CURRENT PROJECTS
THE MENA SHOW
An Original Full-Length Musical
SYNOPSIS: Set amidst the 2017 Muslim Ban, The MENA Show is a pop-rock coming-of-age musical that follows 21-year-old Nancy as she writes a show for Middle Eastern North African visibility at Cleveland State University – to which her family unexpectedly arrives. But her quest for visibility threatens to expose her family in ways no one expected. After a disastrous dress rehearsal, a crisis of faith, and intergenerational fighting over what “MENA” culture even is, Nancy is forced to confront much more than she anticipated. The MENA Show is an honest exploration into the struggles of what it takes to protect a culture in a foreign land: both the rewards, and the sacrifice.
READINGS: Staged reading at NYU Tisch GMTWP directed by Thalia Ranjbar, 2024.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS: 2024 Eugene O’Neill NMTC Semi-Finalist, 2024 AMTP Finalist
ANOTHER COUSIN’s WEDDInG
An Original 20-Minute Musical Dramedy
SYNOPSIS: As per Arab tradition, 20-year-old Sami is visiting his hundredth family wedding – or at least that’s what it feels like. While his aunt and uncle, Marwa and Arman, attempt to help set him up with a love of his own, Sami frets over his secret coming out. Meanwhile, Marwa and Arman are worried about protecting secrets of their own.
PRODUCTIONS: International Human Rights Art Festival - The Tank, Upcoming, December 2024, directed by Thalia Ranjbar.
READINGS: Staged reading at NYU Tisch GMTWP directed by Kate Rankine, 2023.
WORKS IN PROGRESS
LAYLA & MAGNUN
A Full-Lenth Musical Adaptation of Ganjavi’s Epic Poem
SYNOPSIS: Set in 1100s Egypt, an epic musical love story based on the legend of Layla & Majnun by Nizami Ganjavi.