Producers
Max Raymond (he/him) is a gay trans man, educator, multidisciplinary theatre artist, and Southern transplant who has worked with theatre companies throughout North Carolina and New York. He is the Director of Communications at Theatre of the Oppressed NYC and a Mentor with the Sam & Devorah Foundation for Trans Youth and the Trans Empowerment Project. He freelances as a gender consultant and trans literacy trainer. "The struggles for both trans liberation and Palestinian liberation are struggles for indigenous sovereignty, self-determination, and decolonization. Our solidarity is our strength. Free Palestine."
Karl Saint Lucy (they/them) is a composer, vocalist, and music director in the Bronx. Karl wrote the music for A24's first movie musical, Dicks: The Musical—starring Megan Thee Stallion, Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Bowen Yang, and introducing Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson—with music producer and co-composer Marius de Vries. The film won the Midnight Madness People's Choice Award at its TIFF premiere in September, and is widely regarded by right-wing critics as the Worst Movie of 2023. It's now streaming on Max. Saint Lucy was a finalist for GRAMMY Award-winning men's vocal ensemble, Chanticleer, in 2017.
Cast (in show order)
Ali Abu Yaseen (he/him) is an actor and theatre director who works with ASHTAR Theatre and directed the original 2010 production of The Gaza Monologues. He began his career in 1990 and has participated in many plays in Palestine and the Arab world. He lives in Gaza.
Ali presents a letter to the world (pre-recorded video).
Talene Monahon (she/her) is an actress and playwright.
Zaven Ovian (he/him) is a theater actor and poet of Armenian descent. He holds a BFA in theater from the Boston Conservatory. Theaters he's worked at over the past decade include the Flea Theater, the Huntington Theater, SpeakEasy Stage, Lyric Stage of Boston, Premiere Stages at Kean, among others. His poetry is inspired by the great spirituality of the Armenian people and draws from recognizing the interconnected struggle inherently attached to us through Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Egypt, and so many other places where the Armenian diaspora has placed its roots post-genocide. He is a proud descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors.
Talene presents a selection of Zaven's poetry, written out of solidarity for Palestinians from the Armenian people, on his behalf.
Naomi Bah (she/her) is a multilingual Afro-German actress, performer, and writer based in New York. Born and raised in Stuttgart, one of Germany's most multicultural cities, Naomi's performing arts journey began in an inclusive and internationally influenced environment, shaping her artistic perspective profoundly. In January 2022, she was honored with the Warnke Award in Hamburg for her solo performance, "Being," which gained recognition at the "Queer B Cademy" Festival. Having earned her Bachelor of Arts in Acting from the University of Music and Theatre in Hamburg in July 2023, Naomi moved abroad to kickstart her international career.
Naomi presents "Lama" by Ali Abu Yaseen from ASHTAR Theatre’s The Gaza Monologues 2023 Collection.
Mia Sterbini (they/she) is a performer, writer & cultural organizer living in Harlem, NY. Most recently, they were the inaugural Artist in Residence at Iron Path Farms. They are co-founder of the Radical Youth Collective & Roots, an emerging collective dedicated to building practice between cultural work, direct action & ritualized healing across the east coast/midwest. As an actor they have worked across Film & TV, Off-Broadway & regionally. Recent graduate of Point Park University Acting.
Mia presents an original poem and excerpt from "On the brink of..." by Suheir Hammad.
HJ Farr (they/them) is a multidisciplinary artist, combining the dramatic training from a lifetime in Musical Theatre with their own solitary ponderings of gender, mental illness, and the world at large. Along with writing, HJ also acts, performs circus, sews, podcasts, and tries to keep up with societal issues in which they may be able to make things a tiny bit better.
HJ presents original poetry.
Ghina Fawaz (she/her) is a Lebanese-American theatre artist currently pursuing her MFA in Theatre Directing at Columbia University. Her work explores the intersections of art and healing by blending folklore, fairytales, and ethnographic research to amplify underrepresented voices. She is passionate about creating narrative tapestries that weave threads of culture, history, and activism. Her previous work includes Moonwake, Stardust in Cedar Forest, Three Sisters, and Antlers which explore themes such as healing from racial trauma, suicide prevention through interactive theatre, forgotten dreams of refugees, and resilience under occupation.
