Founders
Jamil Khoury, Founding Artistic Director Email (312) 857-1234 x203
Jamil Khoury is the Founding Artistic Director of Silk Road Theatre Project, a position to which he brings extensive experience as a producer, playwright, and cross-cultural consultant. He is honored to be promoting the cultural production of Silk Road peoples and to help foster the exchange of ideas within Chicago's theatre community. Khoury's vocation as a playwright lends a valuable currency to fulfilling our mission as a playwright driven theatre. His plays focus on Middle Eastern themes and questions of Diaspora. He is particularly interested in the intersections of culture, national identity, sexuality, and class. Khoury holds a M.A. degree in Religious Studies from The University of Chicago Divinity School and a B.S. degree in International Relations from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. He has taught for The University of Chicago Graham School of General Studies, where he developed courses in Middle East Studies. Khoury's play Precious Stones won Gay Chicago Magazine's 2003 After Dark Award for Outstanding New Work and has been performed in ten cities across the U.S. His play Fitna was performed at University Theatre of The University of Chicago and his play Azizati was performed at Café Voltaire. Khoury serves on the Board of Directors of The League of Chicago Theatres.
Malik Gillani, Founding Executive Director Email (312) 857-1234 x202
Malik Gillani is the Founding Executive Director of Silk Road Theatre Project, a position to which he brings extensive experience in producing, management, and business development. He is thrilled to be promoting both the rich cultural legacy of the Silk Road and greater visibility for Silk Road artists. Gillani nurtured Silk Road Theatre Project from its embryonic stage into a celebrated theatre company, integrating business acumen and fiscal responsibility within an artistic mission. He studied at The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business majoring in marketing and small business management and earned a Bachelor's in Liberal Arts from St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, with an emphasis on the Great Books. Gillani has 14 years experience operating technology consulting firms where at various points in his career he was responsible for sales, marketing, negotiations, contract management, and human resources. Gillani is the recipient of the IBM Business and Technology Leadership Award. He was recently honored by Changing Worlds for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts.