary in political ideals. Pittsburgh Cycle. The play won the 1987 own journey into adulthood, her father’s its exploration of unorthodox staging Tony Award for Best Play and the 1987 tragic death, and her discoveries about methods. The scenes were divided into Pulitzer Prize for Drama. her own sexuality. It is the first Broadway seven rooms, and the audience was led show with a lesbian protagonist, and won in groups from room to room. the 2015 Tony Award for Best Musical.

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Performance

Watch excerpts from the performance of Beyond Sacred: Voices of Muslim Identity

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Performance

Beyond Sacred: Voices of Muslim Identity

Friday, February 17 // 11 am Power Center

Ping Chong + Company creates theater that crosses boundaries of identity, community, and form. Beyond Scared: Voices of Muslim Identity is an interview-based theater production that explores the diverse experiences of young Muslim New Yorkers. The five participants are different in many ways and come from a range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds, but they share the common experience of coming of age in a post-9/11 New York City, at a time of increasing Islamophobia. The goal of this performance is to use theater and personal testimony to foster greater understanding between Muslim and non-Muslim communities throughout the United States. This production contains strong language.

Pre-and post-show workshops offered.

WORKSHOP: UNDERSTANDING ISLAM Saturday, February 11 // 9 am Various locations in Ann Arbor and Dearborn

BE PRESENT 18 Understanding Islam

Overview Presenters The Workshop Agenda Islam – The History and Practice Islam – Culture Resources

UMS.ORG / 734.615.0122

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Foreword: Framing Your Day by Terri Park, UMS Education Coordinator

As of 2010 there were 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, roughly 23% of the global population. While it is currently the world’s second-largest religion, after Christianity, Islam is the fastest growing major religious group worldwide. As one consequence of this continuing dramatic growth, “Islamophobia” has emerged as an issue with serious social and political repercussions.

The migration of Muslims from Syria and Iraq, in addition to the violent actions of extremist groups, has brought Muslims and Islam to the forefront of political debate across Europe, Asia, and the United States. At the same time, knowledge about Islam is often limited among those increasingly coming into contact with its practitioners, with many holding negative and hateful views towards Muslims. Both social and broadcast media often seem filled with stories and news accounts of a violent, polarized world. In this context the need for dialogue and understanding is even more crucial.

The purpose of this day-long workshop is to explore the historic cultural traditions of Islam around the globe, to analyze the similarities and differences in religious and cultural practices of Muslims across continents, and to establish an open space for questions and dialogue, all with the hope of creating an understanding, appreciation, and acceptance of one another. With small steps, we can begin the process of eliminating ignorance and misunderstanding one conversation at a time.

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Overview THE WORKSHOP

OVERVIEW Since September 11, 2001, Islam has been at the center of many debates on religious freedom and cultural diversity. Tensions around religious identity make the need for dialogue and understanding more important than ever. In connection with UMS’s School Day Performance of Beyond Sacred: Voices of Muslim Identity, this workshop will explore the people, history, traditions, and art of Islam. UMS will partner with community leaders, artists, and scholars to guide participants in understanding the diverse societies of the Islamic world. We will explore the rich culture of Islam in Dearborn as well as right here in Ann Arbor.

