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Lebanon's migrant workers find comfort in drama

Producer and director Zeina Daccache’s drama therapy program, Catharsis, offers Lebanon’s migrant workers and other disadvantaged populations a way to connect with each other and a rare outlet for self-expression.
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HAMRA, Lebanon — Inside the AltCity café in Hamra on a Sunday morning, about 15 people from an array of countries are milling around, talking and waiting. The room is filled with color, from armbands and earrings proudly displaying the colors of the Ethiopian flag to neon-colored headscarves and flashy blouses. Suddenly, Zeina Daccache sweeps into the room and everyone lights up, smiling at each other, the excitement palpable. It is time to act.

For the past 10 months, migrant workers have been working with Daccache to create a play that will bring attention to both their individual experiences and the collective stories of their communities in Lebanon. The aims of the project — made possible with funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in collaboration with the collective Migrant Workers Task Force — are to provide drama therapy sessions over the course of a year to culminate in a theatrical performance by the group in December.

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