PlayCo Presents STORY AS RESISTANCE: THE JOYS, THE HEARTBREAK, AND THE FOOD

PlayCo will present a free, virtual roundtable discussion entitled Story as Resistance: The Joys, The Heartbreak, and the Food, this Sunday, December 20, at 2pm EST (1pm CST, 11am PST), as part of the company's Idea Lab Series. The event seeks to illuminate themes in Amir Nizar Zuabi's This Is Who I Am, whose world premiere runs through January 3, directed by Evren Odcikin and co-produced by PlayCo and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in association with American Repertory Theater at Harvard University, the Guthrie Theater, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

For Story as Resistance: The Joys, The Heartbreak, and the Food, PlayCo has convened an extraordinary group of artists and organizations from across the U.S. and around the world, who are leading conversations about, and changing representations on stage of, the Middle Eastern diaspora. They include Nora el Samahy, Resident Artist and Board President at Golden Thread Productions; Lameece Issaq, actor, writer, and Founding Artistic Director of the Obie-winning company Noor Theatre; Hannah Khalil, whose A Museum in Baghdad was the first play by a woman of Arab heritage to be produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company; Jamil Khoury, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Artistic Director of Silk Road Rising; and Pirronne Yousefzadeh, writer, director, and co-founder of Maia Directors. Catherine Coray, Arts Professor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and Director of The Lark Middle East-US Playwright Exchange, moderates the conversation.

Story as Resistance: The Joys, The Heartbreak, and the Food will be streamed live on PlayCo's Facebook page and YouTube channel. No registration or login is required. Attendees with accessibility needs may contact Carolina Do, PlayCo's Community Engagement Associate, at cdo@playco.org. A transcript of the discussion will be made available after the event.

In This Is Who I Am, an estranged father and son separated by continents-played by Ramsey Faragallah and Yousof Sultani, respectively-reunite over Zoom. From their respective kitchens in Ramallah and New York City, they recreate a cherished family recipe and struggle to bridge the gap between them, one ingredient at a time. Told through the intimacy of a video call with humor and humanity, the play explores the unpredictable nature of grief and the delicacy of family connection across geographical and generational divides. All performances take place live. Tickets are available online through playco.org/events/this-is-who-i-am, by phone at (202) 393-3939, and via email at tickets@woollymammoth.net.

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