Teesri Dhun

Pakistan’s transgender communities, known as khwajasaras (hijras) were declared a criminal tribe in the nineteenth century by British colonial laws. Despite a recent Supreme Court victory through which khwajasaras have been recognized as a distinct gender identity, they continue to be highly marginalized. Khwajasaras resistance to dominant heteronormativity has often utilized their vibrant cultural traditions – from badhai performances of dancing, singing and issuing irreverent repartee in wedding and birth ceremonies to spiritual roles at Sufi shrines. Teesri Dhun, performed by an all transgender cast from Pakistan, draws from the community’s culturally embedded practices, to unfold moving narratives of history, separation, love, desire, celebration and loss to further jostle for a third space. First staged in Lahore in March 2015, Teesri Dhun will be recreated at Yale 23-24 April 2016 with the support of the Yale Institute of Sacred Music.In addition to production staff roles, we are interested in casting one male and one female for voice work. Please contact Claire Pamment at claire.pamment@yale.edu for more details.