Artists Rep Presents The World Premiere of AMERICAN FAST By Kareem Fahmy

Artists Repertory Theatre (ART) continues its 40th season on stage with American Fast by Kareem Fahmy, an ART commission and National New Play Network (NNPN) Rolling World Premiere. The winner of the 2022 Woodward/Newman Playwriting Award, this fast-paced comedic drama begins preview performances on January 4, opening on January 7, and running until January 29, on the Ellyn Bye Studio stage @ The Armory.

Having just qualified for the national championships, college basketball star Khady Salama is feeling the pressure from all sides. She's fighting to be recognized as more than a Muslim woman; she's fighting to be the best basketball player in the country. As the tournament progresses, the media attention, mounting pressure from her mother, and her internal struggle creates a pressure cooker that has her questioning if winning at any cost is worth it. Grit and determination may not be enough to keep Khady's head and heart in the game.

When describing what makes the play exceptional, Director Chip Miller explains, "we get to dive into the text and live in the dialogue to reveal how vital this story is to American theatre. The intersection between Ramadan and March Madness is deliciously tense and creates a space of possibility and theatricality. American Fast is wildly theatrical, deeply emotional, incredibly fulfilling in its artistry and athleticism. I'm grateful to be here and a part of this team."

Playwright Kareem Fahmy underscores, "It's not uncommon to see the practice of Christiany or Judaism in mainstream American plays, however, depictions of faithful Muslim characters are few and far between, and often highly politicized." Fahmy continues, "I wrote American Fast in part to bring the practice of Islam on stage in surprising (and hopefully entertaining!) ways and show the complexity of the Muslim American experience."

"It's such an honor to be the first theatre in the nation to produce this play," says Artistic Director Jeanette Harrison. As a T|R|S commission, American Fast will be first produced at ART as part of the National New Play Rolling World Premiere. The other partner theatres in the Rolling Premiere are City Theatre in Pittsburg and InterAct Theatre in Philadelphia.

T|R|S is ART's New Works program committed to the development and production of work with a focus on plays by BIPOC writers, women, LGBTQIA+ and gender nonconforming writers. Playwrights are encouraged to create provocative, intimate new theatre pieces that challenge, illuminate, and inspire. Director of New Works and Dramaturg, Luan Schooler, shares, "I love plays that introduce us to characters and situations that may initially seem foreign but reveal what we have in common. Kareem Fahmy is a very exciting new American voice, and I'm thrilled to be bringing this special play to our audiences."

ART welcomes Portland artists and newcomers to our stage, Jessica Damouni, Victoria LaVonne Alvarez-Chacon, Dré Slaman, and Anthony Michael Shepard.

American Fast is supported by the National New Play Network, Kinsman Foundation, The Sports Bra, Jan and John Swanson, and John Saurenman, Katherine Pease, and the Ausplund Tooze Family Foundation.

American Fast production continues ART's new accessible pricing structure: All single tickets are available on a sliding scale starting at $10 for previews or $20 for regular shows. Single tickets go on sale 6 weeks before the first preview.

An ART commission and National New Play Network (NNPN) Rolling World Premiere, American Fast centers on a top-ranked college basketball star leading her team into the finals. Khady Salama, a 21-year-old sensation, is set to compete in the national championship, which this year falls during Ramadan. Her religious mother expects her to fast-even on game days. As the tournament unfolds, Khady becomes a role model for young Muslim women everywhere, except she's lying about fasting. Winning at all costs will force Khady to grapple with her faith and confront some uncomfortable truths about who she's meant to be.

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