A Multidisciplinary Docu-fictive performance grounded in Deepak Unnikrishnan's novel Temporary People.

Immigrants, guest workers, pravasis, leave with hope. What do they leave behind? What do they become after leaving? What do they do in the places they leave for? Do they return? Grounded in the text of Deepak Unnikrishnan’s Temporary People, theatermaker Laila Soliman, in collaboration with Faustin Linyekula, explores the lives of the temporary people of Abu Dhabi in NYUAD Theater Program’s fall mainstage production.

Borrowing stories and its name from Deepak Unnikrishnan’s 2019 novel, Temporary People is about the people who leave —  their stories and languages, silence and bodies. The piece delves into the lives of the temporary people of the Khaleej, and all of the emotions and vulnerabilities that come with it. Drawing from the varied cultures and histories of the cast, the project examines their shared experience of living in the transient city of Abu Dhabi.

This multidisciplinary project is created in collaboration with community members from across the NYUAD campus and professional artists.

Directed by Laila Soliman

In collaboration with Faustin Linyekula

Scenography, Video and Costume Design by Bissane Al Charif

Composition and Sound Design by Nancy Mounir

Lighting Design by Simon Fraulo

With and by Emerald April Arac Cadence Cheah Hui Qin Ernest Elechi Yeonshin Kim Sudit Kumar Sahoo Jomaica Luna Richard Munsanje İlayda Özdemir Aryann Sarkari Deepak Unnikrishnan and others.

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