Silk Road Rising And Momentary Theatre Announce Cancelation Of MY DEAR HUSSEIN

Silk Road Rising (Founding Artistic Director Jamil Khoury and Founding Executive Director Malik Gillani) and Momentary Theatre (Co-Curators Matthew T. Messina and Jacob C. Shuler) regretfully announce the cancelation of the World Premiere of My Dear Hussein, written by Nahal Navidar.

In a letter to the community, Jamil Khoury wrote:

"It is with great sadness that we announce the cancelation of My Dear Hussein. Out of concern for the health and safety of our artists and patrons, we cannot in good conscience ask anyone to gather at our theater at this time.

"We were very excited to begin preview performances tonight. Nahal Navidar has written a poetic, powerful play about childhood imagination and innocence against the backdrop of war. Throughout the rehearsal process, our extraordinary cast was bringing passion, depth, and commitment to Nahal's exquisite words. Our design team was thoughtfully creating a beautiful world for this rich story. And our director team of Tlaloc Rivas and Marie Tredway were seamlessly weaving the fabric of a poignant, theatrical experience.

"Due to the unprecedented spread of COVID-19 and with the guidance of the Center for Disease Control, we feel it's best to cancel the show and encourage everyone to stay home. We hope that this stunning play will have another life, and we know that Chicago audiences will be hearing from Nahal Navidar."

Silk Road Rising and Momentary Theatre take very seriously the financial implications of this cancelation. We are paying artists a severance to help offset the sudden termination of the production.

Silk Road Rising will be reaching out directly to patrons who have purchased tickets for the show. Patrons will be given the options of turning their tickets into donations, applying the cost of their tickets towards future performances, or getting a refund.

The Silk Road Rising box office can be reached at 312.857.1234 x201.