Behzad Dabu News

Chicago Inclusion Project Founder and Producer Emjoy Gavino is pleased to announce a slate of upcoming projects with three Chicagoland theatres.

Playwright Ayad Akhtar's Pulitzer-Prize winning Disgraced is at the core a portrait of an American born  Muslim Amir Kapoor (Hari Dhillon) and a treatise on Islamophobia, but it is first and foremost an entertainment, and as such, its big ideas take less priority. In structure and excitement somewhat like Donald Margulies' Dinner with Friends and Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage, the play is humorous on the surface, but underneath... like a time-bomb set to explode. It consistently builds and builds to an unexpected climax. Now onstage at the Mark Taper Forum through July 17, Disgraced is a real audience-grabber with a dynamite cast under the superb direction of Kimberly Senior.

Ayad Akhtar's 2013 Pulitzer Prize-winning play 'Disgraced' opened last night, June 19, and continues through July 17, 2016, at Center Theatre Group's Mark Taper Forum. BroadwayWorld has photos from the festivities below!

Ayad Akhtar's 2013 Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Disgraced," opens Sunday, June 19, at 7 p.m. at Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum. Directed by Kimberly Senior, "Disgraced" plays through July 17.

Center Theatre Group presents Ayad Akhtar's Pulitzer Prize-winning play DISGRACED, beginning previews today, June 8, opening June 19, and continuing through July 17, 2016, at the Mark Taper Forum. Directed by Kimberly Senior, the cast features J Anthony Crane, Behzad Dabu, Hari Dhillon, Karen Pittman and Emily Swallow.

Rehearsals have begun for Ayad Akhtar's 2013 Pulitzer Prize-winning play 'Disgraced,' which begins previews June 8, opens June 19 and continues through July 17, 2016, at the Mark Taper Forum.

Rehearsals have begun for Ayad Akhtar's 2013 Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Disgraced," which begins previews June 8, opens June 19 and continues through July 17, 2016, at the Mark Taper Forum. Check out photos below!

Center Theatre Group has announced casting for Ayad Akhtar's Pulitzer Prize-winning play DISGRACED, which begins previews June 8, opens June 19 and continues through July 17, 2016, at the Mark Taper Forum. Directed by Kimberly Senior, the cast features J Anthony Crane, Behzad Dabu, Hari Dhillon, Karen Pittman and Emily Swallow.

Henry Wishcamper's contemporary take on Thornton Wilder's THE MATCHMAKER -- the inspiration for the musical Hello, Dolly! -- revealing social truths through mistaken identity, outrageous misbehavior and spontaneous romance, appears in Goodman Theatre's 856-seat Albert Theatre, now through April 10, 2016. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

BroadwayWorld Chicago is bringing you 10 on Tuesday, featuring artists in and around Chicago. This week's questionnaire participant - Lavina Jadhwani!

TimeLine Theatre Company announces that Chicago artists Behzad Dabu and Ron OJ Parson have been named Company Members at the theater, effective immediately.

In theater, as with any art form, playwrights can walk a fine line between telling a riveting and honest story and saying things simply for shock value. Ayad Akhtar's Pulitzer Prize winning play "Disgraced", currently playing at the Seattle Rep, walks that line. And while on the whole this extremely powerful piece opens its audiences up to an examination of who we are at our core, in retrospect I'll admit to feeling a bit manipulated as I recall harsh one-liners piled on top of each other culminating in a crescendo of shock. Effective shock but at times dipping its toe over the line into shock for shock sake and feeling a bit contrived.

Casting is complete for Henry Wishcamper's contemporary take on Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker-the inspiration for the musical Hello, Dolly!, revealing social truths through mistaken identity, outrageous misbehavior and spontaneous romance.

Due to an overwhelming positive response from critics and audiences alike, Berkeley Rep has announced that the west coast premiere of the Pulitzer Prize- winning play, Disgraced will extend for an additional week. Originally scheduled to close on December 20, the critically acclaimed play will run through Sunday, December 27.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre is proud to present the West Coast premiere of Disgraced by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre is proud to present the West Coast premiere of Disgraced by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar.

Chicago stage, TV and film star Michael Shannon did the honor of announcing the nominees for the 2014-2015 Equity Jeff Awards. A video of the presentation is available at www.JeffAwards.org.

Jackalope Theatre Company wraps up its 7th season with The 6th Annual Living Newspapers Festival. In homage to the 1930's Living Newspapers of the Federal Theatre Project, Jackalope has assembled an exciting group of Chicago playwrights, directors, and actors to dramatize stories ripped from recent newspaper headlines. Presented for a five-performance limited engagement at The Frontier, 1106 W. Thorndale Ave, the festival will run today, August 19, through August 23, Wednesday - Sunday at 7:30pm.

Jackalope Theatre Company wraps up its 7th season with The 6th Annual Living Newspapers Festival. In homage to the 1930's Living Newspapers of the Federal Theatre Project, Jackalope has assembled an exciting group of Chicago playwrights, directors, and actors to dramatize stories ripped from recent newspaper headlines. Presented for a five-performance limited engagement at The Frontier, 1106 W. Thorndale Ave, the festival will run August 19-23, Wednesday - Sunday at 7:30pm.

Chicago Inclusion Project Founder and Producer Emjoy Gavino announces the launch of The Chicago Inclusion Project, a collective dedicated to championing inclusion and diversity in Chicago theatre.