Bio:
Wajahat Ali (playwright) is a Muslim American of Pakistani descent who is neither a terrorist nor a saint. He is also a published essayist, humorist and short fiction writer. His play, "The Domestic Crusaders," is the first major play about Muslim Americans post 9-11 and premiered at the acclaimed Berkeley Repertory Theater in 2005. Born and raised in the Fremont Bay Area, he has been writing, producing and directing plays, films, and sketches since he was a child, enlisting his friends to be actors and crew. He performed stand-up comedy while attending the University of California, Berkeley. In Fall, 2001, during his undergraduate studies there, he hesitantly began writing "The Domestic Crusaders " in order to pass a 20 page short story assignment due for a writing class taught by Ishmael Reed, and with his encouragement, transformed the piece into a full length play. Through his writings and films, he hopes to remove cherished stereotypical assumptions and instead underline the profound complications of living in today's volatile world.

Location:
Bay Area, California

Website:
http://www.domesticcrusaders.com