Season 2, Episode 5: Behind every summer is a community that keeps Fire Island alive. This episode explores the history of the beloved Pines Pantry through the eyes of its iconic Pantry Girls, alongside the volunteer firefighters of The Pines and Cherry Grove who protect the island from fires, hurricanes, beach erosion, and an uncertain future.
Valerie David's BAGGAGE FROM BAGHDAD to Play Sparkle on Stage
Valerie David will perform the 60-minute solo show, directed by Karen Carpenter, at Sparkle on Stage in Freeport, N.Y.
A.A. Cristi
Baggage From BaghDAD: Becoming My Father's Daughter, an award-winning solo show written and performed by Long Island native Valerie David, will be presented at Sparkle on Stage in Freeport, New York, on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at 2 p.m.
The performance is part of the venue's Voices of Unity Storytelling Series and will be followed by an audience talkback.
Based on David's family history, the production chronicles one Middle Eastern Jewish family's journey from Iraq to the United States following the religious persecution of the 1941 Farhud pogrom. Through personal storytelling, the play examines the lasting effects of displacement, cultural identity,...