The Beverly Hills Hotel Peace Talks at Coachella Valley Repertory

In 1968, a publicity still was released for the Rastar Productions film version of Funny Girl with Egyptian heartthrob Omar Sharif kissing the American-Jewish Barbra Streisand that incited outrage in both countries and their governments. Both threatened to ban the film in their respective nations. There was even a campaign in Egypt to revoke Sharif’s citizenship. Playwright Gregg Ostrin was inspired by this real life controversary. In his ‘what if' story, a studio executive and a publicity executive invite Israeli and Egyptian diplomats to The Beverly Hills Hotel in hopes for an amenable solution. Even as the diplomats’ relationship takes a surprising turn, they still must wrestle with the question: Can they come to an agreement that will save the film and, potentially, peace in the Middle East?