ReOrient Forum is presented in association with ReOrient 2009 – The First Ten Years, a celebration of ten years of ReOrient Festival of short plays exploring the Middle East. This year’s hallmark event includes the production of nine short plays in two alternating series at the Thick House in San Francisco from November 19 to December 13. For more information visit www.goldenthread.org
ReOrient Forum
Saturday 12/5, 9 am – 5 pm
9:00am
Registration
10:00am
Welcome
Placing the Middle East Center Stage in America (40 min)
Keynote speaker: Dr. Holly Hill, editor,” Salaam/Peace, An Anthology of Middle Eastern-American Plays” TCG, 2009.
Introducing Adriana Sevahn Nichols, Distinguished Playwright, Middle East America Initiative (20 min)
Night Over Erzinga, an Armenian woman’s journey of discovery
Introduced by Jamil Khoury, Artistic Director, Silk Road Theatre Project
11:00am – Break
11:30am
Our Global Community – session 1 (1hr)
Reaching professional theatre artists in the Middle East (via the Internet)
Internet Play Performance & Talkback with Yussef El Guindi in Cairo
Payvand Theatre Company, Tehran, Iran
Ashtar Theatre Company, Ramallah, Palestine
12:30 – Lunch
1:30pm
Beyond Babaganoush & Bellydancing
Exhibit & Conversation with Artist, Ali Dadgar
2:30pm
Permission to Represent & Transform: New Play Development in the Age of Identity Politics (1 hr)
Chair: Philip Gotanda
Participants: Motti Lerner (playwright, representing the ‘other’ in Benedictus), Denmo Ibrahim & Evren Odcikin (playwright & director, reinterpretation of a Sufi fable in Ecstasy), Adriana Sevahn Nichols (playwright, investigating personal heritage in Night Over Erzinga)
3:30pm- break
4:00-5:00pm
Concert – ASWAT Bay Area Arabic Choir & Orchestra (ticketed event)
8:00pm
ReOrient Performances – Series 1 at the Thick House (ticketed event)
ReOrient Forum – Day 2
10:00am (1hr)
Theatre and Peace-building
Chair: Roberto Varea, USF Theatre & Social Justice Program
Participants: Catherine Filleux (Theatre Without Borders), Motti Lerner (Playwright), Hafiz Karmali (Director)
11:00am – Break
11:30am
Our Global Community – session 2 (1hr)
Reaching professional theatre artists in the Middle East (via the Internet)
Internet Play Performance & Talkback with Yussef El Guindi in Cairo
Al-Warsha Theatre Troupe, Cairo, Egypt
12:30 – Lunch
1:30 pm
Intercultural Artistic Exchange: Obstacles & Opportunities (1hr)
Chair: Holly Hill
Participants: Emilya Chapereno (Theatre Communications Group), Hyesun Shin, Lisa Schlesinger, Isis Saratial Misdary
1:30pm – Break
2:30pm
Performance – Ballet Afsaneh (ticketed event)
5:00pm
ReOrient Festival – Series 2 at the Thick House (ticketed event)
7:30-11pm
ReOrient Birthday Bash at the Artaud (ticketed event)
DJ & Cash Bar
For Immediate Release: Media Contact: Serge Bakalian
September 15, 2009 to (818) 822.9395
December 13, 2009 serge@goldenthread.org
ReOrient Forum
Dates: December 5 & 6
Panels & Exhibit Free to the Public
Ticketed Events
Aswat Concert – Saturday, December 5th at 2:30pm
Ballet Afsaneh Performance – Sunday, December 6th at 2:30pm
ReOrient Birthday Bash – Sunday, December 6th at 7:30pm
TICKETS Panels & Exhibit are FREE to the Public.
Prices for Ticketed Events:
: General Admission $25 at the door, $20 in Advance
Students, Seniors & TBA members $15 at the door, $12 in Advance
Anniversary Pass $75 in Advance
Forum Pass $50 in Advance
Anniversary Pass includes admission to all Festival performances & Forum ticketed events
LOCATION: Theatre Artaud, 450 Florida St. San Francisco
BOX OFFICE: (415) 626-4061; www.goldenthread.org
Advance tickets available only on www.goldenthread.org
