On Friday evening, Rohina Malik, a Muslim actress and activist, presented her thought-provoking one-woman show entitled Unveiled to the Choate community. Held in Gelb Theater, Ms. Malik engaged the full house with her 60-minute show about racism, hate crimes, love, Islam, culture, and language.
Unveiled tells the harrowing stories of five Muslim women: Maryam, a Pakistani; Noor, a Moroccan-American woman; Inez, an African-American Islam convert; Shabana, a South Asian rapper; and Layla, a Palestinian immigrant. As a common thread, Ms. Malik named each story after a specific type of tea, such as Chocolate Chai and Moroccan Mint. The stories of the women were just as diverse as their teas; their narratives told tales of colorism, racism, and hate crimes.
When asked how she conceived the show, Ms. Malik stated that she wrote the play in 2008, explaining, “I was concerned after 9/11 because of hatred towards the Muslim community. And it was not only affecting my community, but also the Seek, Hindu, and Latino communities.”
After the initial performance at the 16th Street Theater in Chicago, the play received an explosion of invitations from all different venues, from churches and universities to theaters and interfaith groups. In Connecticut alone, Ms. Malik has already been hosted by the Hartford Seminary and Yale University.
The show was brought to Choate through the collaboration of the school’s Muslim Chaplain, Mrs. Samsiah Abdul-Majid, and Reverend Ally Brundige, the school’s Chaplain. The idea to bring the show to campus was formed after Mrs. Abdul-Majid saw the show performed at the Hartford Seminary. “From that point on, there was a lot of constant contact and discussion about how the show would work best for the school at large,” Rev. Brundige explained, adding, “In general, I think that it is important to elevate the voices that I know Unveiled revealed.”
After the performance, Ms. Malik hosted a discussion and Q&A session featuring tea, cake, and a book signing. Many Choate students gave testament to the challenging situations they have endured in their lifetime, while others asked Ms. Malik questions about the play, her life, and her religion. “I want people to realize that this is very serious,” Ms. Malik urged. “We have to challenge the degrading language and negative stereotypes! If left unchallenged, the results can be horrific.”
Amy Gao ’19, commented, “My favorite part of the show was the idea of love. It wasn’t just about racism and violence.”
“Everybody has a story that will stop your heart,” Ms. Malik answered when asked if she had advice for students. “We have to be brave enough to tell our stories, and then brave enough to listen to others’.”
