The Chicago Reporter - September, 2000

Keeping Current
Breaking the Stereotype of the 'New Menace'

The Albany Park Theater Project's recent production, "Jihad (Struggle)," is the story of three Palestinian American brothers growing up in a culture that misunderstands and often vilifies Arab Americans. The play introduces Hamid, Salah and Anwar as they "plot" a mysterious and secretive deed unknown to the audience. "Anwar, you know, this is serious," Salah warns his brother. "This isn't kids stuff, it's man stuff." The mystery plays itself out, leaving the audience anticipating some horrible terrorist act. By the end of the play, the audience discovers the brothers are only scheming about a surprise gift for their father, an immigrant cab driver.

As they review the details of their elaborate gift, the boys discuss life as Muslim teens, and near the end of the play, Hamid complains about the media's overzealous portrayal of Muslims and Arabs. "Movies, TV shows, the news, it's everywhere, these false messages, these stereotypes," he rails. "Now that communism's dead...the American media has appointed Arabs the new menace."

"Jihad," a 30-minute scripted play, is one of the four real-life neighborhood stories developed for the Albany Park Theater Project by teenagers from Chicago's Northwest Side. "Jihad" and the three other original plays premiered in May at the Project's spring show, "Motives for Not Drowning." The other plays are "Princess Camilla," "Mr. Edwards" and "Precious Threads."

The Project is a community-based theater company of 35 youths. Founded in 1997, the company emphasizes personal experiences, allowing actors and the audience to learn from each other and establish relationships across ethnic, racial and economic lines.

The Project expects to stage "Jihad" again this fall.