Silk Road Solos / by Guest User

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The narrative legacy of the historic Silk Road was embodied, in part, by traveling storytellers and the epic poems and tales with which they regaled their audiences. As our nod to that legacy, with Silk Road Solos we both develop and produce solo performance pieces and one-person plays, and we do so in collaboration with Asian American and Middle Eastern American writers/performers. The initiative provides solo artists the resources and support necessary to translate personal experiences into theatrical journeys that are courageous, poignant, illuminating, and entertaining. 

Featured
Christmas at Christine's</em>
Christmas at Christine's

December 1–December 23, 2016

The World Premiere
Written and Performed by Christine Bunuan
Directed by J.R. Sullivan
Musical Direction by Ryan Brewster

This new holiday musical revue puts a Silk Road spin on the Christmas season. Chicago favorite Christine Bunuan invites you into her world with Christmas at Christine's. Journey from California to Chicago to the Philippines to a Catholic-Jewish household as Christine sings her way through the holiday songbook and a lifetime of yuletide memories.

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Ultra American: A Patriot Act</em>
Ultra American: A Patriot Act

September 06–September 25, 2016

The World Premiere
Written and Performed by Azhar Usman
Directed by Aaron Todd Douglas

Famed comedian, Azhar Usman, takes to the stage with this brutally honest, unflinching one-man show exploring the tensions and paradoxes surrounding the double consciousness of American Muslims living in an ever-polarizing modern world.

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Ziryab, the Songbird of Andalusia</em>
Ziryab, the Songbird of Andalusia

February 18–February 28, 2016

The World Premiere
Written and Performed by Ronnie Malley
Directed by Anna C. Bahow

Take an enchanting musical journey to 9th century Islamic Spain with Muslim American musical impresario Ronnie Malley. Arabic music, poetry, and songs breathe life into the story of Ziryab, a former slave whose musical abilities brought him fame throughout Al-Andalus: a land where Christians, Jews and Muslims co-existed for more than seven centuries and created a unique and diverse society.

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My American Cousin</em>
My American Cousin

November 19–22, 2015

A Workshop Production
Written and Performed by Jameeleh Shelo
Directed by Jessica Mitolo

Through a diverse group of characters, this sketch comedy show offers a lovable view into the life of a Middle Eastern American woman from the South Side of Chicago as she navigates her way through cultural pressures and societal assumptions. What happens when the Mid-East meets the Mid-West? The answers will fill you with laughter and joy! 

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Yellow Dress</em>
Yellow Dress

October 1–4, 2015

A Workshop Production
Written and Performed by Marissa Lichwick
Directed by Lavina Jadhwani

Born out of her experiences growing up as a Korean-adoptee in a family of ten in upstate New York, this coming-of-age, one-woman show follows two orphans through the streets of South Korea, into the suburban American heartland, and their fortuitous journey back. Back to Korea, back to their past.

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A Great Dive</em>
A Great Dive

August 13–16, 2015

A Workshop Production
Written and Performed by Puja Mohindra
Directed by Andrew Volkoff

Geeta Gidwani doesn’t want the arranged marriage her parents have. She’s an American girl and wants to fall madly in love, like she’s seen in Shakespeare, Bollywood movies and her favorite show, Friends. But after a family trip to a holy Indian temple inspires her to wish for a soulmate, she meets Manish, standing at the corner of tradition and fairytale.

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Unveiled</em>
Unveiled

June 11–14, 2015

Written and Performed by Rohina Malik
Co-Directed by Wayne Maugans and Nick Westemeyer

Racism. Hate crimes. Love. Islam. Culture. Language. Life. Five Muslim women in a post-9/11 world serve tea and uncover what lies beneath the veil in this compelling one-woman show.

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Muthaland</em>
Muthaland

April 23–26, 2015

A Workshop Production
Written and Performed by Minita Gandhi
Directed by Heidi Stillman

The life of a young Indian-American woman is forever changed when, on a retreat to her homeland, she unearths family secrets, encounters a prophet, and ultimately discovers her own voice. The Familiar and the Foreign swap roles in this dark comedy about culture, identity, spirituality, and sexuality.

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No Place Called Home</em>
No Place Called Home

February 19–22, 2015

The Chicago Premiere
Written and Performed by Kim Schultz
Original Direction by Sarah Cameron Sunde

Falling in love with an Iraqi refugee was never part of Kim Schultz’s plan, but a man named Omar changed all that. No Place Called Home is that unexpected story—a story about an American woman and an Iraqi man, a story about one refugee in 2 million, a story that isn’t supposed to be a love story. 

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