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Presenters THE WORKSHOP

JAYE STARR – INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM DR. SAMER MAHDY – PANEL DISCUSSION MODERATOR Jaye Starr is graduate student at Hartford Seminary pursing an M.A. in Islamic Dr. Samer Mahdy Ali is Associate Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Studies & Christian-Muslim Relations and a G.C. in Chaplaincy. She is involved the University of Michigan. He is author of Arabic Literary Salons in the Islamic in several local interfaith initiatives, worships at the Muslim Community Middle Ages and co-editor of The CALICO Journal: Special Issue on Hebrew and Association of Ann Arbor, and is a member of the Association of Muslim Arabic. His publications have appeared in the Encyclopedia of Islam, The Journal Chaplains. In the past she has worked as an international humanitarian law of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Al-Qantara, The Journal of Arabic Literature, and educator with the American Red Cross’ high school education program and The Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Women. His research has earned seven a Red Cross refugee caseworker. She also has domestic and international national and international awards, including five Fulbright Awards. At U-M, he experience with disaster relief, conflict transformation, non-violent teaches The Arabian Nights, Arab Women Poets, and Islamic Law, and Classical communication, and peace building, as well Arabic Poetry. He is currently working on a book about the poet al-Mutanabbi as community organizing in rural America. (10th century) and approaches to peace and nonviolent in Islamic cultures. Before entering academia, he taught kindergarten for two years in Chicago. NIHAD DUKHAN – CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOP He enjoys hiking, global travel and has visited more than 20 countries. Mr. Dukhan has a studied and trained in the art of Islamic calligraphy for over 20 years. He was certified as a master of Arabic and Islamic calligraphy in TALIA GANGOO – PANELIST Thuluth and Naskh styles from Istanbul grand master calligrapher Hasan Celebi Talia Gangoo is a Ph.D. candidate in Islamic Studies at the University of Michigan, in 2009. He has also studied in Taliq style from master calligrapher Mohamed where she specializes in the study of Sufism, or the mystical dimension of Islam. Zakariya in 2013 and has continued advanced training under guidance of master Her research investigates questions at the nexus of religious studies, philosophy, calligraphers Davud Bektaş in Jeli Sülüs style and Mustafa Parıldar in Jeli Talik and anthropology. She is particularly interested in the role of holy beings, spiritual style, Istanbul, Turkey. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. intermediaries, and saints across the world’s religions and belief systems. In her dissertation, she examines the metaphysical ideas, spiritual practices, and material culture of a contemporary Sufi order whose devotees span the globe. Talia worked as a researcher at the University of Michigan Museum of Art where she studied and wrote about Central African objects that were used by spiritual mediums and diviners, and she encourages everyone to explore the UMMA’s outstanding collection.

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Presenters THE WORKSHOP

Continued.

BRYON MAXEY – PANELIST CHAPLAIN MOHAMMED ISHTIAQ – PANELIST Bryon is a University of Michigan graduate student at the Center for Middle East Chaplain Ishtiaq was born and raised in Bradford, England. He was blessed with and North African Studies, focusing on the history of Islamic Education in Africa the opportunity to study at M’ahad al-Fath al-Islami in Damascus, Syria, where and the Americas. A longtime student of history, Bryon finds inspiration in the he spent 5 years. narratives of his family and the history of his community, where accounts of resilience, pride, and triumph serve as successful models for overcoming past Chaplain Ishtiaq was then blessed with the opportunity to spend over six — and present — indignities and injustices. months in the illuminated city of Tarim, Hadramaut (Yemen) where he studied Dawah with notable teachers such as Shaykh Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Shaykh His professional and academic career includes multi-faceted experiences as ‘Umar Hussain al-Khateeb and Shaykh Habib Muhammad bin Abdullah al-Aydrus. both a multi-faith community organizer and educator. Bryon is an active member of the Detroit and the University of Michigan (U-M) Muslim communities, having On returning from his studies, Chaplain Ishtiaq was appointed as the Imam of served on the board of the Muslim Center of Detroit and having played a key role Madni Jamia Masjid (Bradford) in 2009. He moved to Michigen in July 2010. in the launch of U-M’s Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum (DISC) and the IKHLAS He taught at the IAGD Hifz Program from 2011 to 2013. He also served as the Research Initiative. Director of Quran and Islamic Studies at Huda School, Franklin and the principle of the IAGD Weekend School from 2013 to 2016. Currently he is the Muslim ELLEN MYERS – PANELIST Chaplain at the University of Michigan. Ellen Myers is a first year master’s student in Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Michigan. Ellen’s research interests aim to explore the ways in which young Indonesian Muslims are navigating their expression of identity and Islamic piety through social media. Furthermore, Ellen is interested in how their online presence interacts within both the public and private sphere of their lives. Ellen received her bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan in anthropology. Upon completion of her degree, Ellen taught English in Indonesia as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. As an undergraduate, Ellen was selected to travel to Indonesia for the United States/Indonesia Pilot Program at the University of Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta. Through this program, she worked with Indonesian Muslim students to learn about religious pluralism, multiculturalism, and democracy between the United States and Indonesia.

