Romeo and Juliet: Damascus
by William Shakespeare; directed and co-adapted by Kholoud Sawaf
Staged readings:
6/17 7:00pm at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
6/23 8:00pm at TheatreSquared
On the streets of Damascus, a brawl breaks and an edict is handed down: whoever incites the next uprising will be sentenced to death. A young man and woman from rival families fall passionately in love, but know their relationship is forbidden and that violence may result. They choose to defy fate and their families in one of the most enduring love stories of our time.
Supported by a major three-year grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, this first workshop of a new adaptation of Romeo and Juliet will reimagine Shakespeare’s classic within the present-day civil strife of Syria’s capital city.
Meet the Playwright: Kholoud Sawaf
Kholoud Sawaf, director and co-adapter, is emerging artist-in-residence at TheatreSquared. She was born and raised in Damascus, Syria, where she worked with Al Qabbani and Al-Hamra theatres and is a member of the Nihna Cultural Group. She recently assistant directed Qui Nguyen’s Vietgone at Oregon Shakespeare Festival under director May Adrales. She attended the American University in Sharjah and holds an MFA in directing from the University of Arkansas.