December 14–17, 2019
Written by Abbas Abdulamir, Sophia Awuzie, Supie Dunbar, Leila Harris, Linda Hendelman, Kathleen Kelly, Bina Mangattukattil, Collette Martin-Wilde, Evelyn Miks, Halle Quezada, and Naomi Sufiran
Directed by Corey Pond with Tracy Strimple
West Ridge Story Festival features original plays written by residents of this ethnically, racially, religiously, and economically diverse Chicago neighborhood. We invite you to visit West Ridge and discover the narratives of those who call these 3.5 square miles on the city’s far north side their home.
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Read MoreOctober 22–24, 2019
Written and Performed by Priya Mohanty
Directed by Reshmi Rustebakke
How did a celebration with roots in multiple religions become a unifying force in India? What are the traditions that make it so rich? Enter the world of Jo, an Indian immigrant in America facing her first Diwali after the loss of her mother. Join her in lighting a diya to dispel the world’s darkness.
Read MoreOctober 1–November 10, 2019
The World Premiere
Co-Produced with International Voices Project
Written by Fouad Teymour
Directed by Patrizia Acerra
In this 100-minute comedy, three Muslim women confront adultery and polygamy when one of their husbands marries a second wife. Friendship, fidelity, and faith are called into question as each woman reevaluates bonds once believed unbreakable, and discovers humor amongst the heartbreak.
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Read MoreJuly 14–15, 2019
Written by Emilia Kazumova
Adapted by Zarema Zautdinova
Poetry by Alexandra Shilyaeva
Translated from Russian by Graham Schmidt
Directed by Adrianne Cury
Fleeing domestic violence, rape, and deception, three women find refuge in a squalid apartment in the Izmailovo district of Moscow. Based on the personal life of playwright Emilia Kazumova and anecdotal stories that she collected, The Izmailovo Studio explores the pursuit of personal dignity against patriarchal torment.
Performed as part of Staging the Stans
Read MoreJuly 13–14, 2019
Written by Olzhas Zhanaydarov
Translated from Russian by John Freedman
Directed by Jeremy Aluma
Based on real events, Olzhas Zhanaydarov’s The Store exposes the brutal torment of a Kazakh migrant working in Moscow. Public indifference and a corrupt police force silence young victims lured from their homeland by a Kazakh trafficker. Promises of money, citizenship, and family reunification set the stage for a life of indentured servitude and abuse, a reality rationalized by religious interpretations of master and slave.
Performed as part of Staging the Stans
Read MoreJuly 12–13, 2019
Written by Talgat Batalov
Adapted by Yekaterina Bondarenko
Translated from Russian by John Freedman
Directed by Sami Ismat
In Talgot Batalov’s Uzbek, the tales of Central Asian immigrants become fodder for a stand-up comedy routine. The ironies, dangers, paradoxes, and absurdities of moving from one culture to another are satirized in this intrepid tribute to human resilience. Uzbek avoids cliches and partisanship, insisting instead that everything cuts two ways.
Performed as part of Staging the Stans
Read MoreJune 8–9, 2019
Written by Jacqueline Corral, Diego Del Carmen, Francisco G., Zacharie Hadj-Mohamed, Tyriana Jones, Ingrid Mares, Melanie Molina, Grace Neely, Jesus Vicente Ramos, Olivia Shumaker, Briseyda Torres, Doris Wolff, and Mary Yoon
Directed by Corey Pond with Tracy Strimple
A presentation of short plays written by new playwrights who participated in Silk Road Rising’s EPIC (Empathic Playwriting Intensive Course) residencies in Spring 2019. Writers are middle school and high school students or older adults whose plays shed light on the challenges and issues that Chicago youngest and eldest residents face.
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Read MoreMarch 11–April 7, 2019
The World Premiere
Co-Produced with Stage Left Theatre
Written and Performed by Karim Nagi
Directed by Anna C. Bahow
This one-man musical, co-produced with Stage Left Theatre, takes us on an alternative tour of the Arab World & Arab America. Using lyrics, percussion & an urban soundscape, master storyteller and musician Karim Nagi guides us through a social and political labyrinth, extolling the virtues of revolution, immigration, and hummus along the way.
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Read MoreFebruary 9–10, 2019
Written by Marcel Carter, Susan Cisneros, Destiny Mendez, Shavez Rodgers, Diamond Torres, Lakyla Turner, and Taylor Woods
Directed by Corey Pond with Tracy Strimple
EPIC Showcase is a compilation of short plays written by middle school and high school students that shed light on the challenges and issues Chicago youth face. The readings are performed by actors from the Silk Road Rising community.
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