Ghina presents "To Tell Your Tale," an original poem in answer to poet, professor, & activist martyr Refaat Alareer’s "If I Die" (translation by Sinan Antoon).
Logan gabrielle Schulman (they/them) is an multidisciplinary theatrical director and installation artist. Recently directed works include L’Histoire du soldat (Sarasota Orchestra), Sunday in Sodom/A Parsifal (Hangar Theatre), A Children’s Ceremony (Flying Leap), Click Clack Moo (Orlando Rep/TheaterWorksUSA), KEEPING ON (breathing) (Greensboro Contemporary Jewish Museum), Waco Boy Club (Drama League Studio), The Fog (Sarasota Art Museum). Logan is a Guggenheim teaching artist, a company puppeteer with Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, and Drama League Directors Project alumna. They have their degree in performance and religion from New College of Florida, where they recently served as adjunct theatre faculty.
Alyssa Parkhurst (she/her) is an actor and puppeteer based in NYC. Recent credits include Cockroaches (Breaking and Entering Theatre Co, dir. Emma Richmond), Good Night, Baby Girl (Randomly Specific Theater, dir. Gregg Pica), Drive the Speed Limit (HERE Arts Center, dir. Marina Carlstroem), Wake Up, Daisy! (Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater, dir. Bruce Cannon), and puppet based choose-your-own-adventure game GOODNIGHTWREN (dir. Andy Hartman). Alyssa earned a BFA in dramatic arts in 2023 from The New School, College of Performing Arts.
lars montanaro (he/him) is a Brooklyn-based actor from the California mountains. he is the co-producer and artistic director of The Poetry Brothel NYC, an immersive poet-theatrical experience, and a founding member of Chicken Big, an experimental comedy troupe. lars has performed and developed performances with En Garde Arts, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, WaxFactory, The Center at West Park and more. he is trained in Meisner from the Terry Knickerbocker Studio and is currently pursuing an MFA in Contemporary Theater & Performance at The New School.
Alyssa & lars present an excerpt from The Chairs by Eugene Ionesco (work in progress), directed by Logan. "A staple in the canon of the theatre of the absurd, The Chairs gets a tragicomic update in this clown-show satire starring everyone’s favorite genocidal fascists — you know you love to hate them — bring out your biggest 'Boooo's!' for Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu!"
Fouad Dakwar (he/him) is a Palestinian musical theater writer whom Playbill’s Songwriter Series aptly describes as "a darkly comic pop-punk composer on the rise." His semi-autobiographical musical, 'Fouad of Nazareth,' is premiering to two sold-out concert fundraisers for Gaza at Joe's Pub, co-produced by Noor Theatre. Fouad is also an arts educator with his Master's in Writing and Design for Musical Theater from Berklee NYC. You can follow Fouad on Instagram and TikTok (@notfouad) where his theatrically satirical content has garnered over 5 million likes and find more of his work at FouadDakwar.com.
Ben Covello (he/him) is a New York Music Director, Pianist/Conductor, Guitarist, Orchestrator, and Collaborator. He is heavily involved in the developmental processes and workshopping of new musicals and experimental theater pieces at spaces including BAM, the Manhattan Theater Club, PaperMill Playhouse, Goodspeed Opera House, the Athens Conservatoire in Greece, and at Lincoln Center. When not on these projects, Ben could be found in 2021-2022 on the 25th Anniversary Farewell National Tour of RENT playing keys/guitar, playing keys on the 50th Anniversary National Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar at various points throughout 2023 and 2024, or subbing in on Wicked on Broadway. He believes in using art to unite people and to spread love and provoke thought. He is thrilled to be here with Fouad Dakwar; writer and composer of “Fouad of Nazareth” which Ben will be music directing and playing piano/guitar for in concert at Joe’s Pub on February 16, along with a presentation by Noor theater of the full musical on February 23rd!
Nathan Repasz (he/him) is a New York-based drummer, vocalist, improviser, theatre artist, music director, and composer. His solo language+percussion performance explores the liminality of sense/nonsense and groove/noise – his piece “National Hot Dog Day” will be featured in the 2024 Emergency Index and he recently delivered his “Lecture on Something” as part of ?!: New Works. He has performed in Iceland, Poland, Germany, Czechia, and the U.K., and at Carnegie Hall, The Kitchen, SXSW, NPR’s Mountain Stage, and Philly Fringe. He works as a choral singer, session/pit musician, and goat-cheesemonger in the NYC area.
