Noor Theatre

What is 48 Hour Forum?

Noor's annual forty-eight hour play festival where a diverse roster of artists are invited to spin our most talked about Middle Eastern-themed news events into humorous, incisive "theatrical op-eds." Taking place each May, five playwrights, five directors, and a company of actors gather over 48 hours in a race to create theater as fast as a news cycle. An audience favorite!

48 Hour Forum: The Process

Over two days, playwrights, directors and actors from diverse backgrounds assemble to create a short play inspired by a news event. Check out a bit of their process.

The Welcoming Committee

By Sanaz Toossi
Directed by Taylor Reynolds

With Anita Abdinezhad, Gamze Ceylan*, Hana Chamoun, Jennifer Tchiakpe
Headline: "Meet the Iranian youth exporting Persian culture to the world," Al Jazeera, May 16, 2019

Danger

By Stefani Kuo
Directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian

With Bonnie Antosh, Valeria Avina, Diane Chen, Cristina Pitter*
Headline: "German Parliament Deems B.D.S. Movement Anti-Semitic," The New York Times, May 17, 2019

The Grove

By Monet Hurst-Mendoza
Directed by Estefanía Fadul

With Alton Alburo*, Rudy Roushdi*, Pascale Seigneurie, Henu Josephine Tarrant
Headline: "’Idlib is a bargaining chip’: civilians brace as Assad air assault escalates," The Guardian, May 23, 2019

Basketball is ‘War, Minus the Shooting’

By Ty Defoe
Directed by Shayok Misha Chowdhury

With Tay Bass, Amanda Centeno, Reynaldo Piniella*, Mouna R’miki
Headline: "Basketball is ‘War, Minus the Shooting’ in Sectarian Lebanon," The New York Times, May 16, 2019

Getting the Guns Over There: a play in four short acts

By Mona Mansour
Directed by Tracy Cameron Francis

With Xandra Nur Clark, Esra Dayani*, Lindsley Howarrd, Gulshan Mia*
Headline: "Trump to sidestep Congress to clear arms deals benefitting Saudi Arabia, UAE," The Washington Post, May 24, 2019

Spring 2018

4th Annual

48 Hour Forum

May 21 - 23, 2018

Playwrights Sevan K. Greene, Aeneas Sagar Hemphill, Amina Henry, Michele Lowe, Melisa Tien
Directors Jessica Blank, Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, Ralph Peña, Kholoud Sawaf, Kim Weild
Actors Tala Ashe*, Veracity Butcher, May Calamawy*, Grace Canahuati, Dan Domingues*, Isra Elsalihie, Cleo Gray, Welsey T. Jones*, Amel Khalil, Aaron Lynn*, Sharina Martin*, Nikki Massoud*, J.D. Mollison*, Thomas Muccioli, Marjan Neshat*, Leta Renée-Alan, Kesav Wable*
Lighting Design Reza Behjat
Sound Design Elia Chuaqui
Production Manager Thomas Dooley
Production Stage Manager Courtney Leggett
Assistant Stage Manager Kelly Kirby

*Appeared courtesy of Actors' Equity Association

The Expiration Date

By Michele Lowe
Directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar

With Tala Ashe*, May Calamawy*, Kesav Wable*
Headline: "Yemen Cholera Cases Reach One Million," BBC News, December 21, 2017

the red balloon

By Aeneas Sagar Hemphill
Directed by Jessica Blank

With Grace Canahuati, Isra Elsalihie, Sharina Martin*
Headline: "Israelis Kill More Than 50 Palestinians in Gaza Protests, Health Officials Say," The Washington Post, May 14, 2018

unseen

By Sevan K. Greene
Directed by Kim Weild

With Veracity Butcher, Aaron Lynn*, Nikki Massoud*, J.D. Mollison*
Headline: "Mo Salah of Liverpool Breaks Down Cultural Barriers, One Goal at a Time," The New York Times, May 2, 2018

Paint me a picture, sing me a song

By amina henry
Directed by ralph peña

With Cleo Gray, Wesley T. Jones*, Thomas Muccioli
Headline: "Once Enslaved by ISIS, These Yazidi Women Are Rebuilding Their Lives," NBC News, September 24, 2017

The big pull out

By melisa tien
Directed by kholoud sawaf

With Dan Domingues*, Amel Khalil, Marjan Neshat*, Leta Renée-Alan
Headline: "Trump Pulls U.S. Out of Iran Nuclear Deal and Announces Sweeping New Economic Sanctions," L.A. Times, May 8, 2018

