The Company

Playwright/Protagonist Rule

Universal stories emerge from within the culturally specific backgrounds that a playwright inherits and explores.  

Early on we decided that Silk Road Theatre Project (now Silk Road Rising) would be a playwright-centric arts organization.  If representation begins at home then the playwright’s voice reigns supreme. Which is why we established the “playwright/protagonist rule.”  We produce playwrights of Asian and Middle Eastern backgrounds who create protagonists (or central characters) of Asian and Middle Eastern background.  In other words, Arab playwright/Arab protagonist, Chinese playwright/Chinese protagonist, Indian playwright/Indian protagonist, etc.

We believe that this ethno-cultural alignment matters greatly to the integrity of each play that we produce.