Fouad, Ben, & Nathan present original music featuring vocals, acoustic guitar, and darbouka.
Clayton Wickham (he/him) is a writer and teacher. He has published criticism at Lit Hub and MQR Online, fiction in Chicago Quarterly Review, and investigative journalism about incarceration for RVA Magazine.
Imad Khachan (he/him) is a poet, playwright, and owner of Chess Forum. He has lived in New York for over 30 years.
Clayton presents excerpts from The Northern Highway, Mohammen Khashan's autobiography, on behalf of Imad Khachan.
Manatsu Tanaka (they/them) is a bicultural multi-disciplinary artist who grew up and has been performing in Japan and the US. They believe that it is our bodies that humanity should be able to seek shelter in, therefore, they pursue their creative practices for illustrating humanness through their physical canvas. At the core of their heart, Manatsu is committed to using their creativity and artistry to join the frontline of trans and gender non-conforming artists in the dance and theater world. Art is for the people, not for the "audiences." "I dance to the heartbeat of our collective humanity." @manatsu.tanaka
Manatsu presents "White Lies (2023)," an original dance piece. "'White Lies (2023)' is a dance piece corresponding to humanity itself. The Palestinian Liberation Movement has provoked questions we should have been asking ourselves that have been camouflaged with colonial white lies. This piece hopes to provoke an emergence in your heart and our collective hearts to smash the white lies we have been fed and swallowing."
Liana S. Afuni (she/her) is a professional matchmaker by day and a human/actress/musical artist/creator all day and night. Proud to be standing up for human rights. "Tomorrowland" collaborator: Please support our Gaza artists. All proceeds go to helping the artists and their families! Donate by Venmo'ing @smeist (Sarah Meister). Follow the madness: Instagram @lafuni | www.lianaafuni.com
Liana presents a music video devised during "Tomorrowland," an NYC-Gaza art exchange spearheaded by JVP-NYC. "After the 2021 bombardment, I shuddered with fear and heartbreak for those trapped and under duress in Gaza. I became increasingly engrossed in following the Palestinian cause and understanding it inside and out. I couldn’t begin to fathom the sheer terror or anguish that people living in that open air prison or in The West Bank experience. The message of the piece, in a small way, captures the demons that plague me and puts a spotlight on the plight and resilience of Palestinian people and their collective push for justice and freedom. The video was devised during an NYC-Gaza art exchange collective, spearheaded by JVP-NYC. A special thank you to artist Hallie Chametzsky for guidance in choreography."
River Ramos (they/them) is a Chicanx, queer, unhoused artist and abolitionist from unceded Cheyenne and Arapaho territory. They have no pets, no allergies, and their favorite fruit is tamarind.
Miranda Zhen-Yao Van-Boswell (she/her) is an artist of the Hong Kong diaspora working in photography, writing, and performance. She came of age as an artist in the ancestral homelands of the Narragansett Nation (colonially known as Providence, Rhode Island). Miranda’s work engages the triangular affair of translation, rituals of domesticity, as well as the intersection of personal and collective histories. She performs with Bread & Puppet Theatre, as well as Reverend Billy & The Stop Shopping Choir.
Alec Val Domingo Santamaria (they/them) is a violist, composer, chamber musician and educator based in Brooklyn. Alec plays with The Chelsea Symphony, Protestra, and Kaon Quartet, and is a founding member and conductor of the Brooklyn Chamber Players, which presents salon-style concerts of classical and contemporary works for strings. Their solo output spans an eclectic range from spoken word/free improv to jazz, rock, and popular favorites, as represented in their live curations and EP "If/Then" streaming on Bandcamp.
River, Miranda, Alec, & company present a Butoh offering in conversation with a poem for the people of Palestine.
"To our Palestinian siblings of the revolutionary struggle: thank you for the teaching that this grief is not a prison! This grief is not a prison! That we must alchemize this grief! Alchemize this terror! For every martyred child will give birth to 10,000 revolutionaries! And may all the genociders rot in hell!
