Award-winning actress, comedian and writer Najla Said will be performing her one-woman show “Palestine” tonight from 7-9 p.m. in the Heritage Room of the Ferguson Center.

The coming-of-age story about the struggles of being a Palestinian-American woman in today’s world has attracted worldwide attention, selling out 40 of its 49 off-Broadway shows.

Mara Marouan of the department of African-American studies invited Said to the Unviersity after seeing her show in New York.

“I saw Najla performing in New York after I read the reviews in The New York Times, and it was hard to get tickets,” Marouan said. “But I managed to get one and loved the show, and I e-mailed her asking to come speak here but never even thought she would reply.”

Blending humor with the darker facts of her story makes the show truly unique.

In it, Said discusses the many aspects of her life that allowed her to embrace her culture as an adult, from attending an elite New York City prep school, to becoming anorexic at age 15, to visiting the West Bank and Gaza with her family, to the day that forced her to face her cultural identity – Sept.11, 2001.

“This show is really interesting and timely because what Najla does is talk about her personal experiences,” Marouan said. “She has the strong voice of an Arab-American woman who claims both her ethnicity and her ‘Americanness.’”

Said is the daughter of the late Edward Said, a Columbia University professor and Palestinian intellectual and activist.

Aside from her off-Broadway performances, she has also appeared regionally and internationally, as well as in film and television. She is a founding member of Nibras Arab-American Theatre Collective and a member of New York Theatre Workshops’ “Usual Suspects.”

“Palestine” is her latest and most recognized work, with a message that can resonate with college students searching for identity. The show is sponsored by the department of African American studies and is free and open for all.

“This show sounds interesting and is a pretty big deal since it’s coming from off-Broadway,” said Cameron Bass, a junior majoring in psychology. “It will be a great opportunity for students here because so many of us don’t know much about the Middle East.”

“This is an honest show that everyone can identify with at a human level,” Marouan said. “Students are dealing with so many issues at this age — cultural identity, social identity, personal identity — and this show is so important for them because they can relate to her story.”

Said does not seek to provide solutions to the cultural tensions involving the Middle East. She simply tells her story to those willing to listen and gain insight into a cultural group whose voice is not often heard.

“I think it’s really important for students to get familiar with Arab-American voices because they are voices we don’t hear,” Marouan said. “There are so many stereotypes attached to different groups and if you hear their story, the reverse happens and you can actually relate to their experiences.”

Info box:

What: “Palestine,” a one-woman, off-Broadway show

Where: Ferguson Center Heritage Room

When: Tonight at 7 p.m.

How Much: Free