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The Workshop Agenda THE WORKSHOP

MORNING AFTERNOON

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS RETURN TO ANN ARBOR (LUNCH ON THE BUS) BUS TRIP AROUND ANN ARBOR AND DEARBORN ISLAM AROUND THE WORLD INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM 101 UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MUSEUM OF ART UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MUSEUM OF ART PANEL DISCUSSION PRESENTED BY JAYE STARR PRESENTERS: PROFESSOR SAMER ALI, BRYON MAXEY, ELLEN MYERS, CHAPLAIN MOHAMMED ISHTIAQ, AND TALIA GANGOO VISIT ISLAMIC CENTER OF AMERICA DEARBORN ART ACTIVITY HOST: EID ALAWAN *LECTURE ON ISLAMIC CALLIGRAPHY *HANDS-ON ART-MAKING ACTIVITY *VIEWING ISLAMIC ART COLLECTION PRESENTED BY NIHAD DUKHAN

REFLECTION AND WRAP UP

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Islam - The History and Practice ABOUT ISLAM

to Medina in 622. After the prophet’s death ten years later, his followers established a powerful army that spread Islam by conquering present day Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Iraq, and Iran from the Byzantine and Sasanian empires.

By the 8th century, the Arab empire encompassed a vast, cosmopolitan trading network that stretched from North Africa through the Middle East to Spain. The period between the 9th and 13th centuries was a time of enormous artistic, scientific, and intellectual growth in the Islamic world. Although the empire declined in the early 19th century, Islam continues to spread throughout the world, primarily through migration. Today, Islam is the world’s fastest-growing and second largest religion and accounts for 1.3 billion followers, about 23% of the global population.

PRACTICES AND BELIEFS Because Islam is practiced in many different countries worldwide, there is significant diversity and variation among the beliefs, religious practices, and behaviors of Muslims from different places and cultures. Most observant Muslims share some practices such as following the five pillars of Islam and recognizing certain holidays. There are two widely celebrated holidays on the EARLY HISTORY Muslim calendar: Eid al Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramadan, and Muslims believe that God (“Allah”) revealed Islam to the Prophet Mohamed Eid al-Adha, which recognizes Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his own son in in the year 610 C.E. in the city of Mecca (in present-day Saudi Arabia). His submission to God. Both holidays commonly involve prayer, religious services, revelations were collected and written down in the Qu’ran (literally translated and fasting. The shared pillars of Islam are: declaring the faith, praying five times from Arabic as “recitation”). Islamic beliefs and practices also arose from the daily, donating a portion of one’s income to charity, fasting in daylight hours religious and cultural traditions of Judaism, Christianity and the Bedouin tribes during the month of Ramadan, and making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once of the Arabian Peninsula. Mecca’s leaders disagreed with Mohamed’s vision of in one’s lifetime. a religion based on faith in a single God, and exiled Mohamed and his followers

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Islam - The History and Practice ABOUT ISLAM

SPREAD OF ISLAM Within a century of its founding in 622 C.E., Islam had spread as far and wide The principle of religious and social reform is central to Islam. As early Muslims as France in the West and China in the East. The original Muslims were of Arab interacted with foreign religions and cultures, groups traded influences with descent, and existing cultures were absorbed into Islam as it spread through each other, and Islam began to evolve. Islam and Greek philosophy combined to Europe and Asia. These cultures included the Persians, Indians, and Chinese. create new philosophical schools within Islam.The Indians, Persians, and Sufis contributed elements of mysticism from their cultures. Overall, the vast and rapid spread of Islam broke down early Muslim social ideals like multiple marriages.

The 20th and 21st centuries have seen Islam continue to spread throughout the modern world by means of migration, commerce, and technological globalization. A problem facing Muslims today is finding a way of life that balances the spirit of Islam with an increasingly modern world. Many are searching for a path that balances aspects of both modern life and religion. Moreover, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and rising political tensions in the West have complicated contemporary views of Islam.

