The International Voices Project presents
The Shroud Maker March 16 - April 8
at the Chicago Dramatists
Loosely based on a real life character still living in Gaza, The Shroud Maker is a dark comedy that tells the story of 80 year old Hajja Souad, who makes and sells shrouds for the dead in the Shujaia neighborhood in Palestine.
What’s the best business in Gaza? Hajja Souad, an 80-year old woman living in the El Shujaia Neighbourhood, has the right idea. She has survived decades of wars, deportation and oppression through making and selling shrouds for the dead, profiting from the continuous Israeli attacks.
The 51-day Israeli war on Gaza in summer 2014 proves highly lucrative, until her past returns to haunt her, forcing her to make a momentous decision. Her deliberations take us on a lifetime’s journey, telling a harrowing story of courage, love, escape and disappointment.
Leaving her village of Aqqur near Jerusalem as a young girl, Hajja Souad entered the service of the British High Commissioner in the late 1940s and grew up as an adopted daughter to his wife, who taught her English manners and elocution. But in the chaos of the British withdrawal, as the Union Jack is drawn down from the port of Haifa, Hajja was left alone to her fate in the abandoned mansion.
The Shroud Maker delves deep into the intimate life of ordinary Palestinians to weave a highly distinctive path through Palestine’s turbulent past and present. Loosely based on a real-life character still living in Gaza, this one-woman comedy weaves comic fantasy and satire with true stories told firsthand to the writer and offers a vivid portrait of Palestinian life in Gaza.
By Ahmed Masoud
Directed by Marina Johnson
Starring Roxane Assaf-Lynn
Set Design by Jonathan Berg-Einhorn
Sound Design by Ronnie Malley and Eric Backus
Lighting Design by Mary Mouton
Stage Manager Charlotte Breanne Brown
Assistant Stage Manager Kenneth Martin
In collaboration with Intercultural Music Production
“Ahmed Masoud’s play about a burial shroud maker offers audiences a lot to consider about life. A mix of dark comedy and biography, Masoud’s text reminds us that there is laughter even in our darkest moments.”
Schedule & Tickets
Tickets: $20 | Senior $15 | Student rush tickets $10 for every show based on availability
Group sales contact ivpchicago@gmail.com
Previews: Thursday and Friday, March 16-17, 7:30 PM
Opening: Saturday, March 18 at 3 PM
March 19 - April 8 | Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 PM | Sundays 3 PM
“Shroud Maker” is emotionally loaded, brilliantly written, and intelligently produced/directed. From the moment it starts you are mesmerized in your seat and totally engaged with the person on stage. The backdrops and sound effects invoke an emotional state of living the events in time and place. For an old chap like me, this play has shaken and awakened memories we thought were buried and forgotten. It rekindled the vigor of our demonstration and cheers demanding protecting the rights of Palestinian and condemning colonialism and conspiracy. Watching this work on a stage in America is by and in itself is culmination of a major step in the history of drama. It kind of restored my confidence and the ideals that America proclaims for itself. I might sound over optimistic, but I am not denying that the road is still long in reality. In the talk-back time, I moved emotionally and gave the credit to the resolve of the Palestinian people who kept the struggle alive with resilience and perseverance. It is a show you don’t want to miss.”
TELL THE STORY. CHANGE THE WORLD.
Performances are FREE to the public and reservations are required. DONATE TODAY and help keep the festival free!
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Marina Johnson director The Shroud Maker 2023
Director's Note by Marina Johnson
When I first read Ahmed Masoud’s The Shroud Maker I was struck by the candor of the main character, Souad. She lives the words of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish’s saying, “Sarcasm helps me overcome the harshness of the reality we live, eases the pain of scars, and makes people smile.” Through this critical sarcasm, we see the contradictions of what it means to look for freedom while living a life where borders, barriers, and conflict shape every next step. Masoud showcases the multitudinous layers of Souad’s identity while putting the relationship between imperialism, orientalism, and their effects on indigenous populations into direct conversation providing the audience with insight into the Israeli occupation of Palestine that can’t be gleaned from contemporary media.
