The Road to WashingtonWith her recent performance of "Beneath the Veil" at the Kennedy Center writer/director Mary Apick fulfilled a dream ... and opened eyes in the process. We asked her to tell us about it in her own words.BY MARY APICK
In November of 2005, right after the presentation of "Beneath the Veil" at the 7th Annual Los Angeles Theater Festival, I traveled to Washington for an event at the Embassy of Afghanistan honoring Roots of Peace and its founder, my dear friend Heidi Kuhn. I came along as a member of the Support Advisory Group. When I arrived I received a warm and gracious welcome from Ambassador Said Jawad and his beautiful wife, Shamim. It turned out they knew my work in Afghanistan, via satellite Television from Iran. Their kindness that evening was overwhelming. Then I met three wonderful Washington women: Fariba Jahanbani, Annie Totah and Princess Yasmine Pahlavi. I somehow knew that we would all be connected in the future. I just wasn't sure how. As soon as Fariba heard about the play, she insisted that I bring it to Washington. More people needed to hear its message she told me. It seemed too difficult a project to undertake, but I said I would think about it. Two months later, Ambassador and Mrs. Jawad invited me to an event in their home honoring First Lady Laura Bush. There, I had the pleasure to meet and talk with this wonderful woman - the connections were starting to take hold. My next visit was for International Women's Day, when I was scheduled to address Congress about the plight of the women and children of Iran. That's when I knew, we would bring the play to Washington. Then, by sheer coincidence, I met Dr. Nahid Khazeni. It was her hard work that convinced the Alexandria Performing Arts Association to support this event. Soon after, Nahid's residence became the unofficial headquarters for "Beneath the Veil." Nahid, a scientist for NASA, practically quit her business to focus on this project 24/7.
Fariba Jahanbani and Mirella Levinas not only promoted the play, they also helped prepare the party at the Cartier boutique in Chevy Chase in honor of the cast and crew. Laura Bush agreed to be the chair for the presentation of the play, and Her Majesty Farah Pahlavi, Empress of Iran, offered her participation and support. All these angels had lifted me up and taken me on a flight to Washington so I could deliver a message. That rainy night at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was magical because we witnessed the power of women and the love they hold inside their hearts for humanity. We all came together because we believed in a cause. We learned from one another and came to understand that nothing can stop us if we join together.
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