MENA artists continue to work hard to create representation in large theatrical arenas by pushing for their work to be produced on contemporary stages. However, since some major theatres only allot 1 or 2 slots a year for plays by BIPOC artists, and MENA artists have frequently been ignored. They have found other ways to create thriving artistic spaces for actors, directors, and playwrights alike. Masrah Cleveland Al Arabi has created a space for MENA artists to thrive. This artist-led organizational infrastructure serves as an example of how change can be made within existing theatrical structures. Today we are joined by Raymond Bobgan and Omar Kurdi. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by

co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and

analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African

(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across

the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,

spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and

analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the

United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and

Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special

guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and

discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best

way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and

perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to

share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our

differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made

differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,

and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.