MY ENGLISH PERSIAN KITCHEN To Have U.S. Premiere In Mosaic Theater and Solas Nua Co-Production

Solas Nua, in association with Mosaic Theater Company, has announced the US premiere of the critically-acclaimed play and 2024 Edinburgh Fringe hit, My English Persian Kitchen. A powerful, uplifting story written by award-winning Irish-Palestinian playwright Hannah Khalil inspired by the story of Atoosa Sepehr, the production will run November 12 - December 6, 2026 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center and will be directed by Chris White. With the addition of this fifth show to Mosaic Theater's 2026-2027 season, it marks the company's largest subscription season since the Covid-19 pandemic. This show also marks the second Hannah Khalil play in Solas Nua's Fall-Winter 2026 season.

'This remarkable, one-of-a-kind event is a testament to the resilience of everyone who has had the courage to begin again and we are thrilled to be partnering with Solas Nua — a fellow Atlas Resident Arts Partner — to bring this play to DC audiences,' stated Reginald L. Douglas, Artistic Director of Mosaic Theater. 'Food has a unique ability to be a bridge to connection and belonging, to memories, and a welcome into one's culture. At a time when difference is too often seen as a liability, this play — and Atoosa's journey — beautifully reminds us of the universal threads that unite us and how community can be found through simple acts.'

My English Persian Kitchen chronicles one woman's resettlement in England and then in Belfast after fleeing an abusive husband and her home country of Iran. Longing for her homeland, she turns to her mother's recipes for solace and strength as she rebuilds both her life and her spirit. This one woman play features the live cooking of traditional Persian ash-e-reshteh (noodle soup) onstage to bring audiences together through the communal nature of food and the joy of finding home.

My English Persian Kitchen joins previously announced 2026-2027 Mosaic Theater season shows: DC Premieres of Brian Quijada's Somewhere Over the Border and Dominique Morisseau's Bad Kreyòl along with the world premieres of Collin Van Son's Natural History and Paige Hernandez's 7th Street Echo. The production is the feature theater offering of Solas Nua's fall season, joining their multi-disciplinary programming that will include a play reading series, an associate production with Spooky Action Theater, and a discussion with Jan Carson and Lucy Caldwell, writers from Northern Ireland.

Rex Daugherty, Solas Nua's Artistic Director of Theatre shares, 'Solas Nua is thrilled to continue our support of Hannah Khalil's work. We've presented her plays across our play reading series, a co-commissioned workshop, and a previous partnership with Shakespeare Theatre Company. As family and friends come together for the holidays, Solas Nua is delighted to be joined by our friends at Mosaic to share this unique, food-centered production. Sharing meals and a common table, this holiday offering is the perfect way to celebrate community and culture together.'

Playwright Hannah Khalil added, 'I am absolutely thrilled that My English Persian Kitchen will have new life in DC this Fall. Mosaic and Solas Nua are two companies whose work I admire greatly, so to have the opportunity to work with them to bring this timely story about starting again, building community, and the power of food to a new audience is incredibly exciting for me. I can't wait!'

MOSAIC THEATER COMPANY EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT

Reflection Series
Accompanying all of these productions will be Mosaic's landmark Reflection Series programming—a series of special events, panels, and conversations that highlight the themes of Mosaic's plays, build innovative partnerships with over 40 local and national organizations, and engage diverse audiences in dialogue with one another, allowing Mosaic to reach all eight wards of DC through its programming.

Intergenerational Matinees
A cornerstone of its education and community engagement work, Mosaic's Intergenerational Matinees serve as a catalyst for connection, inviting discussion around our main stage plays' common themes. After watching plays together, high school students and seniors will engage in post-show conversations with Mosaic's artists and one another.

Youth Playwriting Contest
Mosaic continues its work to uplift and inspire the next generation of great playwrights through its Youth Playwriting Contest. This year's contest grows to include middle school students in the Washington, DC-metro area, including Montgomery County, Prince George's County, and Northern Virginia, in addition to high schoolers. The contest culminates in a public reading of the winning submissions held at a branch of the DC Public Library and featuring professional directors and working actors.

ABOUT SOLAS NUA

Solas Nua — meaning 'new light' in Irish — is a leading multi-disciplinary arts organization that is dedicated exclusively to contemporary Irish arts. Based in Washington, DC, Solas Nua acts as an ambassador and advocate for Irish arts in the US by producing and promoting contemporary, multi-disciplinary Irish arts and culture across different media (theatre, literature, poetry, film, music, visual arts, and dance). Our programming reflects our conviction that Irish arts travel across borders, cultures, and socio-economic lines.

ABOUT MOSAIC THEATER COMPANY OF DC

Need more Washington, DC Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...