At the University of Toronto, my experiences as a TA for courses like Comparative Theatre Histories and Dramaturgy, my positionality, and my pedagogical vision inspired me to design my dream course, Middle Eastern Theatre and Performance and its Diaspora. I have taught the course twice at two campuses of the University of Toronto. The goal was to empower students to build a critical appreciation for the breadth and diversity of Islamic performance, Middle Eastern traditional performance, as well as western-style original and adapted plays. The students are encouraged to look critically at the historiography of the Middle Eastern theatre and performance and think creatively about an adapted methodology for the topic by paying attention to the material condition and socio-cultural context of each production.

Moreover, my goal in diversifying the undergraduate curriculum has been to support students and colleagues in unlearning some of their assumptions about the absence of performing culture and practice in Islamic communities, or the lack of a robust repertoire of ethico-political theatre in the region and its diasporas. Contact me if you are interested in exchanging syllabi, reading materials and artistic creations from the region and its diasporas.