Spring 2017

Bullseye

By Edessa Tailo
Directed by Kareem Fahmy

With Ali Andre Ali, Rajesh Bose & Lynette Freeman
Headline: "Cellphones in Hand, Saudi Women Challenge Notions of Male Control" New York Times, April 21, 2017

Guilt

By Ghazi Albuwili
Directed by Raelle Myrick Hodges

With Clea DeCrane & Darian Dauchan
Headline: "Chemical Attack Kills 22 Members of Single Family in Syria" AP, April 5, 2015

When hunger is the best sauce

By Marcus Gardley
Directed by Jose Zayas

With Sarah Nina Hayon, KeiLyn Jones, Jon Norman Schneider & Kirya Traber
Headline: "Palestinian Prisoners Launch Mass Hunger Strike" Al Jazeera, April 17, 2015

Les Justins Trudeaus

By Winter Miller
Directed by Mei Ann Teo

With Erin Anderson, Hend Ayoub, Michele Rafic & Sturgis Warner
Headline: "The Six Syrian Refugee Families Who Named Their Babies After Justin Trudeau" Huffington Post, May 11, 2017

Of RUin: A song for younus

By Mashuq Mushtaq Deen
Directed by Johanna McKeon

With Nathaniel Claridad, Lanna Joffrey & Eileen Rivera
Headline: "Violinist of Mosul Returns to Play Amid Ruins of His City" The Telegraph, April 20, 2017

Spring 2016

Sleepover

By Kara Lee Corthron
Directed By Sanaz Ghajarrajimi

With Sade Namei, Haddi Tabbal, David Shih and Eric T. Miller
Headline: "Chechen Girls Troll ISIS with Fake Bride Scam" The Daily Beast, July 29, 2015

Politics in bed

By David Zellnik
Directed By Pirronne Yousefzadeh

With Francis Benhamou, Nino Marzuqa and Mike Crane
Headline: "Israel Releases 12-Year-Old Palestinian Girl From Jail" Al Jazeera, April 24, 2016

Babel

By Leila Buck
Directed By Orly Noa Rabinyan

With Erin Cherry, Bobby Moreno and Lynne Marie Rosenberg
Headline: "College Student is Removed From Flight After Speaking Arabic on Plane" New York Times, April 17, 2016

Pediatrician

By Laith Nakli
Directed By Carlos Armesto

With RJ Foster, Eden Zane and Imran Sheihk
Headline: "Airstrike on Aleppo Hospital Kills Last Pediatrician in Syria's Largest City" Los Angeles Times, April 28, 2016

Trump Dreams

By Clare Barron
Directed ByNelson Eusebio

With Aysan Celik, Drae Campbell and Amr El-Bayoumi
Headline: "Would Donald Trump Let the Muslim Mayor of London Visit the United States?" The Nation, May 6, 2016

Spring 2015

Spring 2015

A SYRIAN IN DETROIT

By Keith Josef Adkins
Directed By Noelle Ghoussaini

With LaChrisha Brown, Leila Buck, and Lori Parque
Headline: "UN Calls on Western Nations to Shelter Syrian Refugees" New York Times, April 15, 2015

ALDEBARAN: THE FOLLOWER

By John Walch
Directed By Peter Ganim

With Ramsey Faragallah, Connie Hall, and Russell G. Jones
Headline: "Her Majesty's Jihadists: More British Muslims have Joined Islamic Militant Groups than Serve in the Country's Armed Forces" New York Times Magazine, April 14, 2015

PAPAL FICTION

By Ismail Khalidi
Directed By Victor Malana Maog

With Caitlin Cassidy, Gamze Ceylan, and Demosthenes Chrysan
Headline: "On Nabka Day, Pope Francis Gives Palestinians Symbolic Victory" Newsweek, May 15, 2015

MAMA’S SEEDS

By Pia Wilson
Directed By Shana Gold

With Nadine Malouf, Jesse Perez, and Steven Rattazzi
Headline: "Egypt Honors Mother Who Dressed As A Man For 43 Years to Provide for Family" Al Arabiya, March 15, 2015

WHAT THEY HEARD

By Mona Mansour
Directed By Erin Mee

With Michael Braun, Bridgit Antoinette Evans, Aaron Costa Ganis, and Christina Pumariega. Voice over by Ryah Aqel.
Headline: "One Nation Under Allah: Fury After School Recites Pledge in Arabic" Fox News, March 20, 2015