According to a press release,  Brook's "company will draw on the University's diverse academic resources to engage students, faculty and the community in an ongoing dialogue about the social, political, religious and historical questions raised by the production. A variety of symposia, lectures, workshops and related class activities is planned."   The Arts Initiative was created by Columbia president Lee C. Bollinger to "harness the resources of a university to enliven the arts on campus, connect students to the city's vibrant culture, link the arts to other fields of study, and make possible work that might not otherwise be seen."

The new play is named after Tierno Bokar, a Sufi mystic. It is a co-production of Brook's International Center of Theatre Creation (CICT) and Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord.

  Performances of Tierno Bokar begin March 30 and end April 26. Regular tickets are $40 and are available at the Miller Theatre Box Office (2960 Broadway at 116th St.) and through Telecharge.com (212) 239-6200. Columbia University student tickets are $10 and non Columbia student tickets are $15; these are available at the box office only.