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THEATRE
PRETTY
SHAHID
A world-premiere romantic comedy from acclaimed playwright Omer Abbas Salem, directed by Sophiyaa Nayar
Pretty Shahid shares the story of the Kazem family who immigrated to Chicago from Iraq and are attempting to assimilate and live when 9/11 happens. This romantic comedy uses classic film tropes to examine identity and which knots one chooses to untie to become the ideal American. It is a play about self discovery that was born and developed at Jackalope and is the company’s first production centered in the muslim, SWANASA (South West Asian, North African, and South Asian) diaspora.
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Event Info:
$15-$35
VENUE: Broadway Armory Park
5917 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60660
RUN-TIME: 2 hours.
COVID SAFETY PROTOCOLS:
View current instructions and measures Here.
PRODUCTION CONTENT WARNINGS:
View the current list of warnings Here.
Important Dates:
June 16th – July 23rd, 2023
First Preview - 6/16/2023
Opening - 6/23/2023
LiveCaptioning/Audio Description - 7/9/2023
Closing - 7/23/2023
The Cast
Ninos Baba as SHAHID, Tommy Malouf as NABIIN, Brandon Rivera as GABRIEL, Liz Sharpe* as WHITE WOMAN, Sam Boeck* as WHITE MAN
The Team
PLAYWRIGHT – Abbas Salem*
Omer Abbas Salem is a Chicago actor and playwright. As an actor, he's worked with Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, The New Coordinates, Jackalope Theatre, Steep Theatre, Silk Road Rising, Griffin Theatre, The House, Bailiwick Chicago, Actors Theatre of Louisville, St. Louis Rep, Roundabout Theater and The Atlantic Theater. As a playwright, his work has been developed and produced at Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Jackalope Theatre, First Floor Theater, DePaul University, National Queer Theater, Definition Theatre, About Face Theater and The New Coordinates. He is the winner of Steppenwolf's SCOUT Development Project (20/21), Definition Theatre's Amplify Commission (20/21), Goodman Theatre's Future Labs Development (21), The Cunningham Commission at DePaul Theatre School (21/22), Goodman Theatre's Playwrights Unit (21/22) and First Floor Theater's Blueprint Commission (21/22). He was an apprentice of The Actors Theatre of Louisville (17/18) and is also a proud ensemble member with Jackalope Theatre, Steep Theatre, First Floor Theater and The New Coordinates. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and the University of Chicago. During the day, he's a client strategist in new-tech.
DIRECTOR – Sophiyaa Nayar
Sophiyaa Nayar is from New Delhi, India. She creates interdisciplinary and genre-bending work that centers (im)migrants. She is a member of the WP Lab 2020-2022, 3Arts Make a Wave Grantee, a Definition Theatre ensemble member, a member of Directors' Lab Chicago 2017 and a resident in Milwaukee Rep's 2017-2018 season. Recent directing credits: “Modern Women” by Omer Abbas Salem (Playwrights Unit Reading, Goodman Theatre), “Plural (LOVE)” by Jen Goma and Haruna Lee (WP, Pipeline Festival), “Shakuntala” by Lavina Jadhwani (Future Labs, Goodman Theatre), “Love in the Time of Jonestown: A Radio Play” by Omer Abbas Salem (New Coordinates), “Good Years” by Ada Alozie (film, Definition Theatre) and “Pretty Shahid” by Omer Abbas Salem (Jackalope Theatre). Recent assistant director credits include “Search for Signs of Intelligent Life... with Cecily Strong” (Leigh Silverman), “Nollywood Dreams” (Saheem Ali). She was part of the SDC Foundation's Observership Class, through which she worked on “Soft Power” by Jeanine Tesori and David Henry Hwang at The Public. Her production of Etheopianamerican” By Sam Kebede (Definition Theatre) won Black Theatre Alliance Awards for Best Play, Featured Actor and Actress, and a Jeff award for Fight Choreography. She has developed work with Steppenwolf, Center Theatre Group, The Shed, American Players Theatre, Writers Theatre, Milwaukee Rep and MCC theatre. Her recent touring show, “Movement Live” is headed to Lincoln Center in 2023.
PRODUCTION TEAM –
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Nadya Naumann*
STAGE MANAGER
Ariel Beller
ASST. STAGE MANAGER
Anna Margevich
PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Corey Bradberry
SCENIC DESIGNER
Eleanor Kahn
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Eric Watkins
COSTUME DESIGNER
Jessica Van Winkle
SOUND DESIGNER
Eric Backus
ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS
Tina Muñoz Pandya
PROPS DESIGNER
Lonnae Hickman
PROJECTION DESIGNER
Eme Ospina-López
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Evan Sposato
FIGHT & INTIMACY COORDINATOR
Courtney Abbott
CHOREOGRAPHER
Jenn Freeman // Po' Chop
COMEDY CONSULTANT
Sarah Price
CASTING DIRECTOR
Catherine Miller*
CASTING ASSOCIATE
Spike Bahermez
MASTER ELECTRICIAN
Joel Zishuk
PROGRAM
DESIGNER
Michelle Maurer
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