2023 Season
Building Forward - This year we emphasize our commitment to uplift one another as we explore ways to connect, cope, and be moved to make change. Join us as we look for comfort in comic relief, seek unity in collaboration, and find inspiration in the stories of those fighting for justice and equality.
Productions
- Marjan Vahdat, Persian vocalist;
- Lujain Jo, an Iraqi filmmaker, activist, and performance artist based in Beirut;
- Andrea Assaf, writer, performer, director, and cultural organizer along with Syrian coloratura soprano Lubana Al-Quntar from Art2Action;
- emerging Afghan performer Mahjabin Khanzada directed by Polina Smith from Crescent Moon Theatre Productions and accompanied by Yemeni oud artist Layle Omeran; and
- Her Story Is, a collective led by independent women writers and artists from the United States and Iraq, featuring Jennifer Jean, Hanaa Mohammed, Letta Neely, Thawra Yaqoub and Elham Nasser Al-Zabaidy.
Nasrudin's Magnificent Journey to Samarkand
Our 2023 theater for young audiences production is an interpretation of a play from the Golden Thread Fairytale Players repertoire entitled Nasrudin’s Magnificent Journey to Samarkand, written by Torange Yeghiazarian and directed by Sarah Al-Kassab.
Will Nasrudin and his faithful donkey ever make it to Samarkand, the center of arts and crafts on the ancient Silk Road? There is only one way to find out!
What Do the Women Say? 2023
March 8, 2023
In celebration of International Women’s Day, Golden Thread’s What Do the Women Say? returns to the Brava Theater. This year’s program will be presented in a hybrid format with artists appearing in-person and virtually. Audiences will be able to join us in-person at the Brava Theater or online for a virtual presentation.
Featuring the work of Middle Eastern women artists who are fighting against injustice through their art, this year’s program will include presentations by:
Executive Artistic Director Sahar Assaf will facilitate a conversation between the participating artists and the audience following the presentations.
No Summary 2023
April 14, 2023 - September 20, 2023
We are thrilled to continue our livestream series NO SUMMARY with new artists and fresh conversations, featuring live audience Q&A! In this new season, No Summary embarks on a virtual tour to universities across the nation, bringing Golden Thread’s Conversations with Artists Who Don’t Fit in a Box to theatre and art classes. We invite you to join in the conversation and immerse yourself in these exciting topics and compelling artists who defy a snappy summation.
See below for a preview schedule of our upcoming episodes!
Amreeka: The Comedy Show
May 12, 2023
Featuring Headliner Eman El-Husseini
with Usama Siddiquee and Jackie Keliiaa
and Charles McBee as Master of Ceremonies
Watch the video trailer:
New Threads Staged Reading Series 2023
August 20, 2023 - August 27, 2023
New Threads returns in 2023 with staged readings of our two new play commissions:
one by Adam Ashraf Elsayigh with dramaturg Salma Zohdi inspired by the life of political prisoner Alaa Abd El-Fattah;
and another by Tariq Hamami with dramaturg Dawn Monique Williams about the Black Panthers in Algiers.
The readings take place on Sunday, August 20th and 27th at 7pm.
Attendance is FREE, but seating is limited, so registration is highly recommended.
ReOrient Festival 2023
October 13, 2023 - November 4, 2023
ReOrient 2023 celebrates 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. Think you know the Middle East? Think again!
“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