Photo Flash: First Look at Rattlestick's World Premiere of SHESH YAK

Rattlestick Playwrights and LaiLou Productions are currently staging the world premiere of Shesh Yak, written by Laith Nakli and directed by Bruce McCarty. tHe production began previews on Thursday, January 15, 2015 at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, 224 Waverly Place, west of Seventh Avenue South. The official opening night is set for Thursday, January 29, 2015. The production will play through Sunday, February 22, 2015.

Check out a first look below!

In Shesh Yak, it's spring of 2011, five weeks into the civil uprising in Syria. Jameel, a 30-something-year-old Syrian-American writer is in his New York apartment waiting for a houseguest to arrive from DC. An older Syrian ex-patriot and a leader in the anti-Syrian government movement, Haytham, has come to New York on business. Jameel is overwhelmed with excitement to have someone of Haytham's stature in his home and the two share stories from their younger days in Syria. An unclear tension arises, leading them into a re-examination of their lives and a revelation of how their different pasts have intertwined and forced them into choices that neither ever imagined.

Shesh Yak stars Zarif Kabier and Laith Nakli.

Shesh Yak playsSunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday at 7pm, and Friday and Saturday at 8pm, at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, 224 Waverly Place, west of Seventh Avenue South. Tickets may be purchased atwww.rattlestick.org or by phoning OvationTix at 866.811.4111. Tickets are $30, premium tickets are $35, student tickets are $5 and theater artist and under-30 tickets are $10. Prices and performance schedule are subject to change. Please refer to the Rattlestick website for the most up-to-date information.

Photos by Sandra Coudert