Chromatic Theatre & Downstage Present THE GREEN LINE

Downstage will partner with Chromatic Theatre for this co-production of The Green Line, a poetic, heartbreaking story of intergenerational queer history in Lebanon.

Audiences can expect a journey that spans across space and time, weaving together civil war Beirut with a contemporary nightclub, following one man's journey discovering his family's past. Don't miss out on this World Premiere from March 31 to April 9th at the Big Secret Theatre in Arts Commons.

"I am very excited to dive into this text, and couldn't be happier to do so with an exceptional group of artists. It's not often that we get to see Middle Eastern bodies on stage - and even less frequently that we see these bodies in a queer story. I think that playwright Makram Ayache has done a wonderful job in staking a claim for queer Arab identity in the Canadian theatre canon," said Jenna Rodgers, Chromatic Theatre's Artistic Director.

During the Lebanese Civil War, Naseeb wants his sister to withdraw from her university studies and move to the mountains. But Mona is secretly falling in love with her classmate Yara. Forty years later, Rami, a Lebanese Canadian student, comes to Lebanon to bury his father, Naseeb. That night, he meets Zidan, a drag queen at a queer Beirut nightclub and things take an unexpected turn. Past and present braid together in The Green Line's contemplation of how memories are inherited or erased.

"Audiences can expect something poetic and inviting, something heartbreaking and terrifying - something rich with imagery, and feelings of both hope and sadness. Ayache is a wonderful writer whose work invites creativity and imagination. I'm very excited for the realization of all the design components on this production - to see the dream-state world that we're creating, blurring time between past and present and inviting audiences to bear witness to a live theatrical event," added Rodgers.

TICKETS are $30, and can be purchased at https://www.artscommons.ca/whats-on/the-green-line. Downstage also offers limited PAY IT FORWARD tickets at no cost. Contact danielle@downstage.ca for information.

Chromatic Theatre was formed out of the desire to create more opportunities for diverse artists in our region. They are developing and supporting diverse voices in Calgary's theatre community.

Downstage is an award-winning Calgary-based theatre company dedicated to producing plays that create meaningful conversation around social issues. Their plays provoke vibrant dialogue between Calgarians, both informally and through nightly post-performance discussions. For more information on Downstage, please visit www.downstage.ca.

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