Note: This performance contains voice samples from our friend Ihab in the West Bank."
Haneen Arafat Murphy (she/her) is a Palestinian-American who has spent her life as a creative and performer. Originally from Texas, she began her career as a dancer at TCU. Drawn to broadcast media, she moved to New York, and was among the founding program directors and hosts at Sirius Radio. Her national campaigns as a voice actor include Pringles, Delta, Walmart and Ford. Her most recent stage work includes the debut season of Kareem Fahmy’s American Fast (Constellation Stage), and in 2023 she was a top finisher in Sparkfest, a national competition for MENASA actors in Ft. Worth, TX.
Haneen presents "From Gaza to Shakespeare" by Ali Abu Yaseen from ASHTAR Theatre’s The Gaza Monologues 2023 Collection.
Tony Award© winner Sara Ramírez (they/them) made history playing the longest-running Latine LGBTQIA2S+ character on TV, ‘Dr. Callie Torres’ on ABC’s hit Grey’s Anatomy. Other TV credits include: Law & Order: SVU, Madam Secretary, And Just Like That, and animated series Sofia the First. Sara graduated Juilliard’s Drama School and made their Broadway debut starring in Paul Simon’s The Capeman. Following that, they starred on Broadway in Fascinating Rhythm, A Class Act, and Off-Broadway in The Vagina Monologues. For their performance as the original Lady of the Lake in the Broadway smash-hit Monty Python’s Spamalot, they earned both a Tony Award© and Outer Critics Award. They work with Black Trans Liberation, which aims to end homelessness within the trans population by providing access and resources from community partners that empower and celebrate the TGNC community.
Sara presents "Where to Go?" by Tamer Nijim from ASHTAR Theatre’s The Gaza Monologues 2023 Collection.
Ahmad Taha (he/him) is a writer and theatre artist living in Gaza.
Ahmad presents his self-authored Gaza Monologue (pre-recorded video).
Ali Andre Ali (he/him) is an actor and musician of Palestinian and Irish descent based in New York City. Some of his credits include Iphigenia Point Blank (The Sheen Center), Cymbeline (RADA), Invasion! (Ancram Center for the Arts), and One Night (Target Margin). TV: “Ramy.” As a musician he writes and performs with his music duo fajjr+ali. Their music is available on all major streaming platforms. ww.aliandreali.com | @aliandreali
Ali presents original writing in response to visiting the occupied West Bank in 2017 and reflecting on his experiences visiting Palestine over the years.
Zora Imani (she/her) is a music artist and actor from Singapore. With raw and deeply personal songwriting, Zora adventurously forays into Folk, R&B, Jazz and Dance/Electronic music, weaving these worlds together to create her unique sound. She independently released her EP, “Of Sound Mind,” in 2023.
Zora presents "The Urgent Call of Palestine" by Zeinab Shaath. "'The Urgent Call of Palestine' is a song that has become a rallying cry of Palestinian resistance. In the midst of the genocide in Gaza and Palestine, 'The Urgent Call…' remains as resonant and reflective of the times as it did 50 years ago. Through this rendition, may we be compelled to continue the fight for the liberation of Palestine and our world from zionism, imperialism, colonialism and all forms of oppression."
Al Límite Collective is a borderless collective of multi-disciplinary, multi-lingual, international artists committed to building community resiliency through art and performance. We devise performances, rituals and celebrations as acts of creative resistance in non-traditional public spaces and sites of injustice. We seek liberation through theater and the decolonization of the body in order to construct new work that centers the audience as active participants. We utilize our workshop intensives and community discussions in the process of investigation, as we figure out together how to create a theatrical offering that responds directly to the needs and desires of the impacted community.
Al Límite Collective presents a staged retelling of an invasion they experienced while at the Freedom Theatre's Feminist Festival in September 2023, interwoven with an exerpt from "The Revolution's Promise" with text from Mohammad Bakri performed by the ensemble.
Featuring Arianna Schindle (she/they), Monica Dudárov Hunken (she/they), Leah Vanessa bachar (she/her), Keri Egilmez (she/her), Dennis Yueh Yeh Li (he/they), Joe Therrien (he/him), and Che- Hi (he/him).