Kareem Fahmy '07 to Premiere Two New Plays in 2023

Directing alumnus Kareem Fahmy ’07 has several upcoming world premieres and productions for his two new plays, American Fast and A Distinct Society, scheduled for 2023. 

First, Fahmy’s play, American Fast, will receive the first of its three National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere productions in January at Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland, Oregon. Performances begin January 4, and opening night is set for January 7, 2023. The final performance will play on January 29, 2023. The production will be directed by Chip Miller. 

The second of American Fast’s rolling world premieres will be at City Theatre in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, from April 29–May 21, 2023. Jennifer Chang will direct. The third and final rolling world premiere will play from June 2–June 25 at InterAct Theatre Company’s The Drake venue in Center City, Pennsylvania. The third premiere will be directed by Seth Rozin, assisted by Zaina Dana.

The National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere program centers the development of new plays through production and collaboration. It is intent on building momentum for new works through multiple productions within an 18-month time frame. Fahmy will remain integral in the production process and adapt or adjust the script of American Fast as needed over the course of the three premieres. American Fast will also be presented apart from the National New Play Network program at the Ted Jones Playhouse at Constellation Stage and Screen in Indiana from March 2–April 8, 2023. 

American Fast follows the story of Khady, a college basketball star preparing to compete in the national championship. The championship falls over Ramadan, and Khady’s devout mother expects her to uphold her fast—even on game days. After Khady lies to her mother about maintaining her fast, she’s suddenly upheld as a role model for young Muslim women everywhere. Khady has to grapple with faith, family, and the cost of winning as the tournament unfolds. 

The first of two co-world premieres of Fahmy’s play, A Distinct Society, will run at Pioneer Theatre Company at the University of Utah January 27–February 11, 2023. The premiere is organized in association with TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, and it will be directed by Giovanna Sardelli. The second co-world premiere will take place at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley in Palo Alto, California from April 5–30, 2023 (also directed by Sardelli). A Distinct Society will also have its midwest premiere at The Writers Theatre’s Alexandra C. and John D. Nicols Theatre in Illinois this summer, June 22–July 23, 2023. Fahmy will also direct the production at the Writers Theatre. 

In A Distinct Society, a library that straddles the U.S. and Canadian border becomes the unlikely meeting place for families separated by the 2017 Muslim ban. The head librarian, a U.S. border patrol agent, and a local teenager find themselves entangled in the story and are forced to choose between helping the needy families or protecting themselves. 

Kareem Fahmy is a Canadian-born director and playwright of Egyptian descent based in New York City. In addition to his work as a playwright, he has directed a number of world premiere productions, including: James Scruggs’s 3/Fifths (3LD, New York Times Top 5 Must-See Shows), Sevan K. Greene’s This Time (Sheen Center, New York Times Critics’ Pick), Bess Welden’s Refuge*Malja (Portland Stage), Adam Kraar’s Alternating Currents (Working Theater), Nikkole Salter’s Indian Head (Luna Stage), and Victor Lesniewski’s Couriers and Contrabands (TBG Theatre, also co-creator). His fellowships and residencies include the Sundance Theatre Lab, Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Phil Killian Directing Fellow), Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center/National New Play Network (National Directors Fellow), Second Stage (Van Lier Directing Fellow), Soho Rep (Writer/Director Lab), Lincoln Center (Directors Lab), New York Theater Workshop (Emerging Artist Fellow & Usual Suspect). Fahmy is the co-founder of the Middle Eastern American Writers Lab at The Lark and of Maia Directors, a consulting group for organizations and artists engaging with stories from the Middle East and beyond.