MUSE • Musicians United for Social Equity

Biography

Faiza Alex Manaa is a Brooklyn-based composer/lyricist and playwright born in Alexandria, Egypt and raised in Lakewood, Ohio. Having grown up in a low-income household with little-to-no representation of her identities in the media, she became committed to representing people like her and other marginalized voices in spaces they were underrepresented. She is passionate about accessibility in the arts, and amplifying stories that aren’t traditionally told. She hopes to be able to shine a spotlight on Arab & Persian culture, stories empowering women, socioeconomic diversity, and intersectionality across the board.

Her current projects include The MENA Show (musical; book/lyrics/co-music; 2024 NMTC Semi-Finalist, AMTP Semi-Finalist), Windy (chamber opera; libretto; production with AOP and The Hudson Guild), Another Cousin’s Wedding (20 minute musical; book/lyrics; IHRAF Festival 2024), and Illest Dance (musical; book/lyrics/co-music; 2021 NAMT semi-finalist; 2022 AMTP workshop recipient). Songs of hers have been performed at Joe’s Pub, Davenports Piano Bar, and more. She is a graduate of Northwestern University (B.A., Theatre, concentrations in Playwriting and Music Theatre Writing), and recently received her M.F.A. in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU Tisch GMTWP.