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Islam – Culture ABOUT ISLAM

ISLAMIC VISUAL ART Tile and Calligraphy Islamic art includes religious art as well as works created by Muslim artists, Tile is another highly regarded form of Islamic art. Artists create intricate and/or artists from the Muslim world. Although there are many different styles designs through both mosaics and painted tiles. Tile art frequently involves of Islamic art, fine art is a unifier among different Muslim cultures and regions. elaborate geometric patterns formed by small interlocking circles and squares. Some Muslims believe that representing man is a form of idolatry forbidden The Arab empire’s early advances in science and mathematics made these by the Qu’ran. Thus, Islamic art tends to avoid depictions of people, instead highly intricate geometric designs possible. In addition to these geometric revolving around calligraphy and natural and geometric patterns. Calligraphy is patterns, tile often features calligraphy and vegetal patterns (patterns inspired one of the most revered types of art and is valued for its ability to relate text and by nature), sometimes in combination. Brightly colored, glazed tile adorns many artistic beauty simultaneously. The Arabic alphabet lends itself to ornamental important architectural works such as the Hagia Sophia and the Great Mosque variations that adorn paper, pottery, metalwork, and other objects. Calligraphy of Herat, Afghanistan. text is typically a verse from the Qu’ran or from a poem.

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Resources ABOUT ISLAM

RESOURCES AND LESSON PLANS FOR TEACHING ABOUT MUSLIMS AND ISLAMOPHOBIA.

Teaching Tolerance Facing History Facing Ourselves Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project Bridge Initiative Exploring Humanitarian Law Michigan State, journals on Islam and course material One God Many Names University of Michigan, K-12 Educational Resources Teach Middle East

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Being an Audience Member Arts Online Writing about Live Performance About UMS Credit and Sponsors

UMS.ORG / 734.615.0122

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Being an audience member WATCHING AND LISTENING

When preparing to attend a live performing arts event, we hope you will think about the concepts of concert conduct and manners. This is not just about saying “please” and “thank you;” rather, it’s like an unspoken agreement you have with everyone else in the performance space, to be thoughtful and considerate in what you do so that everyone can fully engage with the unique and exciting live performance experience. Here’s what we mean:

YOUR SURROUNDINGS • Concert halls and performing arts venues are some of the most grand and • As an audience member, you are also part of the performance. Any beautiful buildings you might ever visit, so be sure to look around while you enthusiasm you might have for the performance may help the performers follow an usher to your group’s seats or once you are in your seat. perform better. So, if you like what you are seeing, make sure they know it! Maybe clap, hoot and holler, or stand up and cheer. However, when • UMS Ushers will be stationed throughout the building and are identifiable expressing your own personal enjoyment of the performance, consider by their big name badges. They are there to help you be as comfortable as whether your fellow audience members will be able to see or hear what’s possible and if you have a question (about the performance, about where happening on stage or whether they will miss something because of the to go, or about what something is), please ask them, and don’t feel shy, sound and movement you are making. Given this consideration, it’s often embarrassed, or hesitant in doing so. best to wait until a pause in the performance (a pause of sound, movement, or energy) or to wait until the performer(s) bow to the audience to share SHARING THE PERFORMANCE HALL WITH OTHER AUDIENCE MEMBERS your enthusiasm with them. • Consider whether any talking you do during the performance will prevent your seat neighbors or other audience members from hearing. Often in • Out of respect for the performer(s), if you do not like some part of the large rock concerts or movie theaters, the sound is turned up so loud that performance, please do not boo or shout anything derogatory. Remember, a you can talk and not disturb anyone’s listening experience. However, in lot of hard work went in to creating the performance you are watching and it other concerts and live theater experiences, the sound is unamplified (or takes great courage for the performer to share his or her art with you. just quiet), and the smallest noise could cause your seat neighbor to miss an important line of dialogue or musical phrase. Lights (from a cell phone SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH OTHERS or music player, for instance) and movements (body wiggling or shaking) • An important part of any performing arts experience is sharing it with others. may also distract your neighbors’ attention away from the stage, again, This can include whispering to your seat neighbor during the performance, causing them to miss important action...and there’s no instant replay in talking to your friends about what you liked and didn’t like on the bus back to live performance! school, or telling your family about the performance when you get home.

