Tickets: here.org

By: Ibrahem El- Husseini

Translated by:  Mohammed Albakry and Rebekah Maggor

Directed by: Tracy Cameron Francis

Part of the SubletSeries@HERE

Produced by Hybrid Theatre Works

5 SHOWS ONLY!

August 21 @ 7pm
August 22 @ 7pm
August 23 @ 7pm
August 24 @ 7pm
August 25 @ 7pm

HERE
145 6th Ave (enter on Dominick, 1 block south of Spring)

For Tickets & Information: visit here.org or call 212-352-3101

Comedy of Sorrows is a new English translation of one of the first theatrical responses to the uprising in Egypt that ousted Mubarak. It follows a young university-educated Egyptian woman who, through a series of encounters with different members of society, comes to realize that she had been oblivious to the poverty and misery of her fellow Egyptians. The play is an absurdist comi-tragedy rich in metaphor and presents a collective and unsentimental account of a nation’s awakening. Through a unique combination of vivid poetry and colloquial dialogue, it celebrates the uprising of a people, while at the same time anticipating the uncertainty and tumult of a nation struggling to transition to democracy. While it was written about Egypt, the universality of the struggle to overcome oppression could take place almost anywhere in the world.

First performed in July, 2011 at Cairo’s Al-Ghad Theatre, Comedy of Sorrows won accolades from some of Egypt’s most influential critics and scholars. In her review for Al-Ahram newspaper, professor and critic Nehad Seleiha called the play an “emotionally poignant and aesthetically cathartic theatrical experience.” Poet and critic Girgus Shukry wrote in the Journal of Radio and Television that while “we may agree or disagree with [El-Husseini’s] method of treatment, no one will dispute the fact that we are witnessing a major creative work… in which the author chooses to ask questions rather than offer ready-made answers.

Featuring: Najla Said*, Adi Hanash*, Lily Balsen*, Paul Kelley*, Gordon Kupperstein*, Bobbac Kashani, Celeste Muniz*, Laura Riveros, Sara Oliva*, Raphael Eilenberg*, Youness Tahiri

*Equity Approved Showcase

This production was made possible by the support of:

The Puffin Foundation       Alwan for the Arts