When Farah Cries

"When Farah Cries" is the story of a young woman who joined the Syrian revolution. Her personal emancipation from domestic and societal boundaries arises simultaneously with the attempted political liberation of a whole country. Can Farah, despite all odds, believe in hope, in freedom and in a better future?

Cast features Jay Abdo, Mohamad Alrefai, Zoe Bloomfield, Collin Linnville and Emily Preis.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Mudar Alhaggi (PLAYWRIGHT) is a Syrian playwright and cultural activist. He received a B.A in Dramatic Studies from The High Institute of Dramatic Arts in 2005 and shortly afterwards co-established the Street Workshop for playwriting. He was a trainer and the deputy manager of the Outreach Program at The Syria Trust for Development from 2005 to 2011. Alhaggi worked as a dramaturge for many performances including An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen and Footfalls by Samuel Beckett. In 2010 he was a guest resident artist in Delfina Foundation for playwrights in London, and he has published two plays; The Don Gwan (Cairo, 2010) and Bronze (Beirut, 2010). Alhaggi is currently the project manager of Ettijahat (www.ettijahat.org).

Naila Al Atrash (DIRECTOR) is one of the most highly celebrated directors in Arab theater today and has also earned renown as an innovative actress and scholar of theater arts, holding an MFA from the National Academy of Theatre Arts and Film, Sofia, Bulgaria. During her forty-year career she directed and starred in dozens of productions throughout the Arab World, Europe, and the United States. In 2012 she was forced out of her country for her anti-governmental political activities. She has served as an adjunct professor at Tisch School of the Arts/NYU since 2013.

**Special thanks to Cleveland State University's Department of Theatre & Dance for the use of rehearsal space.