Work by Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) playwrights is underrepresented within Western theatre, on both professional and academic stages. If present, the stories of MENA characters are filtered through a predominantly white gaze, that continues the Orientalist perspective of "othering", exoticizing, and misinterpreting the stories of the MENA community.
There are select theatres around the United States and abroad that challenge the hegemonic narrative, and are committed to MENA representation. Through the production of new work by MENA playwrights, and commitment to hiring directors, performers, designers and technicians from the MENA community, these companies highlight the diverse multiplicity of perspectives and identities across the region and its diaspora. They cultivate a culture for continuous learning, support and expansion of MENA stories, and offer a platform for reclaiming suppressed voices.
Social media platforms provide access to a robust MENA theatre community all around the world. These private groups highlight the work of MENA scholars, playwrights, performers, and designers. They portray the field's latest news, by presenting information about upcoming performances, book clubs, new work and resources for members of the community.