2011 - Present
Inspired by the 2010 “ground zero mosque” controversy in New York City, playwright and Silk Road Rising co-founder, Jamil Khoury, set out to investigate resistance to the building of mosques in communities across the U.S., and the intersections of Islamophobia, zoning, and public policy. Khoury developed a nine-step process that includes digital and live theatre components, and invites virtual and live audiences to weigh in on artistic decision-making and matters of civic importance. This first-of-its-kind initiative crowd sources its creative processes and encourages open, unfiltered public dialogue.
Read MorePresented by the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee
Awarded to Peter J. Storms
December 31, 2011
"Best Sound Design - Midsize" presented to Peter J. Storms for his design of Wajdi Mouawad's Scorched.
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Read MorePresented by the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee
Awarded to Sarah Hughey
December 31, 2011
"Best Lighting Design - Midsize" presented to Sarah Hughey for her design of Wajdi Mouawad's Scorched.
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Read MorePresented by the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee
Awarded to Diana Simonzadeh
December 31, 2011
"Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Play" presented to Diana Simonzadeh for her performance in Wajdi Mouawad's Scorched.
Read More About the Award
Read MoreIt’s a little crazy to change a brand name you’ve only recently managed to establish. So when Jamil Khoury told me (during his interview for the Reader’s People Issue), that Silk Road Theatre Project, founded in 2002 by himself and his partner, Malik Gillani, underwent a name change three months ago, I was surprised.
Read MoreSilk Road was founded in 2002 as a response to 9/11. Had 9/11 not happened, we probably would still be leading our other lives, which were not in the theater. [Cofounder] Malik [Gillani] was an IT consultant, and I was an international relocation consultant.
Read MorePresented by Insight Arts
Awarded to Silk Road Rising
December 9, 2011
This award celebrates Silk Road Rising's contributions through the arts in creating a climate for social change in the United States.
Read More About the Award
Read MoreNovember 5, 2011
An exquisite dining experience featuring cuisine inspired by cultures along the Silk Road. Guests can also enjoy luscious Silk Road Cocktails created exclusively for Threads of Silk by North Shore Distillery, the first boutique distillery in Illinois.
And while you dine, enjoy the fun and ever-so-lovely music of the Silk Road Cabaret Singers in a performance emceed by WTTW’s Cheryl Hamada.
Read MoreSeptember 30–October 2, 2011
Written by Kemba Saran
Directed by Amanda Respess
Design Consultation and Photography by Vinod Menon
When Kemba was eighteen years old she met a charming man who claimed that, despite her hesitation, their fates were sealed—she was destined to be his wife. So begins the play, A Dress of Steel Mesh, which tells the story of a young woman who comes of age in a marriage marred by domestic violence. Compelled to turn inward for comfort, she finds solace by documenting her journey of survival. For nearly twenty years she navigates a terrifying labyrinth of oppression, gradually finding her way to a place of healing and wonderment. Relayed by a chorus of three female voices, A Dress of Steel Mesh offers hope and inspiration to those who, in losing their way, are forced to reclaim it.
Read MoreWATCH: "The Prologue" is the second step of the journey in a new play development process and civic engagement tool. Playwright Jamil Khoury describes in great detail his latest project "Mosque Alert."
Read MoreWATCH: Playwright Jamil Khoury begins step one in a ten step new play development process and civic engagement tool that's designed to assist him in writing his new play "Mosque Alert." This video blog, The Spark, introduces the ideas and inspirations to "Mosque Alert."
Read MoreAugust 25–28, 2011
Written by Velina Hasu Houston
Directed by Lisa Portes
With the humor that survival demands, two cousins—one in Los Angeles and one in Tokyo—struggle to navigate change as they confront their mothers’ aging and the impact it has on their lives.
Read MoreAbout five years ago, Chay Yew, a playwright and the artistic director of the Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago, was approached by schools for copies of Asian American plays that could be taught and performed. Except Yew couldn’t find a recent compilation of Asian American plays. So when Theatre Communications Group (TCG) approached him about editing a new anthology, he agreed, and the result is “Version 3.0,” released by TCG yesterday.
Read MoreJuly 12, 2011
Written by Tawfiq al-Hakim
Directed by Adam Webster
The Sultan’s Dilemma explores the tale of a Mamluk sultan at the height of his power who is suddenly faced with a problem: he has never been manumitted and thus is ineligible to be ruler.
Performed as part of the 2011 International Voices Project
Read MoreChicago Magazine
By Catey Sullivan
July 1, 2011
The only Asian American ever to win the Tony for best play (M. Butterfly), David Henry Hwang has made a career out of dramatizing the issues of race, identity, and getting lost in translation.
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Read MoreWindy City Times
By Jonathan Abarbanel
June 29, 2011
In Yellow Face, playwright David Henry Hwang exhibits his characteristic flare for structural and emotional mechanics. He incorporates a play-within-a-play, has actors taking multiple roles and mixes real and fictional characters caught up in both real and fictional events.
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Read MoreWritten by Jamil Khoury
Directed by J. Paul Preseault
June 26, 2011
"both/and" breaks the shackles of "either/or" in this semi-autobiographical short video play by Jamil Khoury. In "both/and," the characters of Jamil, Arab Man, and Gay Man explore and explode the constructed borders between American and Arab, Arab American and gay, for profit and not for profit, and assorted other disputed territories.
Read MoreCenterstage Chicago
By John Dalton
June 24, 2011
This is a tight, enjoyable, thought-provoking show. Staged in brisk, clean strokes by director Steve Scott, the skilled ensemble falls easily into a gallery of roles ranging from amusing caricature to nuanced portrait.
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Read MoreDaily Herald
By Barbara Vitello
June 22, 2011
“Theater can connect people from very different communities and show how we are linked together, how we as human beings deal with the same issues and problems in different ways,” [director Steve Scott] said. That’s when theater gets it right.
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Read MoreChicago Reader
By Tony Adler
June 22, 2011
Hwang shows up as a character (played by David Rhee), and a big part of what makes the ambivalence fascinating is his willingness to apply it to himself. Sometimes portrayed sympathetically, Hwang is just as often exposed as a damned fool. Steve Scott's production is smart and strong...
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