Through lectures, discussions, and film, this multi-disciplinary symposium explores the performing traditions and transformations of Ta’ziyeh (or "mourning"), the only form of indigenous music drama in the Islamic world. Part musical play, part religious drama,
Ta’ziyeh is rarely performed outside of Iran.

Time Out of Memory: Ta'ziyeh, the Total Drama
By Peter Chelkowski, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, New York University

Martyrdom's Thousand Homes: Painted Shrines to Hossein, One of Early Islam's Slain Leaders, Dot the Lush Iranian Coast
By Tara Bahrampour

Agenda and Papers

10 am - 10:15 am	Opening Remarks Rachel Cooper, Asia Society
10:15 - 11:00 am	Ta'ziyeh as Performance: An Introduction William O. Beeman, Professor of Anthropology, Brown University
11:00 - 12:00 noon	Ta'ziyeh Caught on Video Peter Chelkowski, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, New York University
12:00 - 1:00 pm	Lunch
1:00 - 1:45 pm	Moses and the Wandering Dervish: Ta'ziyeh Khani Adapted and Transfigured at Trinity College Milla Cozart Riggio, Professor, Trinity College
1:45 - 2:30 pm	From Karbala to New York: Ta'ziyeh on the Move Kamran Aghaie, Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Texas at Austin
2:30 - 3:15 pm	Karbala: Drag Kings and Queens Negar Mottahedeh, Assistant Professor in the Program in Literature, Duke University
3:15 - 3:30 pm	Coffee Break
3:30 - 4:15 pm	Rite of Passage/Passage of Rite: From Karbala to Trinidad via Iran and India Peter Chelkowski, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, New York University
4:15 - 4:45 pm	The Karbala Paradigm as Reflected in Revolution and War Hamid Dabashi, Professor and Chair, Department of Middle Eastern and Asian Languages and Cultures, Columbia University
4:45 - 5:45 pm	Discussion and Roundtable: Ta'ziyeh Seen from the West Richard Schechner, Professor of Performance Studies, New York University Ron Jenkins, Professor of Theater, Wesleyan University Carol Martin, Professor of Drama, New York University William O. Beeman, Professor of Anthropology, Brown University Peter Chelkowski, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, New York University, Moderator