Sacramento Premiere of AMERICAN FAST Begins January 24 At Capital Stage

In a world of conflicting ideals, Khady Salama, a 21-year-old college basketball sensation, is caught between her athletic career, her family, her boyfriend, her religion, and herself.

In Kareem Fahmy's fast-moving and critically acclaimed play AMERICAN FAST, we witness a young Muslim American finding her authentic self.

The Sacramento Premiere of AMERICAN FAST is the third production of Capital Stage's 2023/24 Season: True Identity, and brings the return of Director Benjamin T. Ismail (LOVE AND INFORMATION, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY) to Capital Stage after many years.

The cast features local favorites Atim Udoffia* (CLYBOURNE PARK, DISGRACED), and Vernon Lewis (GLORIA), and brings the Capital Stage debuts of Victoria Nassif* and Rula Gardenier*.

Tickets are available now at capstage.org.

AMERICAN FAST

 

by Kareem Fahmy

Directed by Benjamin T. Ismail

Sacramento Premiere

January 24 – February 25, 2024

 

Kareem Fahmy is a Canadian-born director, playwright, and screenwriter of Egyptian descent. He has directed and developed plays at theatres nationwide, including MCC, The Atlantic, The New Group, Ensemble Studio Theatre, New Dramatists, The Civilians, Writers Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse, Geva Theatre, Pioneer Theatre, The Magic, Contemporary American Theatre Festival, Berkeley Rep, and more. Kareem's plays include Dodi & Diana (O'Neill NPC finalist, world premiere at Colt Coeur), American Fast (Woodward/Newman Award Winner, NNPN Rolling World Premiere: Artists Repertory Theatre, City Theatre, InterAct), A Distinct Society (Co-World Premiere: TheatreWorks Silicon Valley/Pioneer Theatre, Writers Theatre), The Triumphant (Target Margin), Pareidolia, The In-Between (Noor Theatre), and an adaptation of the bestselling novel The Yacoubian Building. His work has been developed at Atlantic Theater Company, Denver Center, Northlight Theatre, New York Stage & Film, Citadel Theatre, and more.

 

Kareem has been a fellow or resident artist at the Sundance Theatre Lab, MacDowell, Yaddo, New Harmony Project, Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Phil Killian Directing Fellow),The Old Globe (Classical Directing Fellow), Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center (National Directors Fellow), TCG (Rising Leaders of Color), Second Stage (Van Lier Directing Fellow), Soho Rep (Writer/Director Lab), Lincoln Center (Directors Lab), The New Museum (Artist-in-Residence), Stratford Festival, and New York Theater Workshop (Emerging Artist Fellow & Usual Suspect). He is a NYSCA/NYFA Playwriting Fellow. MFA (Directing): Columbia University. Kareem lives in New York City with his husband, acclaimed fiction writer John McManus, and their dog Kip.

Benjamin T. Ismail Benjamin T. Ismail has worked from coast to coast both as an actor and a director, and is back at Capital Stage after almost 7 years! Some previous Capital Stage credits include directing AUGUST:OSAGE COUNTY and LOVE & INFORMATION as well as performing in THE SANTALAND DIARIES (Crumpet), DISGRACED (Abe), TRIBES (Billy), and SPEECH & DEBATE (Howie). Other recent local credits include directing THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTTIME and DOROTHEA PUENTE TELLS ALL for STC last year. While serving as the former Artistic Director of Big Idea Theatre, he directed dozens of productions including ANTONY & CLEOPATRA, ARCADIA, 33 VARIATIONS, and NO EXIT to name just a few. Other favorite credits include playing Louis in ANGELS IN AMERICA (Berkeley Rep), Bashir in THE INVISIBLE HAND (American Stage) and directing BETWEEN RIVERSIDE & CRAZY (American Stage). Love to Jerid. This work is dedicated to Sally & Kal.

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