• At a performance, you are sharing a small physical space with other audience members. So, consider whether you are sharing — the arm rest and the leg room, for instance — in such a way that both you and your Special thanks to Emily Barkakati for her role in developing this resource. neighbors are comfortable. BE PRESENT 30 CONNECT

Being an audience member RULES AND TOOLS

We share the following “Rules and Tools” to help audience members at UMS School Day Performances connect with the performance and environment around them. As a general suggestion, we encourage audience members to Notice, Feel, and Interpret.

1. BE PRESENT. If something is boring after Being bored means you’re not engaging. In the performance, you might feel any of the following: two minutes, try it for four. If happy sorrow pain horror inspiration confused pride content still boring, then eight. Then joy sad beauty enlightened sixteen. Then thirty-two. The beauty of live performance is the connection between the audience and artist and the energy they share and pass between each other. Have you ever given a Eventually one discovers that presentation and spoken better because people in the room were smiling at you? You have an ability to affect the performance as an audience member and we it is not boring at all. encourage you to use it during the performance.

2. INTERPRET: YOU CAN CHOOSE WHAT IT MEANS. JOHN CAGE, Sometimes an artist will share what the performance is supposed to mean or share COMPOSER the performance’s story. Sometimes there won’t be a story or any meaning beyond creating movement or sound. Either way, feel empowered choosing what the performance means to you or imagine your own story...you can change your mind at any point too.

3. CHECK YOUR OWN EMOTIONS & FEELINGS. Ask yourself: How am I feeling? Am I tired, sore, in a bad mood, sad, upset, sick, (Renowned composer John Cage is simply saying sometimes it takes etc.? These feelings and emotions can affect how you perceive the performance. a little longer than expected to find a point of personal interest in a Be open to letting the performance improve your condition or make you think performance, so don’t give up the search too quick.) differently or more deeply about your condition.

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Being an audience member RULES AND TOOLS

QUESTIONS CONNECTING TO OTHER ART FORMS The following questions are used during TalkOut* and can help audience members connect with or reflect on a performance: • How does this performance relate to where I live? • What does this performance remind me of? • What moment in the performance will I remember? • What question will I ask my teacher back at school?

*For more information about TalkOut, visit http://bit.ly/18rzBzh.

ELEMENTS At any point during a performance, you should feel empowered to notice or focus on any element of the performance — on stage or off stage.

SPACE: venue/building, stage, distance between objects

LIGHTING: location of light, use of darkness, color of light, movement of light, light in the audience

SOUND: Unrecorded Artist, North Africa Leaf from a manuscript of the Qur’an in Maghribi script, 12th century (?) sound created by voices or movements of performers or audience members, ink with touches of red, ochre, and green on paper the location of sound (behind the audience or off stage), use of musical Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Milton B. Freudenheim in memory of Otto F. Ege, 1987/1.195.2 instruments or recorded music

MOVEMENT: Ping Chong + Company crosses boundaries of identity, community, and form movement of performers, images, objects, or audience members; speed, size, as does this Qur’anic manuscript page. The style of the calligraphy reflects or shape of movements the place it was made, North Africa. But the language, Arabic, the sacred language of the Qur’an, reflects the place of origin of Islam. The message PEOPLE: of the Qur’an is the message of Ping Chong: inclusion and understanding performers or audience members, the number of people, type and am among Muslim and non-Muslim communities.

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Arts Online:Explore and Discover SEARCH LIKE A DETECTIVE

Consider the following suggestions and ideas when searching for information online.

TRIANGULATE AND FORM OPINIONS SLOWLY SEEK OUT IDENTIFIABLE SOURCES When looking for information online: Reputable articles, journals, or magazines should cite an author whose identity can be verified and cite a list of sources, either throughout the SEARCH, SEARCH AGAIN, AND THEN SEARCH piece or in a bibliography. 01 AGAIN CHECK THE DATE THEN COMPARE INFORMATION FROM YOUR 02 SEARCHES Consider whether the content is old or outdated. Has the site been maintained? 03 THEN SEARCH ONE MORE TIME BASED ON WHAT YOU’VE DISCOVERED IN YOUR COMPARISON LOOK FOR BIAS Is the site or its author’s objective to sell you something? Is the site’s content overly positive or negative? Does the site’s content lean toward only one viewpoint? Does the site’s content clearly omit facts? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then the site might not represent a reliable information source.

