January 11–13, 2013

Written by Ezzat Goushegir
Directed by Azar Kazemi

My Name Is Inanna and Medea Was Born in Fallujah are powerful one act plays by award-winning Iranian American playwright Ezzat Goushegir.

Goushegir’s passionate, lyrical, and woman-centered voice blends classical archetypes and contemporary realities with an honesty that is shockingly raw and brutal. Political tyranny, democratic yearnings, exile, betrayal, and the confines of gender seamlessly crescendo in these stunning tales of modern Middle Eastern women. 

December 7–9, 2012

Written by Fouad Teymour
Directed by Brian Golden

At the height of the Arab Spring, while a band of revolutionaries are embroiled in the fight of their lives to topple an oppressive regime and revive their country's dream of "Freedom, Dignity, and Social Justice!", they must contend with a fast-spreading rumor that Jesus has been sighted in the square. How will this apparition impact their battle? Will it catalyze the revolution or totally annihilate it?

August 3–5, 2012

Written by Shane Sakhrani
Directed by Anish Jethmalani

If ever a family was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, it’s the Gupta family of Mumbai, India! An unexpected takeover of the Gupta family business lands it in the hands of an American corporation. Marital woes abound as traditional male-female dynamics are challenged. The specter of interracial dating rears its unruly head. And a poisonous legacy threatens the security of the family home.

Traditionally, an Indian family would have suffered said struggles with silent resentment. But in this age of globalization, intrusive modes of communication and Western style family therapy turn tradition on its head.

June 8–10, 2012

Written by Danny Bernardo
Directed by Greg Kolack

In Danny Bernardo’s Mahal, a Filipino American family redefines itself after loss & reclaims its culture.

After the death of the Reyes family matriarch, new relationships blossom, old ones are rediscovered, and family bonds are tested, as a long repressed secret from the homeland threatens to tear the family apart. 

April 23, 2012

Written by Yiyun Li
Adapted and Directed by Lavina Jadhwani
Choreography by Kate McGroarty

Yiyun Li's Gold Boy, Emerald Girl includes nine short stories set in modern China. This staged reading was an adaptation of one of those stories.

Performed as part of Chicago Public Library's One Book, One Chicago

February 17–19, 2012

Written by Motti Lerner
Translated from Hebrew by Hillel Halkin
Directed by Daniella Topol

Paulus explores Paulus of Tarsus, the bridger of Christianity from a Jewish sect to a Gentile religion, and his vision to universalize monotheism in the face of strong opposition by the Jewish Establishment, the Jerusalem Church, and the Emperor Nero. This historical drama weaves through Paul's past and present, guided by his fears and inspirations, and dramatizes the role that Jesus played on Paul's psyche after Jesus' crucifixion. 

September 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. 

August 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.

July 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

March 31–April 2, 2011

Written by Paula Cizmar, Anna Deavere Smith, Catherine Filloux, Gail Kriegel, Carol K. Mack, Ruth Margraff, and Susan Yankowitz
Directed by Kimberly Senior

Seven is a groundbreaking documentary play based on interviews with seven women's rights activists from seven countries around the world—Afghanistan, Cambodia, Guatemala, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, and Russia. The interviews were conducted by seven award-winning women playwrights.

November 1, 2010

Presented by Pegasus Players
Written by Leslie Croxford
Directed by Ilesa Duncan

Confession is set in Spain towards the end of decades of dictatorship and civil war in the 1930s. On a late winter afternoon, an old American Priest sits waiting to hear confessions in a derelict church. As he begins to fall asleep, the Priest is disturbed by a presence entering the church. Not sure at first if it is real or part of a dream, the Priest eventually recognizes the figure as the Dictator come to say his final confession and receive absolution. The Priest has, however, no intention of granting absolution to a tyrant whom he has always despised. But the Dictator is not used to being thwarted, and an intense power struggle ensues with the characters locked in a deadly embrace.

August 14–15, 2010

Written and Directed by Michael Malek Najjar

Talib (Arabic for student) is set amid the aftermath of the Iraq War. Famous Iraqi actress Hannan Al-Najaf is invited by her friend Aida Al-Masri to stage her war drama at a major American university. When she discovers that an Iraq War veteran has been cast in her play, Hannan must confront her past and decide whether or not she can go on with the show. Talib explores the complicated dichotomies of war from the point of view of the soldiers and civilians and asks if, after so much loss on both sides, reconciliation is possible. 

June 12, 2010

Written and Directed by Weiko Lin

After his Buddhist mother dies of cancer, a college-circuit comedian on the road has 100 days to marry in order for his mother's spirit to transition in peace. Reluctant to fulfill this superstitious condition, the man awkwardly reunites with his estranged and married high school sweetheart. The death that reconnects these two as adults turns out to be their source of salvation.

July 24–26, 2009

Written by Lauren Yee
Directed by Lavina Jadhwani

The ultra-assimilated Wong family is as Chinese American as apple pie: teenager Upton dreams of World of Warcraft superstardom; his sister Desi dreams of early admission to Princeton. Unfortunately, Upton's chores and homework get in the way of his 24/7 videogaming, and Desi's math grades don't fit the Asian American stereotype. Then Upton comes up with a novel solution for both problems: he acquires a Chinese indentured servant, who harbors an American dream of his own.

Performed as part of Chinese Cultural Week in Chicago: From the Great Wall to the Great Lakes

April 28–29, 2009

Written by Leila Buck
Directed by Shoshana Gold

Leila, a Lebanese American of both Muslim and Christian heritage, has been performing personal stories about bridging multiple identities for years. She arrives at a conference to present a reflective new piece about her experiences in Lebanon with her Jewish American husband during the Israel-Hezbollah war of 2006. As she attempts to portray the myriad of voices they encountered, Leila soon realizes that the most treacherous journey of all is the struggle to tell her own story.

December 6–7, 2008

Written by Christopher Chen
Directed by Joanie Schultz

In 2004, Iris Chang, famed author of The Rape of Nanking, a chronicle of one of the worst atrocities of the 20th Century, committed suicide at the age of 36. Structured as an interview gone awry, Into the Numbers explores the philosophical and psychological implications of researching genocide, as well as the toll media saturation plays in the process. What begins as a standard lecture and interview soon descends into a surreal nightmare. Ghosts from Chang’s research appear and characters shift personas as the celebrated author tries desperately to find order in the midst of mental chaos.

October 11 and November 1, 2008

Written by Yusef Komunyakaa with Chad Gracia
Directed by Jennifer Shook
Music Direction by Robert Steel
Visual Design by Allie Herryman

The great Mesopotamian epic, the veritable Ur tale, is reimagined as a powerful verse play by Pulitzer Prize–winning poet and New York University professor Yusef Komunyakaa in collaboration with dramaturg Chad Gracia. Infused with powerful drama and human longing, the play captures historical narrative through a contemporary yet seemingly timeless lens.

April 12–13, 2008

Written by Sung Rno
Directed by Joanie Schultz

The adult children of Korean immigrants, Jimmy and his younger sister Mari live in Ohio but it might as well be the edge of the world. Jimmy has dreams of an apocalyptic flood, so he finds an old VW bug and hires a mechanic, Mick, to create an ark that runs on emotional loss. Mari is a medical student who wants to understand why her father left without a word, and why she likes to burn medical books. She befriends an injured motorcyclist, Storm, who talks tough but has a feel for the weather. As the rain falls, Jimmy and Mari discover the art of their family’s past, even as the water washes over their hidden histories.