Umi Says

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Umi Says is a one-woman show-in-progress that journeys through stories of Black Muslim womanhood and Black worldmaking through the life of the activist and mother, Amina Amatul Haqq. Written and performed by Su’ad Abdul Khabeer. Directed by Magda Labonté-Blaise. The performance will be followed by a talkbalk with the writer and director.

Su’ad Abdul Khabeer, originally from Brooklyn, NY, is an artist-activist-scholar, curator of Umi’s Archive and author of Muslim Cool. Su’ad is 2025-2026 research fellow at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. Read more about Su’ad Abdul Khabeer.

Magda Labonté-Blaise has had the pleasure of  pursuing a career as a director and as an actor in theater and film.  Her most notable credits as an actor include “Cynthia” in The Long Island Theatre Collective’s production of SWEAT by Lynn Nottage; “Mayme” in Eastline Theatre’s production of Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage; “Francine/Lena” in the Studio Theatre of Long Island’s production of Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris; and, “Chris” in Modern Theatre Classics production of POTUS by Selina Filinger.  Magda made her directorial debut in September of 2022 with  “Pipeline” by Dominique Morisseau and also directed Blood at the Root, another award winning play by Dominique Morisseau, in February of 2024.  Currently, she is directing 2 short plays with Argonaut, a women owned film and theater collective, for their one-act play festival to be held in May of 2026.  

She is brimming with excitement to work with Su’ad Abdul-Khabeer and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music on this incredible project.  There are no words to express the extent of her gratitude for being a part of this extraordinary experience.