Motivation by Mark Loewenstern

SHORT PLAY
Based on the shootings near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque, Queens, NY. Written for Code Red #Faith.
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Motivation

Recommended by

  • Scott Sickles:
    12 Mar. 2021
    “ Quietly powerful and breathtaking, MOTIVATION demonstrates, with great objectivity, the difference between personal and legal Hate. Cold logic is at war with absurdity, resulting in an incomplete and unsatisfactory justice for the aggrieved.

    This metaphor can extend to so many race- and bigotry- related crimes where “hate can’t be proven” or the law was “technically not broken.” By focusing on this one crime and its complexities both under the law and in the hearts of those involved, Loewenstern tells a gripping story while shouting out a thunderous call for change. ”
  • Steven G. Martin:
    24 Feb. 2021
    “ This short drama succinctly showcases a bitter truth: people can be aligned, want the same thing, but conflict can still separate them.

    Mark Loewenstern dramatizes the aftermath of the shootings near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Queens, New York. Loewenstern shows what the Muslim community wants and needs, as well as what the law can actually do. Audiences will empathize with both characters in this two-hander, which will lead to an even more emotional response to the conclusion.

    Brief, balanced, yet still painful. ”

LEADER OF THE CONGREGATION, over 30, an immigrant Muslim, ideally Bangladeshi, but definitely a person of color. He is the organizational leader of the mosque, while the imam is the religious leader. A man of deep faith. A leader who listens to his people.

PROSECUTOR, born in the US, not Muslim. Can be Caucasian or a person of color. Genuinely sympathetic and conflicted.

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Code Red Faith NYC at St. John's Lutheran Church
    ,
    2019