What began as a final project in a solo performance class at JMU has grown into a full-length piece about identity, childhood, and peanut butter. Aya cooks American cuisine with a Lebanese twist, randomly sings in French, engages the audience, and makes a bit of a mess.
On this week's cooking show, Aya is determined to recreate the peanut butter sandwiches that mesmerized her as a child. Along the way, she uncovers what it means to be a Lebanese American woman making sense of her past and present — told with humor, mess, and heart.
Written & performed by Aya Nassif · Directed by Ingrid De Sanctis
Aya Nassif is a Lebanese American woman fluent in English, French, and Arabic. She is a recent graduate of JMU, where she studied theatre and psychology. What began as a final project in a solo performance class at JMU has evolved into a full-length piece about identity, childhood, and peanut butter. In Cooking with a Small Arab Girl, Aya creates American cuisine with a Lebanese twist and, also, randomly sings in French, engages with the audience, and makes a bit of a mess.
On this week’s cooking show, Aya is determined to recreate the different peanut butter sandwiches she was mesmerized by in her childhood. While this tumultuous cooking journey unfolds, Aya uncovers stories of being a Lebanese American woman making sense of her past and the present in a creative, funny, and moving manner.
