An Inside Look at US-Afghan Theatre Project

November 29, 2005, New York
Contact: New York Foreign Press Center
Telephone: 212-317-8325, Email: nyfpc@state.gov

Three journalists from Japan's Nikkei newspaper, Newsweek India and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty visited the set of "Beyond the Mirror," the historic US-Afghan theatrical collaboration that recently had its American premiere and explores the myths, memories and history of Afghanistan.  During the NYFPC- arranged tour, the journalists visited the downtown theatre where New York's Bond Street Theatre and Kabul's Exile Theatre have been performing their ground-breaking work, and interviewed the two troupes' directors as well as two of the Afghan performers.  Bond Street Theatre recently received a $200,000 grant from the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to continue its collaboration with Exile Theatre and bring creative activities to children across Afghanistan.