Silk Road Theatre Project joins San Francisco’s Golden Thread Productions and New York City’s Lark Play Development Center in creating a ground breaking tri-coastal initiative.
The first-ever national effort to actively cultivate and support the development of Middle Eastern American playwrights and their plays.
Middle East America: A National New Plays Initiative is designed to encourage and support the development of Middle Eastern American playwrights and Middle Eastern American plays through a bi-annual $10,000 commission, developmental support from the Lark Play Development Center, and staged readings and possible productions at Golden Thread Productions and Silk Road Theatre Project.
The initiative defines Middle Eastern Americans as persons living in the United States who are of West/Southwest Asian and North African ancestry, including persons of mixed ancestries.
Playwright Adriana Sevan received the inaugural Middle East America Distinguished Playwright Award (2008). Special Jury Prizes were also awarded to playwrights Leila Buck and Sinan Unel.
Middle East America resumes in 2010.
Quotes about the Middle East America:
"It is critical in ensuring that Middle Eastern American playwrights continue to be discovered, nurtured, and produced. Not only because their work is worthy of broader audiences, but more importantly because American audiences can no longer afford not to see this work."
-Torange Yeghiazarian, Golden Thread Production’s Founding Artistic Director
“Middle East America supports with dollars and deeds the stories and perspectives of a still-marginalized community that has the potential to change our national - and global - conversation for the good."
John Clinton Eisner, Lark Play Development Center’s Producing Director
“Silk Road Theatre Project was founded in response to the attacks of September 11, 2001, and the subsequent backlash against peoples of Middle Eastern and Muslim backgrounds. In establishing Middle East America, we are taking a proactive stance in assuring that playwrights of Middle Eastern backgrounds receive the nurturing and support they deserve. It is high time that Middle Eastern American voices be heard as integral to the mosaic of American storytelling.”
-Jamil Khoury, Silk Road Theatre Project’s Founding Artistic Director
For more information visit: www.middleeastamerica.org