Gitana, Inc., a local organization dedicated to provide global aid and awareness through art, is producing a play entitled, “My Heart is Always Shaking,” about the trials of two female Afghani refugees in St. Louis. Lee Patton Chiles, professor at Saint Louis University, wrote the play based on her experiences with a group of woman she met in 2007. The play begins performances in the Xavier Hall theater on May 22. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org.

Where did the inspiration for this show originally come from?

“The inspiration really came the very first time I met with the women . . . They really were so oppressed . . . Getting them to find a safe place and remember who they were before the Taliban became really important to me.”

What is the central plot around which the plot of the play revolves?

“We see them trying to navigate their first night here, the first time they try to drive a car here, things that are funny but also scary . . . It travels the gamut of about a year in their lives. They find what they have in common.”

What message do you want audiences to take away from this play?

“I hope they will be significantly aware of what these women have gone through,” she said. “I’m hoping people will become aware of just how many refugees there are in St. Louis . . . The things that they’ve dealt with is just appalling.”

How did you prepare to write this play and make it be authentic?

“I did a lot of research and read a lot of books so I would have a broader background than just focusing on just this one thing . . . I’ve condensed the stories of the 20 to 25 women involved in the project down to two main women.”