Crossing the desert
World premier at Al Madina Theatre in Beirut May 1st.
About the performance
Over the years, hundreds of migrant workers have died in Lebanon due to suicides, domestic violence, and abuse linked to the oppressive Kafala system and racial discrimination within Lebanese society. These tragedies become even more pronounced during times of crisis, when the most marginalized are often abandoned on the streets, homeless, unpaid, and without identification papers. Yet, some women who have survived these harrowing experiences have chosen to remain in Lebanon, despite their precarious legal status, and have become activists. They now dedicate themselves to supporting the community of migrant domestic workers in the country.
This performance brings together the activists Rania, alongside Zena and Tenei— who came to Lebanon as migrant workers— for a powerful journey through music, dance, and theater. It explores the struggles, resilience, and heroism of foreign workers in Lebanon, with a focus on the strength of women. The performance addresses themes of injustice and resistance against an oppressive labor system and rampant racism in Beirut, offering a glimpse into the political and social realities of Lebanon through the voices of marginalized migrant workers, whose stories are often unheard.
The performance also reflects their daily lives within the context of recent crises, including the economic collapse, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Beirut port explosion, ongoing war, and mass displacement.
Blending personal and collective testimonies, the show touches on themes of motherhood, war, exile, and home. Resilient women share their experiences through movement and voice, accompanied by the music of Abed Kobeissy and singer Lynn Adib. Their stories expose the injustices of the labor system while celebrating the courage and resistance of women fighting for justice and freedom.
The narrative unfolds on a minimalist stage, driven by movement, offering a theatrical and musical performance full of organic and kinetic energy. The show provides a platform for the protagonists to share and immortalize their stories, using their voices to demand change. It seeks to redefine the concept of heroism, inspired by real events that have had a profound impact on the participants and their communities.
Zena, Tenei, and Rania take the stage, dancing not only their own stories but those of many others, standing at the intersection of a burning land and the Mediterranean Sea.
