Golden Thread Productions Announces New International Commission With Playwright Abhishek Majumdar

Golden Thread Productions, the first American theatre company devoted to the Middle East, has announced a new international commission with acclaimed playwright Abhishek Majumdar. The commission will develop a groundbreaking new play inspired by the real-life story of a man imprisoned for over five years at Guantánamo Bay, adapted from the detailed book written by his lawyer, Joshua Colangelo-Bryan.

Drawing on interviews with a wide range of voices connected to Guantánamo, "The 11 Lives of Jaber Mohammad" (Working Title), based on Joshua Colangelo-Bryan's book, Through the Gates of Hell: American Injustice at Guantánamo Bay, will weave together a mosaic of perspectives spanning Cuba, the United States, Bahrain, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia. Through this lens, Majumdar seeks to illuminate the human, political, and moral dimensions of one of the most complex and haunting sites of contemporary history.

Reflecting on the story and inspiration, playwright Majumdar writes, "In 2004, attorney Joshua Colangelo-Bryan arrived at Guantanamo Bay to meet Jaber Mohammed (a pseudonym), one of six Bahraini detainees his firm had agreed to represent. Colangelo-Bryan had heard these men were 'among the most dangerous, best-trained, vicious killers on the face of the earth,' as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld put it. Colangelo-Bryan didn't buy the rhetoric entirely, but did find himself wondering if he was about to meet a killer. Far from being threatening, though, Mohammed welcomed Colangelo-Bryan, even as his ankle was shackled to the floor. What developed was a friendship that has stood the test of time, leading to Jaber's release from Guantanamo and Joshua discovering a greater purpose in life.

This new commission is made possible through the generous gift from Tracy Aanenson, founder of Humanitas Media, a new nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying stories that illuminate human rights and social justice. Humanitas ​Media published Colangelo-Bryan's book, Through the Gates of Hell: American Injustice at Guantánamo Bay,​ on which this project is based.​

"Humanitas Media exists to champion stories that stir empathy and challenge injustice," states Aanenson. "We are proud to partner with Abhishek Majumdar and Golden Thread Productions on a work that conveys the profound power of art and advocacy to inspire change."

"This commission represents exactly what Golden Thread stands for: courageous storytelling that crosses borders, interrogates systems of power, and centers our shared humanity," said Sahar Assaf, outgoing Artistic Director of Golden Thread, on her final commission for the company. She added, "We are deeply grateful to Tracy Aanenson and Humanitas Media for recognizing the urgency of this work and helping us bring it to life."