BEWARE Sites with an abundance of advertising, especially ads that look cheap, are neon and blinking, or constantly pop up on the screen. Sites with grammar, spelling, and formatting errors.

Note: Good looking sites don’t necessarily have fair, unbiased, or accurate information (for instance, sites for political candidates are often beautiful, but contain information that ONLY portrays their candidate positively).

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Arts Online: Explore and Discover SITES WE SUGGEST

GO TO THE SOURCE LESSON PLAN SOURCES If searching for information about an artist or organization, first try The following sites have a variety of standards-based lesson plans for visiting their homepage where they are likely to post information, links, teachers and interactive learning resources for families that celebrate an and media they approve. art form, connect the arts to the full range of non-arts subjects, or offer cultural context for the global arts. For instance: Wynton Marsalis - WyntonMarsalis.org ARTSEDGE PBS Hubbard Street Dance Chicago - HubbardStreetDance.com ArtsEdge.org pbslearningmedia.org UMS - UMS.org NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EDSITEMENT RELIABLE SITES (GENERALLY): education.nationalgeographic.com edsitement.neh.gov .EDU educational institutions THREE ‘GO TO’ SITES .GOV The following sites are consistently good and reliable sources of government (particularly good for statistics and reports) information about arts and culture. .ORG organizations (though, only those without a political bias or advocacy THE NEW YORK TIMES THE GUARDIAN agenda) nytimes.com theguardian.com

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO (NPR) SEARCHING FOR VIDEO npr.org You will find the best videos online when you search for ones posted by the artist or posted by the “generally reliable” sites having the characteristics VISIT UMS detailed in this document. Avoid bootleg videos Let us do the work for you! Visit our sites ums.org and umslobby.org for posted by random individuals with no relationship to great and engaging videos, blog posts, photos, and web links about artists the artist, as the video might not be representative of and art forms. the artist’s work.

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Recommended Reading YOUTH

Continued.

DAKHABRAKHA A FAR CRY WITH ROOMFUL OF TEETH Ukraine, by Deborah Kent Show Me a Story: 40 Craft Projects and Activities to Spark Children’s Explore an overview of the culture, people, and history of Ukraine. Storytelling, by Emily K. Neuburger Make playful crafts and try fun activities that encourage storytelling at The Kids’ Multicultural Art Book: Art & Craft Experiences from Around the all ages. World, by Alexandra M. Terzian Create works of art representing cultures from around the world. The Story of the Orchestra: Listen While You Learn about the Instruments, the Music, and the Composers Who Wrote the Music, by Robert Levine What is Punk?, by Eric Morse Levine presents mini-biographies of prominent classical composers as Discover the revolutionary musical artists’ representative of the punk well as illustrated pages on each of the orchestra instruments. genre as well as a brief history of the genre’s roots with fun clay illustrations and rhyming text. Sing!, by Joe Raposo Sing along to this illustrated version of the song popularized by the television show “Sesame Street.”

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Writing about Live Performance

The following writing exercises were developed by 826michigan, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. For more information about 826michigan and its free programs for students, visit 826michigan.org.

A LETTER TO PERFORMERS AFTER THE PERFORMANCE Primary Audience: Elementary School Students Use your observations to help you write a letter to the performer(s). Remember, these artists are real people who want to know what BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE audiences think about their work. This letter is your opportunity to Before you attend the performance, make a list of what you already share your impressions with the people who created the art you just know about the following things: experienced.

1. Live Performances When starting your letter, be sure to use a greeting like “Dear 2. The Art Form [performer’s name].” Next, be sure to tell the performer(s) where and 3. The Artist(s) when you saw them. Every live performance is different, so it will help 4. Origin of the Art Form or Artist(s) them to know which show you are talking about. Then you can use the notes you took about the performance to share your experience with DURING THE PERFORMANCE the performer(s). At the end of your letter, be sure to include any other To help you organize your observations during the performance, information—about yourself or the performance you saw—that you consider the following: think the performer(s) would like to know. To finish the letter, include a closing like “Your fan” or “Thank you!” and then sign your name. Your I Notice... teacher or parent can help you find the best way to get your letter to the I Feel... performer! I Wonder...

