Our first sold out Fringe show was "Headscarf and the Angry Bitch" by DC-based artist Zehra Fazal, and it lives up to the buzz.
Fazal plays Zed Headscarf, a young bisexual woman of Pakistani descent who is conducting a series of informative lectures about her faith, though she's not what you'd call observant, at the local Islamic Center. So you not only get a personal look at the life of a modern American Muslim, but also a primer on the lexicon, explanations of concepts like "haraam" and "halal."
She often relates her experience in the form of parodies of classic rock song, rewriting "A Horse With No Name" to tell about being hassled in an airport for wearing an hijab, for instance. Much to the dismay if the imaginary Imam in charge, she relates stories about her sexual encounters and her first visit to a gynocologist, all in the context of the cultural norms of her people and the white America attitudes toward them.
Fazal is hilariously charming with an interesting mix of exhuberance and naughtiness.
Remaining performances are 7 p.m. Saturday, 7 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. For more information, visit Cincinnati Fringe Festival.
Bottom Line: Catch it if you can and get your tickets soon.
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