Golden Thread Productions Announces Unveils 30th Anniversary Season
Season includes new plays, festivals, and commissions centered on Middle Eastern and SWANA voices.
By: A.A. Cristi Jan. 30, 2026
Golden Thread Productions will mark its 30th Anniversary with a 2026 Season featuring new productions, festivals, and developmental work that reflect the company’s longstanding commitment to Middle Eastern and SWANA storytelling. The season will include world premieres, co-productions with Bay Area partners, and the continuation of Golden Thread’s signature festivals and commissioning initiatives. Programming will take place primarily at Potrero Stage, with additional events at Brava Theater Center.
Artistic Director Nabra Nelson said the season was developed in collaboration with outgoing Artistic Director Sahar Assaf, Managing Director Wynne Chan, and the Golden Thread staff, and reflects a wide range of voices, styles, and perspectives across the company’s communities.
Managing Director Wynne Chan noted that partnerships will continue to play a central role in the organization’s work, citing collaborations with SFBATCO, Crowded Fire Theater, Humanitas Media, and MENA Theater Makers Alliance as part of the 2026 Season.
WHAT DO THE WOMEN SAY?: 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.
Brava Theater Center
Co-produced with Brava
The 2026 Season will open with What Do the Women Say?: 30th Anniversary Edition, a special International Women’s Day event and an extension of one of Golden Thread’s longest-running programs. The event will bring together Founder Torange Yeghiazarian, outgoing Artistic Director Sahar Assaf, and incoming Artistic Director Nabra Nelson.
The evening will feature women artists connected to Golden Thread sharing music, dance, spoken word, and short theatrical works, followed by a conversation reflecting on the company’s past, present, and future.
A FESTIVAL OF PALESTINIAN ART
April 9–19, 2026
Potrero Stage
Co-presented with Crowded Fire Theater
A Festival of Palestinian Art will present theater, film, and stand-up comedy centered on Palestinian voices and experiences. The festival builds on Golden Thread’s decades-long engagement with Palestinian artists and storytelling.
Programming will include the return of AMREEKA 2026: The Comedy Show, curated by Wafaa Bilal and featuring an all-Palestinian lineup; a New Threads developmental workshop of A Country Made of Salt by Denmo Ibrahim, directed by Nabra Nelson; and a filmed presentation of Alaa Shehada’s solo work The Horse of Jenin.
ARAB SPRING
June 19–July 12, 2026
Potrero Stage
A world premiere play by Denmo Ibrahim
Directed by Nailah Unole didanas'ea Harper-Malveaux
Co-produced with SFBATCO
Arab Spring, a new play by 2026 Golden Thread Playwright in Residence Denmo Ibrahim, will receive its world premiere as part of the season. The play examines family, grief, and memory through the story of two siblings navigating the aftermath of their father’s death.
Set over the Fourth of July weekend, the play follows Yusef, a recovering addict, and his sister Dina as they return to their childhood home to arrange their father’s Islamic funeral and confront unresolved family tensions.
REORIENT 2026 FESTIVAL OF SHORT PLAYS
October 9–November 1, 2026
Potrero Stage
The 2026 Season will conclude with ReOrient 2026 Festival of Short Plays, Golden Thread’s signature short-play program. Five plays were selected from 83 submissions and represent a range of Middle Eastern perspectives and identities.
The lineup will include works by Hassan Abdulrazzak, Banafsheh Hassani, Sepehr Jafari, Hannah Khalil, and Ahmed Masoud. The festival will also include the ReOrient 2026 Forum, a convening of artists, academics, and activists produced in partnership with MENA Theater Makers Alliance, taking place during the festival’s run in San Francisco.
THE 11 LIVES OF JABER MOHAMMAD (WORKING TITLE)
By Abhishek Majumdar
Based on Through the Gates of Hell: American Injustice at Guantánamo Bay by Joshua Colangelo-Bryan
In partnership with Humanitas Media
As part of its 30th Anniversary programming, Golden Thread will commission playwright Abhishek Majumdar to develop The 11 Lives of Jaber Mohammad, a new play inspired by the real-life story of a man imprisoned for eight years at Guantánamo Bay.
The project is adapted from detailed accounts written by the man’s lawyer, Joshua Colangelo-Bryan, and will draw on interviews with individuals connected to Guantánamo across multiple countries. The play will receive development during the 2026 Season, with plans for a potential world premiere in a future season.
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