Debra Wicks has snapshots of the scenic places in Cairo, Egypt hanging on the wall of her office. The pictures are reminders of her husband, Kaarim Alwari, who lives there, and of her current project.

The couple currently is working on A Deep Cut Called Clean, a play that will address the controversial issue of female circumcision -- a practice still fairly common in rural parts of Africa and the Middle East, said Wicks, an assistant professor of theatre.

Sitting in her Arts Building office, Wicks' enthusiasm spills over into regular conversation. She moves her hands and even smiles as she describes the situation that exists for many women in Third World countries.

There are two types of female circumcision, one where the clitoris is removed and another where the labia, which surround the vagina, are sewn together, making intercourse impossible, Wicks said.

The topic has been in the news lately --feminist groups argue that the practice is barbaric, and author Alice Walker wrote about it in her book Possessing the Secret of Joy, which features a circumcised woman as a central character.

"Some of the groups say if a woman feels nothing below the waist, she will never be a slave to a man," Wicks said. "I guess if you've never had it, do you miss it?"

Wicks said she decided to write A Deep Cut Called Clean because she wants to make people think. She was brought to the University's theatre department as part of the minority recruitment program and because of her new work, said Carole Brandt, department head. A Deep Cut Called Clean is part of that work.

She became interested in dramatizing female circumcision after meeting a Somali refugee who spoke candidly about the practice. And Western society has a naive view of the topic, she said.

"We wonder, 'Do you feel like you are missing something?' " she said, adding that cultures that practice female circumcision say it is necessary.

In contrast to the sometimes uncomfortable topic, Wicks' office is cozy, decorated with posters as well as the photographs of the pyramids and the Sphinx. She keeps a small table and chairs ready with cheese and crackers to feed visitors. She said having a place to feel comfortable is important after all the recent bad weather.

Her ability to work with people has helped her make connections through her husband in the Middle East that aid her research. But having a husband on the other side of the world can be difficult, she said.

"Fax machines are a big help," she joked, but added that she doesn't mind the long-distance relationship or the long-distance research. "Working on the African continent means working with my roots."

This passion for sensitive topics is not unusual for Wicks. Most of her career has been concerned with issues that affect African-American women, namely discrimination.

She currently is rehearsing a monodrama, The Unbroken Heart, to perform for the British Council Theater in Cairo as well as at the Cairo Opera House. It tells the story of Ethel Waters, an African-American performer who gained recognition for her movie roles during the '50s and, in the process, dealt with discrimination.

Theater is "a good place to ask questions," Wicks said, adding that she wants people to think about the content of her plays, even if they don't agree with her opinion.

Amy Alleman (junior-theatre arts), one of Wicks' students, said she appreciates the wide experiences Wicks brings to the classroom and her work.

"Having a professor who has experienced another culture should be expected," Alleman said. "They are so much more aware of things, and that's important --especially for an acting class."

It is important to have different cultures portrayed in the arts, said Blannie Bowen, the interim senior faculty mentor in the Office for Minority Faculty Development, who met Wicks when she came to Penn State in August.

"Too much art is not reflective of different cultures," Bowen said.

And the arts should address important issues, or they are not doing their job, Wicks agreed.

Wicks received her bachelor's degree in theater and speech at Fontbonne College in St. Louis and taught high school for several years before continuing with her acting career.

Before she came to the University, Wicks worked at Iowa State University where she taught for 13 years.

"All students need direction," she said. "Some especially need to have validation that what they are doing is the right path to take."

Her own love of theater started when she had a role in a fifth-grade play.

"I had one line, and I totally over-acted," she said.

Since then, she has been hooked on what she calls "playtime." And her favorite type of acting is monodrama -- plays that only require one actor.

To perfect her part in A Deep Cut Called Clean, Wicks plans to interview many women while gathering research. There is a certain light that can be seen when people are telling you a painful story, she added.

"There is something that I will get from talking to these women," she said. "I need to see what happens to their eyes."