Once the performance is done, write down your notes as soon as possible (either on the bus or back in the classroom) to help you remember your observations of the performance.

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Writing about Live Performance

TWO THUMBS UP: WRITING A REVIEW FOR PUBLICATION AFTER THE PERFORMANCE Primary Audience: Middle and High School Students After the performance has concluded—back in class, riding home on the bus, or back at home—think back on what you just saw; it’s like looking at the BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE performance in a rear-view mirror. Take the list of words and thoughts you Imagine your local newspaper has asked you to write a review of the event wrote and compare it with the words you wrote beforehand. Now, remove you are going to see: this will be your opportunity to write an argument all the words that came up twice. These words, the most obvious ones that about your opinions and explain your reasoning. Reviewers attempt to sort come to mind, are off limits (you can use synonyms), but the remainders will through the feelings they’re already having in advance of a performance— help you remember how you felt about the performance. Take these less not to put those feelings aside, but rather so that they are aware of what obvious words and expand upon them. In the first draft of your review get effect pre-performance opinions may have on the review. all of your ideas down on paper. Make sure to include your thoughts on the performance and how they may have changed, stayed the same, or morphed Before the performance begins, answer the following questions: into new feelings. Discuss any preconceptions you may have had and how • What expectations do I have for the performance? • Do I already have an opinion about what I will experience at the performance? they changed or stayed the same after viewing the performance. (Additionally, consider the some of the Questions and Elements outlined in the “Being an Audience Member” section of this guide.) When you’re ready to work on your second draft, read back through your writing and try to identify the main idea of your review—what themes DURING THE PERFORMANCE keep coming up? What is the tone? What do you ultimately feel about the During the performance, take mental notes about the performance—the performance? Use that main idea to come up with a hook (a bold, attention- key is making a little note of something of interest while being aware of the getting statement to set the review in motion and give your readers a entirety of the performance. As soon possible after the performance ends, sense of what’s to come). write down (using whatever paper or electronic device is handy) thoughts Things to consider: and words that come to mind related to the performance. Remember – this review will take a stance on the performance based on the ways you’ve interpreted the elements you considered before, during, and after the Things to consider: show. Your teacher, parents, or friends (or a broader audience if you’re writing for a • What is striking to me? newspaper) are very interested in your thoughts about the performance, and you can • Is it vastly different from what I thought it would be? pretend they’re on the fence about it—try and persuade them over to your side with • Has the venue transformed into something else during the performance? How? your views about the performance. Don’t be afraid to make strong statements—just • Are there images or ideas popping into my head? What are they? be sure you can back up your argument with evidence you collected throughout the • Is there something about the performance I may remember forever? What made it so? performance! A cold, play-by-play of exactly what happened isn’t fun to read, and it • Is the audience quiet and drawn in to what is happening? Are they loud? doesn’t let the readers, who likely didn’t get to see the same performance that you did, Are they interacting directly with the performers? use their imaginations to tell the story and fill in some (but not all) of the blanks. Are the performers directly interacting with the audience?

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Writing about Live Performance

THE SUN IS RED NOISE: POETRY ABOUT PERFORMANCE AFTER THE PERFORMANCE Primary audience: Elementary, Middle, High School Students Younger students: Pick one thing that you heard or saw in the performance and try to In white pleated trousers, peering through green describe it in a new way to someone who wasn’t at the performance. sunshades, looking for the way the sun is red Use all five senses in your descriptions. Even if you didn’t smell noise, how locusts hiss to replicate the sun. something, what do you imagine the art could smell like? -Elizabeth Alexander, from “Stravinsky in LA”

