Mosque4Mosque is not a monolithic representation of the Arab American Muslim experience, and perhaps that’s exactly the point. Written by Omer Abbas Salem and directed by Sophiyaa Nayar, this charming production challenges all preconceived notions of a play about an Arab American Muslim family. In this sitcom-esque dramedy, Ibrahim (played by Salem) and his family […]
Tag: Omer Abbas Salem
Umamicue, Mosque4Mosque, concerts, dancing, and more
Already hungry for some hearty fare? Join Monday Night Foodball this evening as the “barbecue supergroup” Umamicue brings A Very Umamicue Friendsgiving to the Kedzie Inn (4100 N. Kedzie). Expect an array of flavors including wasabi turkey confit croquettes (who doesn’t love a croquette?) with five-spice cranberry sauce, courtesy of the “Asian stoner food” duo […]
Dimming of the day
“When people die, they move from the first person to the third person. They also move from the present tense to the past tense.” These words are spoken by Christine (Kendra Thulin), who opens Simon Stephens’s Light Falls, directed by Robin Witt, by narrating her own death—sudden, solitary, and mundane in a liquor store in […]
Dictator dictation
The energy in the Den Theater last Thursday was electric, as The Secretaries, written by Omer Abbas Salem and directed by Laura Alcalá Baker, made its highly anticipated debut with First Floor Theater. The dark comedic play was first developed through Goodman Theatre’s Future Labs and marks Salem’s first full production as a playwright in […]
Coercive utopia
While its drama focuses on 20th-century events, the New Coordinates’ (the company formerly known as the New Colony) Love in the Time of Jonestown is uncannily contemporary—which is exactly how historical fiction should feel. Production-wise, Jonestown richly reflects our time and place. Written by Omer Abbas Salem, it’s a radio play in three parts that […]
Omer Abbas Salem is building his own canon
With Mosque4Mosque and other plays, MENA playwright and actor Omer Abbas Salem creates space for Muslim and Arab artists.
‘Thank U, Stop’: Middle Eastern artists say ‘next’ to stereotyping
“Shukran Bas” flips the cultural appropriation lens with a music video parody.
A Light in the Dark, Undreamed Shores, and more new performing arts reviews
A dance-enriched version of The Miracle Worker and a Shakespeare-inspired immersive experience are among this week’s best bets.