Six short plays. One unforgettable evening.
ReOrient 2023
Think you know the Middle East? Think again!
ReOrient 2023 will celebrate the return of our signature program, an innovative and spirited festival of short plays from or about the Middle East. The dizzying line-up is diverse in content and style, with 6 plays selected from 113 submissions, highlighting a multiplicity of Middle Eastern perspectives and identities.
“Humanity is at the core of ReOrient. If theatre is community, it starts here. If the goal of theatre is to expand our viewpoint, to enrich our knowledge, and to embrace empathy, then ReOrient hugely succeeds.” —Stark Insider
October 13, 2023 - November 4, 2023
Potrero Stage
1695 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
REORIENT 2023 LINE-UP
A Massacre
by Katrin Arefy
Discovering a pile of dead bodies in the middle of their office, work colleagues seem nonchalant to the carnage and instead become embroiled in petty arguments. Their repetitive discussions and responses are predetermined and non-negotiable.
Data Queen
by Adam Ashraf Elsayigh
Lebanese Gen-Z Partyboi Sam is in trouble with his tamer, older, White boyfriend Joel. But it’s really not his fault Joel went snooping, finding Sam’s FUCK FORM, with all the raunchy descriptions of his recent hookups. So here they are at ODYSSEY, San Francisco’s hottest, new Couple Therapy practice. Will Sam and Joel manage to fix this hot mess with the assistance of their overwhelmed but well-meaning counselor, Sharon… or is this all doomed for failure?
Stamp Me
by Yussef El Guindi
Ahmed is waiting in an immigration line as his thoughts race, skid, and trip him up as he anticipates the things that might be asked, the papers he’ll have to show, and the personal information he might have to share. It is not a pretty stream of consciousness.
Closure
by Arti Ishak
Two former Arabic school rivals meet 20 years later when an unexpected reveal changes the nature of their reunion.
The Suicide Bomber
by Hamed Sinno
In a farce of a play within a play within a play, fractals of a writer’s identity battle over controlling the narrative. When they start eliminating each other, it becomes unclear who is writing whom.
Picture Bride
by Judith Boyajian Strang-Waldau
A young woman recounts sailing to America during the Armenian Genocide to marry a strange man on Ellis Island.
REORIENT 2023 HONORARY MENTIONS
Mehrnaz Tiv
Mr. Perfect Isn't Persian
Rita Akroush
65 Joules