The Founding Steering Committee, made up of a diverse community of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) American artists, educators, and administrators, has announced the launch of MENA Theater Makers Alliance (MENATMA), the first national alliance devoted to MENA artists and stories in the American theater. MENATMA's mission states: "MENA Theater Makers Alliance amplifies the voices of Middle Eastern and North African theater makers and expands how stories from and about MENA communities are told on U.S. stages. We will take space, make opportunities, champion artists, and build relationships with other marginalized communities and allies to create a more vibrant American theater." MENATMA's efforts intentionally build on the long-standing work of Black, Indigenous, Asian, and Latinx communities to redefine and reframe the white supremacist lens of American theater. It's about MENA theater artists telling our own stories and defining our own art-making."

Source: The North Africa Journal July 15, 2020 16:30 UTC