LaMaMa to Present the World Premiere of THE MULBERRY TREE in February

The Mulberry Tree, a new play about Palestine written by Hanna Eady and Edward Mast, looks at the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 from the perspective of a Palestinian boy growing into adulthood as his world disintegrates. 

Directed by Alexandra Aron, The Mulberry Tree will have its world premiere at La MaMa ETC (66 East 4th Street, New York City), running February 9 through 25 and will celebrate its opening night on Monday, February 12th  at 8pm. It is presented by La MaMa in association with Loose Change Production and Sari Sari Women of Color Arts Coup.   

As 1948, the year of the founding of Israel, approaches, a Palestinian boy and his beloved neighbor, the village Rabbi, struggle to maintain their friendship in a village of Jews and Palestinians living side by side and trying to go about life as usual – until it becomes impossible.   
 
An achingly human story, The Mulberry Tree is a play about Palestine’s past, and a heartbreaking but hopeful ode to its future. Written by longtime collaborators Eady (born in Palestine) and Mast (born in California), this story shows the painful price of loyalty and betrayal, while honoring the power of memory. 

The cast includes Adam Bakri (Oscar-nominated film Omar), Ron Guttman (TV: ”Godfather of Harlem”), Rachel Botchan (Off-Broadway: King of the Jews), Louis Sallan (Off-Broadway: Selling Kabul), Najla Said (Off-Broadway: Palestine), and Ramsey Faragallah (Public Theatre Richard III). 

 “Despite what is happening at the present moment, there was a time in recent history when Muslims, Jews and Christian all lived together peacefully and happily in historic Palestine.  My own father was born in that place, at that time.  This play, firmly settled in history and based in truth, tells the story of two very close families whose deep long-standing friendship is challenged by the forces of politics and nationalism.  I think at this time the best thing we can do as artists is try to imagine and create possibilities for the future, and sometimes that requires a closer look at both our humanity and our shared past. This play gives us the chance to do just that.” Najla Said (Salma)
“To me, this play is all about potential. It captures an idyllic moment of time in Palestine that got interrupted. Nowadays, when hope seems scarce, performing this play feels like a prayer—a hope to revive something precious that faded over the years.” Adam Bakri (Noor)

The creative team includes set design by Izmir Ikbal, costume design by Dina El-Aziz, lighting design by Emmanuelle Delgado, projection design by Tal Yarden, original music by Hadi Eldebek, casting by Stephanie Klapper, production stage manager is Debora Porazzi and assistant stage manager is Erin Mittman. This play is produced by John Breen for Loose Change Productions. 
 
The Mulberry Tree 
February 9th – 25, 2024 
Plays Thursday - Saturday at 8 pm; Sunday at 4 pm 
La MaMa The Downstairs is located at 66 East 4th Street, basement level 
Tickets are $30 (discounts for Students/Seniors: $25, First 10 tickets are $10 (limit 2 per person). Ticket prices are inclusive of all fees. 
For tickets and more information https://www.lamama.org/shows/the-mulberry-tree-2024  

HANNA EADY and EDWARD MAST ((Playwrights)  have been writing plays together since they met in Seattle in 1995.  Hanna Eady grew up as a Palestinian in what is now Israel.  He came to Seattle for graduate school in directing, and he continues to return home to work with different Palestinian theatre companies, including the one he founded in his native village Buqayah, where he wrote his first play Art and Politics.   Edward Mast’s plays have been performed in several cities and countries, and he was returning home from his first of many trips to the Occupied Palestinian West Bank when he met Hanna Eady.  Their first collaboration was Sahmatah, a play drawn from testimonies by residents of one of the Palestinian villages destroyed during the founding of Israel in 1948.  Other plays they have written together include Loved Ones: Families of the Incarcerated, Letters from Palestine in the Time of the Virus, and The Love Tunnel: A Comedy of Occupation.  Their play The Return premiered in a Hebrew-language production in Haifa, and just completed an extended run in Seattle.  For New Theatre, and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea at the Resident Theatre Company.  His play Suhmatah (with Hanna Eady), has been touring Israel since 1998.  
 
Alexandra Aron (Director)Alexandra Aron is the founder and Producing Artistic Director of the Remote Theater Project bringing theater artists from different cultural backgrounds into dialogue to create new work (remotetheaterproject.com). Alex has directed in NY and internationally: Leslie Epstein’s King of the Jews at HERE Arts starring Richard Topol, A Night in the Old Marketplace (Frank London/ Glen Berger) at MASS MoCA and São Paulo, Copenhagen, Warsaw, Toronto, Milan, New York City, Naked Old Man by Murray Schisgal starring David Margulies (Ensemble Studio Theatre); Imagining Madoff by Deb Margolin (Theater J, DC); Three Seconds in the Key by Deb Margolin (New Georges, NYC). Salomé: Woman of Valor, Adeena Karasick/ Frank London (Vancouver, Toronto, ART’s Oberon Theater). She directed a short film Two Altars and a Cave starring Lois Smith.
Alex has developed plays with Palestinian and Jewish theater artists. She commissioned and produced GREY ROCK by Amir Nizar Zuabi at La MaMa and seen in Melbourne and Adelaide Festivals, Kennedy Center, Guthrie Theater Under the Radar Festival. Alex is co-producing LINES an international collaboration with Fidaa Zidan (Palestine), John Rwothomack(Uganda/UK) , Junaid Sarieddeen (Lebanon) which will premiere at Sheffield Theatre, UK and open at LaMaMa in April.
She is an affiliated artist of New Georges Theater, Lincoln Center Directing Lab & Women’s Project alum and a graduate of Wesleyan University. www.alexandraaron.com

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!