Golden Thread Celebrates International Women's Day Next Month

Golden Thread Productions, the first American theatre company devoted to the Middle East, in collaboration with Brava for Women in the Arts, presents What Do the Women Say? Fighters for Freedom, its annual celebration of International Women's Day, on March 8, 2023 at 7pm Pacific Time at Brava Theatre Center (2781 24th Street, San Francisco) and online.

International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on March 8 to recognize the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also raises awareness about gender equality and the ongoing fight for women's rights and empowerment. Executive Artistic Director and curator of the event Sahar Assaf comments on this year's lineup and theme saying, "In recognition of International Women's Day, our theme this year aligns with the global theme of "Embrace Equity." This celebration serves as a moment to honor the accomplishments of women and to inspire us to continue working towards a more equitable and just world. I am thrilled to present the tireless and bold work of women artists from Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and the U.S. who are making a difference in their communities. The women artists we are celebrating this year are true warriors in their own right."

With artists appearing live and virtually, audiences can join in person at the Brava Theater Center or stream the event digitally. The full program will run for 120 minutes without intermission. Presentations include Persian Vocalist Marjan Vahdat who will perform a piece titled "My Voice is My Home," a mixture of traditional Persian and regional music; an excerpt from Iraqi artist Lujain Jo's first feature film "Rahhala", filmed over the span of 6 years, exploring the contradictions and complexities of the human condition across varied landscapes; an excerpt from "Hold On, When Everything Changes in a Flash" by Afghan performer Mahjabin Khanzada (directed by Polina Smith and accompanied by Yemeni musician Layle Omeran on Oud), which is her story of coming to America from Afghanistan 6 days before the Taliban took over; and a duet by Lebanese-American poet Andrea Assaf and Syrian soprano Lubana al Quntar titled "This Woman, This Sea."

The program will also feature presentations by artists from Her Story Is, a collective of independent women artists from Iraq and the U.S. Poets Hanaa Ahmed and Jennifer Jean will present poems they have written in collaboration with one another, theater makers Thawra Yaqoob and Letta Neely with present their dialogue centered on being women of African descent in Iraq and the U.S., and poet and visual artist Elham Nasser al-Zabeedy will present her poetry on climate change illustrated by paintings and artwork.

The evening will end with a devised presentation by the artists on the theme of this year's program directed by Andrea Assaf and Lubana al Quntar from Art2Action followed by a conversation between the participating artists and the audiences facilitated by Sahar Assaf.

Golden Thread Productions and Brava for Women in the Arts are thankful for the sponsorship of WomenArts and our community partners, Her Story Is (Fort Point Theatre Channel), Iraqi + American Reconciliation Project, Art2Action, and Crescent Moon Theatre Productions.