DROWNING IN CAIRO Will Have its World Premiere at Golden Thread Productions

Golden Thread Productions, the first American theatre company devoted to the Middle East, returns to live performances with Drowning in Cairo, previously presented and partially developed as part of the New Threads reading series in 2018.

It is May 2001 in Cairo. Moody, Khalid, and their servant Taha are on the Queen Boat, a gay nightclub docked on the Nile, in Cairo in May 2001. When an unexpected police raid results in the arrest and public humiliation of the attendees, the lives of these young men are altered forever. The play weaves budding romances, class differences, and familial expectations into a loving portrait of three men who struggle to rebuild their lives against all odds.

The world premiere play by Adam Ashraf Elsayigh is directed by Golden Thread's new Executive Artistic Director Sahar Assaf. Drowning in Cairo runs April 8 - May 1, 2022 at Potrero Stage (1695 18th Street, San Francisco, CA) and performs Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm. (No performance on Thursday, April 14th.) Opening Night is Monday, April 11 at 8pm. For tickets ($15-100) and more information on the production, please visit goldenthread.org.

The play is inspired by the actual events of May 11, 2001 when the Cairo Vice Squad and officers from State Security Investigations raided the Queen Boat, a gay-friendly discotheque on a cruise vessel moored on the Nile, and detained some three dozen men. Details about the Queen Boat incident vary depending on the source, but ultimately 52 men were arrested, tried, and nearly half of them were convicted of "debauchery" in a process decried by international human rights groups. The case became known later as the Cairo 52.

Executive Artistic Director Sahar Assaf says of the play: "I love the play and think it's a momentous story; though it's been almost 21 years since the Cairo 52 happened, things are not better today for the LGBTQ+ persons in the Middle East and in many parts around the world. There aren't many Arab plays out there that put queer characters center stage. Drowning in Cairo offers an alternative to the often simplistic and reductive narrative about being gay in the Middle East."

Playwright Adam Ashraf Elsayigh says: "I remember googling "Gay Arab novel" as a preteen and finding no literature about queer people from where I grew up. While 12-year-old me hadn't yet heard the adage that Representation Matters, he felt compelled to look for a life like his own in art. I wrote Drowning in Cairo because I want to tell stories of people like me; I want to tell stories that make people like me know they're not alone."
Drowning in Cairo is a prime example of Golden Thread's commitment to changing the narratives in the U.S. as they pertain to Middle Eastern characters and stories. "We have a responsibility at Golden Thread to make space for stories like this, stories that are certainly not on the American mainstream stage and cannot be on stages in the Middle East. As Moody writes in his memoir in the play, 'those who tell don't die!' ", commented Assaf.

In addition to New Threads, Drowning in Cairo received developmental workshops at The Indian Ensemble Theatre, Bangalore, India (dir. Chanaky Vas) in 2017; and an Independent Production Workshop in Cairo, Egypt in 2018. The play received a reading at NYU Abu Dhabi's Arts and Humanities Festival (dir. A. Elsayigh), and a festival production as part of the National Queer Theatre's Criminal Queerness Festival in 2019. Drowning in Cairo was a selected play at the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival in 2019, and a semifinalist for the National Playwright's Conference, Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, 2019.

Drowning in Cairo cast features Amin El Gamal (Moody), Wiley Naman Strasser (Khalid), and Martin Zebari (Taha). The creative team includes Kate Boyd (lighting designer), Mikiko Uesugi (scenic designer), George Psarras (sound designer), Becky Bodurtha (costume designer), Peet Cocke (Props Master), Carla Pantoja (fight choreographer), Maya Herbsman (intimacy choreographer), Salma Zohdi (dramaturg), Karen Runk (stage manager), Chris Swartzell (technical director) and Tyler Miller (production manager).

Golden Thread Productions, founded in 1996, is the first American theatre company devoted to the Middle East. We produce passionate and provocative plays from or about the Middle East that celebrate the multiplicity of its perspectives and identities. We are a developmental catalyst and vibrant artistic home to artists at various stages of their career. We bring the Middle East to the American stage, creating treasured cultural experiences for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Golden Thread thanks The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation for their support. Golden Thread is a resident company of Potrero Stage, operated by PlayGround. This production is made possible in part through the Potrero Stage Presenting Program.