Meet playwright and academic Maisah Sobaihi. Last month she became the first Saudi Arabian to perform at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.
Powerful playwright —
Meet playwright and academic Maisah Sobaihi. Last month she became the first Saudi Arabian to perform at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.
Courtesy Maisah Sobaihi
Her one-woman show, "Head Over Heels in Saudi Arabia," explores the love lives of various local women. In a nation where men can marry more than one wife, one character must grapple with the prospect of her husband taking another spouse.
Head over heels —
Her one-woman show, "Head Over Heels in Saudi Arabia," explores the love lives of various local women. In a nation where men can marry more than one wife, one character must grapple with the prospect of her husband taking another spouse.
Courtesy Maisah Sobaihi
"It is an eye opener. It touches on issues of marriage, divorce, relationships," said Sobaihi. "I've been happy to hear from different audiences that it does connect with them -- I've heard these words come from Western women, from here in the UK, New York, women who have come up to me afterwards and said 'wow' that really touched home with me."
International appeal —
"It is an eye opener. It touches on issues of marriage, divorce, relationships," said Sobaihi. "I've been happy to hear from different audiences that it does connect with them -- I've heard these words come from Western women, from here in the UK, New York, women who have come up to me afterwards and said 'wow' that really touched home with me."
Courtesy Maisah Sobaihi
"If we really want people to understand us, we need to create a strong dialogue for understanding," said Sobaihi. "That's my challenge, to stand up in front of 150 seats and say 'this is who we are.' And take whatever criticism might be thrown back."
Show and tell —
"If we really want people to understand us, we need to create a strong dialogue for understanding," said Sobaihi. "That's my challenge, to stand up in front of 150 seats and say 'this is who we are.' And take whatever criticism might be thrown back."
Courtesy Maisah Sobaihi