MEDIA CONTACT: Polly Burks
561-297-2595, pburks@fau.edu or
Stacia Smith
561-297-2971, ssmith@fau.edu

FAU's Department of Theatre Presents
"The Afghan Women" to Benefit the
International Orphan Care Afghanistan Project

BOCA RATON, FL (January 11, 2005) - The Department of Theatre in Florida Atlantic University's School of the Arts will present "The Afghan Women" on Friday, January 21 at 8 p.m., Saturday, January 22 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, January 23 at 2 p.m. in the Studio One Theatre on FAU's Boca Raton campus, 777 Glades Road. Tickets are $10 and all proceeds will go to the International Orphan Care Afghanistan Project, an organization that supports women and children in Afghanistan.

The play, written by Emmy and Peabody award-winner William Mastrosimone, tells the story of an Afghan-American female physician operating an orphanage in Afghanistan and her confrontation with the pillaging warlord who wants to use her and the orphans as hostages.

Mastrosimone wrote the play as what he calls a "gift" to Afghanistan. He visited Afghanistan 23 years ago to learn more about what he was reading in the papers on the Afghan-Soviet war. While in the country, Mastrosimone became ill and was nursed back to health by an Afghan woman who gave him all the food she had. Since his return from Afghanistan, he has written stories about Afghanistan, including "Nanawatai," a story about a soldier involved in the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This play was later made into the motion picture entitled "The Beast." But it wasn't until the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the start of the U.S.-led war to depose the Taliban government in Afghanistan that Mastrosimone began to feel the need to write a story that tells of the plight of the Afghan women and children.

"FAU's theatre department is proud to be part of this effort to help the women and children of Afghanistan," said Jean-Louis Baldet, FAU professor and director of the play.

Tickets for all performances will be available at the door one hour prior to show time. For further information on the play, call 561-297-3810.

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