Doha: The Carnegie-Mellon University's School of Drama in Pittsburgh, PA, US, recently broadcast live streams of the drama, Nathan the Wise to audiences at the Carnegie-Mellon University in Qatar (CMUQ), a university press release, said here yesterday. The event was said to be the first of its kind and was followed by a talk-back session between the Doha and Pittsburgh campuses.

"When Carnegie Mellon's renowned drama department opted to produce a new adaptation of GE Lessing's Nathan the Wise, an 18th-century masterpiece that deals with the shared humanity of Christians, Muslims and Jews, it was quickly decided that a transcontinental screening would benefit audiences on both campuses. Such a broadcast, of a theatrical performance to a live audience, had never before been attempted on this scale," the spokeswoman, added.

"The first comment I recall from Carnegie Mellon President, Dr Jared Cohon, about the Qatar campus was how it provided a way to extend a hand in peace in the Middle East," Indira Nair, Vice-Provost, Carnegie Mellon University, said. "This production of Nathan the Wise truly is an extension of that vision. Our School of Drama has worked hard and long especially with the efforts of Michael Chemers and Shirley Saldamarco in Pittsburgh, and Ben and Anita Reilly in Doha, and both our wonderful IT departments to make this event happen."

Nathan the Wise is the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama's latest production. Starring students Andrew Kober, Raffi Barsoumian and Ryan Bechard, the play tells the story of a Jewish merchant who must negotiate religious conflict in 12th-century Jerusalem for the good of his family. The play delves into the difficult issues of religious tolerance against the backdrop of the holy city of Jerusalem during the Crusades.

Wonderfully acted, the play dished out humour, philosophy, mystery and, most of all, timeless messages that are critical for 21st century audiences: that our own humanity should come before our religions, that there can be peace — even love — between people of different faiths and that those religions are not so different from each other as one might think. A moderated live discussion followed the performance, allowing audiences on both continents the opportunity to discuss the play with the director and cast.

The performance was open to Education City staff, students and faculty in Qatar, marking a number of firsts for the campuses and for the arts in Pittsburgh. The live transmission used latest in digital video broadcast streaming and video conferencing technologies. More than 100 students, faculty, staff and guests from the surrounding universities attended the production.

"Carnegie Mellon's already has established a strong presence in Qatar with business administration and computer science programmes," said Michael Chemers, a dramatic literature professor at Carnegie Mellon who is acting as a liaison between the two campuses. "It's a common misconception in the US that dramatic art doesn't exist in Islamic countries. But we're looking at this as an opportunity to explore future partnerships between drama and Carnegie Mellon Qatar."