July 30–September 15, 2013
The Midwest Premiere
Written by Jonas Hassen Khemiri
Translated from Swedish by Rachel Willson-Broyles
Directed by Anna C. Bahow
Invasion! is a tornado of words, images and ideas, all centered around a magical name: Abulkasem. The play assaults our deepest prejudices about culture, race and language. At once hilarious, disturbing and poignant, this mischievously subversive play deconstructs a “threatening” identity—the Arab male—and forces us to confront our own complicated identities.
Read the Program Book
Read MoreI want an Arab American theatre movement. I want an Arab American theatre movement that is vibrant and visible and daring and unafraid of its own power. I want an Arab American community that champions and supports our movement, and I want an American theatre that embraces and celebrates us. I want Arab American plays to be woven into the fabric of American storytelling...
Read MoreOn June 11, ten days before the first performances of Mary Zimmerman's much-anticipated new show, The Jungle Book, at the Goodman Theatre, Silk Road Rising artistic director Jamil Khoury fired a missive into the blogosphere that got the attention of the local theater community by blasting the writer-director.
Read MoreJune 28–30, 2013
Written by Farid ud Din Attar
Adapted by Meena Natarajan
Directed by Dipankar Mukherjee
Conference of the Birds metaphorically maps out the journey of the human ego and the quest for truth. In this classic tale, the birds of the world take flight on a pilgrimage to find their celebrated king, but the dangers and hardships encountered along the way cause many in the flock to abandon their search. In the end the small number of birds that survive uncover a profound secret.
Read MoreWATCH: In this video essay, Silk Road Rising Artistic Director Jamil Khoury envisions an Arab American theatre movement that is vibrant, visible, daring, and unafraid of its own power.
Read MoreSilk Road Rising was born of what I like to call an “activist impulse.” We do not bifurcate art and activism. For us, they constitute a continuum. Activism and advocacy is as integral to our organizational DNA as is creating and producing great art...
Read MoreFor years I have bit my tongue about director Mary Zimmerman. After all, she is much beloved in Chicago theatre and has even been declared a “Genius.” I simply went ahead with my business, voicing the occasional criticism behind closed doors...
Read MorePresented by SAALT
Awarded to Silk Road Rising
May 19, 2013
In recognition of your commitment to social justice, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) presents the 2013 ChangeMaker Award to Silk Road Rising.
Read More About the Award
Read MoreShowbiz Chicago
By Michael Roberts
April 29, 2013
The Lake Effect shows the power of family and the reconciliation process when growing up without the matriarch [...] Simply brilliant.
Read the Full Review
Read MoreChicago Stage Standard
By Kerstin Broockmann
April 28, 2013
[Lake Effect] ultimately is a funny and moving examination of families, culture and the American Dream.
Read the Full Review
Read MoreApril 23–May 26, 2013
The World Premiere
Written by Rajiv Joseph
Directed by Timothy Douglas
In a depressed Cleveland neighborhood amidst a fierce winter storm, an Indian American brother and sister, long estranged, are reunited by the sudden death of their father. Enter their late father’s African American confidante and gambling bookie, and a slew of family secrets get unearthed. The Lake Effect sets in motion a complicated web of relationships and conflicts that challenge our perceptions of race, gender, and success.
Read the Program Book
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.
http://podcast.radiotahrir.org/2012/04/15/tahrir-april-3-2012-broadcast.aspx
Read MoreChicago Reader
By Deanna Isaacs
March 25, 2013
Silk Road Rising cofounder Jamil Khoury says the uproar over Manhattan's Ground Zero mosque inspired both his new play in progress, "Mosque Alert," and his attempt to crowdsource the playwriting process via a Web page.
Read MorePresented by the Actor's Equity Association
Awarded to Jamil Khoury
March 18, 2013
The Kathryn V. Lamkey Award, named after the recently retired Central Regional Director and presented annually at the Spirit Celebration, honors those individuals and/or organizations that continue to open doors to all types of opportunities for central region Members of Color.
Read More About the Award
Read MoreModerated by Danny Bernardo
Featuring David Henry Hwang, Jamil Khoury, Eliza Shin, and Chay Yew
February 18, 2013
On February 18, 2013, Silk Road Rising, The League of Chicago Theatres, and Lifeline Theatre hosted a panel discussion entitled Building a Theatre of Inclusion: Perspectives on Asian American Casting & Producing. It was organized by a steering committee comprised of the following individuals: Adam Belcoure, Danny Bernardo, Allison Caine, Deb Clapp, Jamil Khoury, Dorothy Milne, Geoffrey Scott, Tim Speicher, Ben Thiem, Chay Yew. The video was recorded and edited by Deann Baker and Drew Pientka of Silk Road Rising.
Read MoreFebruary 15–16, 2013
Written by Alaudin Ullah
Directed by Chay Yew
Auditioning to play a terrorist in a major Hollywood movie may be stand-up comedian Aladdin’s big break. As he prepares for his audition, he finds himself thinking back on his deceased father, who left Bangladesh for a better life in New York, and his parents’ futile attempts to raise him Muslim in Spanish Harlem. Accompanied by the tabla, Aladdin takes us on a hilarious and moving journey through art, immigration, family, the Yankees and the nature of the American dream.
Read MoreFebruary 15, 2013 - January 19, 2014
In the spirit of bringing live theatre to Silk Road communities, this collaborative partnership with the Ismaili Community Center of Chicago introduced our work to local Shi’a Ismaili Muslims, a community comprised largely of families from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Because the community’s daily prayer schedule conflicts with most theatre performances, their exposure to live stagework is limited. This initiative enabled us to present enhanced staged readings of three new plays, each with a Muslim theme, and each performed by professional actors in the community center’s social hall. Each performance was followed by a Q&A.
Read More