Sonya writes a goodbye letter; Morris makes one fatal decision; Sheila clings and doesn’t let go; and the band rocks on. From Poland to Palestine to Israel and then to the U.S., The Zionists asks: Where is home? What is home? At what price? Who is Herzl? And, most importantly, what’s in the box?
Performed as part of Semitic Commonwealth
Read MoreManaging Multiple Identities: Jamil Khoury of Silk Road Rising Theater, Chicago, talks about how Arabs and others negotiate their identities in the US context and how SRR's theater and films render this dynamic through artistic expression. A production by Tamara Issak. And in-studio guest Shair Abdul Mani, NYC Imam, comments on the gap between African American and immigrant Muslims. With listener calls.
Read MoreSilk Road Theatre Project announces the debut of SouthAsianPlaywrights.Org, a dynamic new website created to showcase and promote American and Canadian playwrights of South Asian descent.
Read MoreThe issues portrayed in Golden Child are incredibly important to modern society. As borders begin to fade and globalization becomes more commonplace, it is important to examine the consequences of these events to the cultures they affect.
Read MoreThe Admission is a political drama about the conflicting narratives of the 1948 war. Some called it a war of independence and some called it a catastrophe. Forty years later, a proposal to build on the site of a battle digs up family secrets and stirs tensions between two families, one Jewish and one Palestinian. This work of historical fiction asks how we can move forward toward peace while still wrestling with the ghosts of war.
Performed as part of Semitic Commonwealth
Read MoreA picnic interrupted by soldiers. Sunbathing in the shadow of a tank. Life can be unpredictable under occupation.
Told with typical Palestinian black humour, Scenes from 69* Years is an epic snapshot of life in Palestine, then and now. Forget suicide belts and stone-hurling youth—here the real human story is revealed: the dreams, humor, sadness, and obstacles of daily life in the shadow of the ‘separation wall.’
Performed as part of Semitic Commonwealth
Read MoreDeveloped by Silk Road Rising, SouthAsianPlaywrights.Org is a dynamic new website created to showcase and promote American and Canadian playwrights of South Asian descent.
Read MoreMiddle East America: A National New Plays Initiative is a first-of-its-kind tri-coastal collaboration involving San Francisco’s Golden Thread Productions, New York’s Lark Play Development Center, and Chicago’s Silk Road Rising. This initiative was designed to encourage and support the development of Middle Eastern American playwrights and Middle Eastern American plays, of the highest artistic caliber, and to enrich the canon of American dramatic literature.
Read MoreSilk Road Rising has developed “Myths to Drama,” an arts integrated education program based on State of Illinois’ Board of Education descriptors including standards for: fine arts, drama, reading, writing, and social studies.
Read MoreSilk Road Rising’s 20-session in-school arts education program, EPIC (Empathic Playwriting Intensive Course), is designed to harness playwriting to bridge the gap between a student’s imagination and the act of articulating that imagination as a fully-formed, ten-minute play.EPIC was developed out of a desire to impart upon today’s students the importance of empathy—not just as a value and a practice, but also as a significant tool when it comes to cultural sensitivity and conflict resolution. Students explore their world—and themselves—as EPIC immerses them in dramatic writing, aiding them in the discovery of compassionate empathy.
Read MoreRiad Ismat, a well-known Syrian playwright and director, shares his thoughts and recollections about interpreting Miller and Williams for Arab audiences.
Co-sponsored by Silk Road Rising.
Read MoreInspired by the true story of a woman in Vietnam who started an AIDS support group, this play blends real life and folklore to reflect on the role of citizens and how they can counter stubborn government officials.
Read MoreThis event, in conjunction with the Alphawood Gallery, featured a group discussion led by Artistic Director Jamil Khoury on creating art that responds to political and social crises. The gallery exhibit and a play reading of Don Nguyen's Red Flamboyant will serve as examples of such responses.
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This annual award recognizes an alum of the University who has shown exceptional leadership in advancing social justice, equity, and achieving greater diversity across the community and society.
Read MoreWhere politicians and diplomats fail, artists and storytellers may yet succeed. Not in ratifying a peace treaty between Israel and Palestine, but in building the sort of social and political connectivity that enables resolution...
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