Temporary People
November 2022
NYUAD Arts Center
[Production Stage Manager]
Directed by Laila Soliman
In collaboration with Faustin Linyekula
Scenography, Video and Costume Design by Bissane Al Charif
Composition and Sound Design by Nancy Mounir
Lighting Design by Simon Fraulo
Stage Managed by Brídín Clements Cotton
With and by Emerald April Arac, Cadence Cheah Hui Qin, Ernest Elechi, Yeonshin Kim, Sudit Kumar, Sahoo, Jomaica Luna, Richard Musanje, Ilayda Özdemir, Aryann Sarkari
With chorus Salma Abdelaziz, Augustine Dele Ojo, Daniel Fairfield Orueta, Donel Godoy, Elly Gaskell, Donabelle Hernandez, Zlata Hlukhouskaya, Vinay Kasturi, Howard Lai, Sofia Mahdavi, Amir Mubarek, Julia Oleszynska, Edward Senoga, Ramandeep Singh, Luca Sipoteanu, Naresh Vannela Venkatarajam
“Pravasi means foreigner, outsider. Immigrant, worker. Pravasi means you’ve left your native place.”
– Deepak Unnikrishnan
They leave in hope. What do they leave behind? What do they become after leaving? What do they do in the places they leave for? Do they return?
Temporary People is about the people who leave, their stories and languages, silence and bodies. Borrowing stories and its name from Deepak Unnikrishnan’s 2019 novel, this production delves into the lives of temporary people of the Khaleej. The production explores silence, rage, joy and the musicality of language through vulnerability and collaboration. Drawing from the varied cultures, emotions and histories of the cast, the project examines their shared experience of living in this transient city.
This multidisciplinary project was created in collaboration with community members from across the NYUAD campus and professional artists.