ARAB SPRING To Have World Premiere Co-Production from Golden Thread Productions And SFBATCO
Denmo Ibrahim's dark comedy, directed by Nailah Harper-Malveaux, plays Potrero Stage in San Francisco
Golden Thread Productions and San Francisco Bay Area Theater Company (SFBATCO) will present the world premiere of ARAB SPRING by Denmo Ibrahim at Potrero Stage in San Francisco. The production will be directed by Nailah Unole didanas'ea Harper-Malveaux.
Performances will run June 19 through July 12, 2026, with an opening night set for June 22 at 8:00 p.m.
ARAB SPRING follows siblings Yusef and Dina as they return to their childhood home to arrange an Islamic funeral for their estranged father. Set against the urgency of preparing the burial, the play explores family dynamics, cultural identity, and grief through a dark comedic lens.
“This is a play that speaks deeply to Arab-American and other diasporic and immigrant communities in intimate and global ways. It is a play that can hold our joy and grief simultaneously,” said Golden Thread Artistic Director Nabra Nelson.
Rodney Earl Jackson Jr., Artistic Director and Co-Founder of SFBATCO, added, “It’s an opportunity to uplift a local voice while bringing a story to life that feels timely, relevant, and yes—hilarious.”
Playwright Denmo Ibrahim said, “Arab Spring is a play for the grown American children of immigrants, for anyone caught between culture and tradition, identity and community, torn between expectation and autonomy.”
The cast includes Salim Razawi as Yusef and Arti Ishak as Dina.
The creative team includes scenic designer Mikiko Uesugi, lighting and video designer Sinjin Jones, sound designer Michael Kelly, Costume Designer Buffy Yahyaa, and props designer Heidi Button. Additional team members include dramaturg Laura Brueckner, language support May Allam, production manager River Bermudez-Sanders, technical director Lev Collins, stage manager Anneliese Stauff, and assistant stage manager Lauren Quan.
Denmo Ibrahim is the 2026 Playwright-in-Residence at Golden Thread Productions. This production marks the first collaboration between Golden Thread and SFBATCO, both organizations known for supporting new work and amplifying underrepresented voices in the Bay Area.