The poem excerpted above and “Museum Piece,” the poem by Richard Older students: Wilbur at the beginning of this guide are examples of ekphrastic poetry. • For five minutes straight (time can be adapted based on age group), Ekphrastic poetry is written in response to a piece of art, theatrical write down everything you can remember about the performance you performance, writing, or music. The poem can be written about art, from attended. Every detail that comes to mind is an important one. the point of view of a character or the artist, or about the experience of • Take at least three things that you remember and create an image viewing/hearing the art. around each of them with using some of the tools in your poetry toolbox. BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE • Use one (or all) of these three images to start your poem about the • Think about the way you describe the music that you like to a friend. performance. If it made you feel a certain way (happy, angry, afraid, How would you describe your favorite song to someone who had alone, joyful), use words and images that match that mood to start never heard it? What kinds of words and images would you use to write a joyful • How about to someone who could not hear? poem? A lonely one? • List the tools in your poetry toolbox (description, simile, metaphor, • Can you use repetition in the poem in the same way it was used in the and imagery) that will help you describe the art in new ways. music you heard? If you saw a play, can you use language that reflects what you heard? DURING THE PERFORMANCE • Imagine you are the artist who created/composed the work of art on Keep a record of: the day you were inspired to create it. What did you see, hear, smell, • Words and phrases that come to mind in response to performance. taste, touch, experience? Write a poem that takes us through that day, • Feelings you had about the art, the stage, the audience, the event. using the images you’ve crafted already. • Images (like colors, ideas, memories, smells) that came to mind while

you were listening to the music. Special thanks to Catherine Calabro, Erin Mernoff, Jeremy Peters, David Riva, and • Songs/images/ideas repeated throughout the performance. Kati Shanks for their roles in developing this resource.

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About UMS

UMS EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT Beth McNally, Allen Elementary, 2016 DTE Educator 2016 DTE School of the Year of the Year STAFF

KEN FISCHER UMS President

ADAM DESJARDINS Education and Community Engagement Assistant

JIM LEIJA Director

SHANNON K. FITZSIMONS MOEN Campus Engagement Specialist One of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country, UMS is committed to connecting audiences TERRI PARK with performing artists from around the world in uncommon and engaging experiences. With a program Education Coordinator steeped in music, dance, and theater, UMS contributes to a vibrant cultural community by presenting approximately 60-75 performances and over 100 free educational activities each season. UMS also GRACE BYDALEK commissions new work, sponsors artist residencies, and organizes collaborative projects with local, Intern national, and international partners.

SEAN MEYERS Learning is core to UMS’s mission, and it is our joy to provide creative learning experiences for our entire Intern community. Each season, we offer a fun and fascinating lineup of workshops, artist Q&As, conversations, and interactive experiences to draw you in and out of your comfort zone, connect you to interesting people and unexpected ideas, and bring you closer to the heart of the artistic experience. We exist to create a spark in people, young and old alike, exposing them to things they haven’t seen before, and leaving them with a lifelong passion for creativity and the performing arts.

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About UMS 2016-17 SCHOOL DAY PERFORMANCES

Dorrance Dance Thursday, October 20 // 11 am

Jake Shimabukuro Wednesday, November 16 // 11 am

Jake Shimabukuro Beyond Sacred: Voices of Muslim Identity Ping Chong + Company Friday, February 17 // 11 am

DakhaBrakha Wednesday, March 29 // 11 am Beyond Sacred

A Far Cry with Roomful of Teeth Wednesday, April 12 // 11 am

Roomful of Teeth

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Thank You! CREDITS AND SPONSORS

WRITTEN & RESEARCHED BY UMS YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAM SUPPORTERS: ($5,000 OR MORE) Terri Park, Sean Meyers, Jordan Miller, Reflects donations to UMS education programs recognized at $5,000 or more, made between July 1, 2015 and Grace Bydalek and May 1, 2016

EDITED BY Terri Park

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation University of Michigan PROVIDED BY Pamela Reister (UMMA) and Kayla Coughlin (Ann Arbor District Library)

Anonymous THE MOSAIC FOUNDATION (of R. & P. Heydon) Arts Midwest Touring Fund National Endowment for the Arts Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan New England Foundation for the Arts Jim and Patsy Donahey Quincy and Rob Northrup DTE Energy Foundation PNC Foundation David and Jo-Anna Featherman Mary R. Romig-deYoung Music Appreciation Fund Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation Prudence and Amnon Rosenthal K-12 Education Eugene and Emily Grant Family Foundation Endowment Fund David and Phyllis Herzig Endowment Fund Stout Systems Richard and Lillian Ives Endowment Fund Toyota Mardi Gras Fund UMS Ambassadors Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs University of Michigan Credit Union Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C.

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