National Queer Theater and HERE Arts Center Reveal Lineup For Criminal Queerness Festival
For the second year running, National Queer Theater will return to HERE Arts Center, as part of its HERE Hosts program, from June 9-27, 2026.
National Queer Theater has revealed its programming for the 2026 Criminal Queerness Festival, which for eight years has showcased groundbreaking new works written by artists from countries where queerness is criminalized or censored.
For the second year running, National Queer Theater will return to HERE Arts Center, as part of its HERE Hosts program, from June 9-27, 2026.
The selected works for the 2026 Criminal Queerness Festival are:
AREA D, written by LOUR and directed by Osh Ashruf
Performance dates: June 9th - June 13th, 2026
In AREA D, a scrappy Palestinian band lands an unexpected shot on the Eurovision stage. What starts as a lucky break spirals into a glitter-drenched spectacle, forcing the band to wrestle with whether visibility is worth compromising their identity. AREA D is a bold, genre-smashing musical fusing Arab-pop, punk, and electronic sounds.
LOUR is a Palestinian performer, composer–lyricist, and writer based in New York City. She was named one of Arab America’s “30 Under 30” (2024), and received the Miranda Family Fellowship (2022) and MacDowell Fellowship (2026). Her work has been presented at Ars Nova, The Public Theater, La MaMa, the Dramatists Guild Foundation, the SheNYC Arts Festival, Barzakh, University Settlement, and the Lenfest Center for the Arts, among others.
Syrian Soap, written by E. Zaalan and directed by Tallie Medel (for CQF); original direction by Natasha Mercado
Performance dates: June 17th - June 20th, 2026
Eat, Pray, Bathe with your exasperated ancestors in an intergalactic bathhouse and ponder: What kind of future ancestor do I wish to become? How far am I willing to go to express my authentic self? How much lotion is it acceptable to put on in front of other people? Full of heart and irreverence, Syrian Soap is part clown show, part stand-up, part fever dream.
E. Zaalan is a Syrian standup comedian, clown, and conflict mediator. They made a promise to the martyrs of the Syrian Revolution that they would use their voice to tell the truth—so they had no choice but to become a comedian. They have studied comedy at the Idiot Workshop, Groundlings, Upright Citizen's Brigade, and iO Theater. Syrian Soap is the winner of the 2026 Hollywood Fringe Scholarship, and Zaalan’s co-created sketch and standup show won “Best of SF Fringe Festival” and “Best Box Office” at San Francisco Fringe Festival 2024.
faggy faafi Cairo boy, written by Bazeed and directed by Shadi Ghaheri
Performance dates: June 24th - June 27th, 2026
In the space between living and whatever the hell comes next, between daddy issues and Daddy issues, between the city that never sleeps and the city that never even blinks… Mohammad, the prodigal, closeted son, returns to Cairo, and to his father's rapidly failing, irrevocable body. Distanced from his NYC boyfriend, Mohammad reunites with an old Cairo flame who now has a life of his own. And who’s to judge him, besides that angry little angel in the corner of the hospital room?
Bazeed is a multi–award winning Egyptian immigrant, playwright, poet, performer, editor, literary translator, plant-dad, licensed massage therapist, and very decent cook, living in Brooklyn. Recipient of the Dramatists Guild's Lanford Wilson Award, their work across genres has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, Sundance Institute, the Arab American National Museum, The Civilians, Lambda Literary, Queer Art Mentorship, and Trans Lab, among others. Their first play, peace camp org, recipient of the Fresh Fruit Festival Spirit Award, is published by Oberon Books, UK.
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Butoh: Into the Depth New York Butoh Institute/Vangeline (7/08-7/31) |
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WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND | Stage & Film Summer Season at Bardavon Bardavon 1869 Opera House (7/31-7/31) |
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Hadid 59E59 Theatres (7/10-7/21) |
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bala.fruta./bullet.fruit | Stage & Film Summer Season at Marist Marist University Symphonic Hall (7/11-7/11) |
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PAPER MENAGERIE | Stage & Film Summer Season at the Bardavon Bardavon 1869 Opera House (7/19-7/19) |
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LAGNIAPPE | Stage & Film Summer Season at Marist University Marist University Symphonic Hall (7/11-7/11) |
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EN EL TIEMPO DE LAS MARIPOSAS Repertorio (1/07-12/31) |
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LA GRINGA Repertorio (2/08-12/31) |
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TRIP AROUND THE SUN | Stage & Film Summer Season at Marist University Marist University Symphonic Hall (7/26-7/26) |
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MENAFEE | Stage & Film Summer Season at Marist University Marist University Symphonic Hall (7/25-7/25) |
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