Mustafa SAMDANI is pursuing a Ph.D. in Performance Studies at Brown University, Providence, RI. His academic interests include ritual and performance, and phenomenology and performance. His interests have taken him to religious capitals such as Mecca (Saudi Arabia), Konya (Turkey), and numerous spiritual centers throughout Egypt. His artistic pursuits include acting (Dastaan; Lahore, Pakistan. Rites and Reason; Providence, RI), video, and writing/translation. In 2005 he helped host the Performance Studies International Conference (PSI #11). 5 Streams is his first time working with Ibrahim Quraishi as dramaturgical advisor.