One woman show tackles religion, sexuality, more

A one-person show provided a revealing look into the lives of six different Pakistani-American women at a Manhattan College performance on Sept. 25. 

Aizzah Fatima wrote and researched the provocatively-titled play, “Dirty Paki Lingerie,” when she herself was a student.  

“I just wanted to create characters I never see anywhere,” Ms. Fatima said, “so I just started reaching out to people in the Pakistani community.”

A class called “Going Solo” required her to create a one-woman show. Teacher Matt Hoverman helped Ms. Fatima craft the play.

The six characters in Ms. Fatima’s show are based on real women, some depicted just as the artist encountered them in real life, others composites of several individuals. She said the play has changed a great deal over the years and continues to expand all the time.

“I anticipate further changes,” said director Erica Gould, who has been with the show from the beginning. “There’s room for it to evolve.”

Ranging in age from 6 to 65, the women of “Dirty Paki Lingerie” illuminate the trials and tribulations faced by Muslim women in America, from hijab politics to sexual fetishization to embarrassment over what gets packed for school lunch.

The play has received considerable attention since it debuted in New York City in 2011. “Dirty Paki Lingerie” has appeared at Masala! Masti! Mehndi!, the largest South Asian arts festival in North America, the Fringe Festival in Scotland and, recently, in the country where all the characters have roots. “Dirty Paki Lingerie” is also the first play to represent the U.S. at the International Theater Festival of Turkmenistan. 

Along with various international stages, Ms. Fatima and Ms. Gould always look for the opportunity to bring “Dirty Paki Lingerie” to universities.