A Brief History of Colonization Opens During FringeNYC

Actor and writer Kal Mansoor (Haram! Iran!) debuted his solo performance, A Brief History of Colonization during the New York International Fringe Festival. The performance, which was written, produced, and performed by Kal, took place October 12-28th at West Village's Westbeth Artist Community Building.

Directed by Rick Allen Wilson (The Greatest Pirate Story Never Told), the story mixes humor and sentiment as it revolves around a British-Indian comedian's quest to create a film depicting India's real history - instead of the one Hollywood portrays.

Often cast as a terrorist or cab driver, Kal grew tired of the stereotypes around his culture and knew he needed to make his movie more than ever. And he was determined to find the right cast, going through several big names - Matthew McConaughey and Ryan Gosling (with all impressions done by Kal) - that were anything but a fit. As the film begins to take shape, Kale ends up uncovering his own ancestry, leading him to gain a deeper appreciation of where he came from.

A Brief History of Colonization is a smart play packed with insight and emotion, challenging the way society views individuality and heritage while still giving us a good laugh.

(Photo courtesy of Hershey Miller)