Masoud draws on the heritage of the “hakawati” (from Arabic words meaning “story” and “talk”), part of the Middle Eastern heritage of oral tradition where a storyteller used folktales, allegories, satire, music, and grand movement to entertain audiences while enabling moments of catharsis in times of strife. Additionally, the hakawati was considered a keeper of stories, passing on tales deemed important enough to be solidified into the archive of the audience’s minds. With The Shroud Maker, art is a response and not an escape.
This particular story is centered around true events like the Nakba (“catastrophe”) in 1948 when Palestinians were displaced and expelled from their homes. It’s worth noting that, while Souad’s interactions with Sir Alan and Lady Cunningham are fabulated, the characters are based on historical figures. Cunningham was the seventh and last British High Commissioner of Palestine and the picture of him removing the flag from Haifa port was made famous through history books. By weaving together the real and the imagined, Masoud’s play allows audiences to think capaciously about the past and continued violence against Palestinians and the complex matrix of decisions those living under occupation have to navigate in order to survive and thrive.
There are no easy answers for Souad and the end of the play sees her making a choice that, to some, might seem drastic. However, it is one of the few instances where the character is able to make her own decisions. For her entire life, decisions were made for her by external forces, first by her family, then the Cunninghams, and then the socio-political realities of her situation shaped every next step. At the end of her life, she finally finds agency that has been denied to her. Rather than seeking proximity to power and becoming a collaborator, Souad weaponizes the only power she has. Masoud’s writing forces the audience to grapple with the complexity of her decision-making, pushing beyond the binaries about Palestinian life and death often found in Western media. Through Souad, The Shroud Maker asks us to consider the many valences of liberation and how they affect our choices for ourselves, and our communities, for the future.
MEET THE ARTISTS
Ahmed Masoud (playwright)
AHMED MASOUD (playwright)
Ahmed Masoud (he/him/his) is the author of the acclaimed novels ”Come What May” (Victorina Press 2022) and ”Vanished – The Mysterious Disappearance of Mustafa Ouda” (Rimal Books 2015) . Masoud is a writer and director who grew up in Palestine and moved to the United Kingdom in 2002. In 2019, he worked with Maxine Peake on Obliterated, a theatrical experiment and artistic protest - you may learn about it here. His theatre and radio drama credits include: Application 39 (WDR Radio, Germany 2018); Camouflage (London 2017); The Shroud Maker (London 2015 – still touring); Walaa, Loyalty (London 2014, funded by the Arts Council England), Escape from Gaza (BBC Radio 4 2011). Masoud is the founder of Al Zaytouna Dance Theatre (2005 – 2013) where he wrote and directed many productions with subsequent tours in the UK and Europe, including Unto the Breach (London and Vienna 2012); Between the Fleeting Words (London, Zurich, Freiburg, Ljubljana, Madrid 2010 – 2012); Ila Haif (London, Freiburg 2008-2010) and Hassad (London 2007-2008). After finishing his PhD research, Masoud published many journals and articles including a chapter in the “Britain and Muslim World: A Historical Perspective” (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2011). Most recently, Masoud launched his new artistic initiative called PalArt Collective.
Marine Johnson (director)
MARINA JOHNSON (director)
Marina Johnson (she/her/hers/they/them/theirs) is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Theatre and Performance Studies Department at Stanford University, also pursuing Ph.D. minors in feminist, gender and sexuality studies and critical studies in race and ethnicity. She was a 2021-2022 graduate public service fellow with the Stanford Haas Center. She is the co-artistic director of the Nitery Experimental Theatre on Stanford’s Campus. Johnson has a BA and a BS from Penn State University and received her MFA in directing from the University of Iowa. She is the co-host of “Kunafa and Shay,” a podcast produced by HowlRound Theatre Commons. Johnson is a member of Silk Road Rising’s Polycultural Institute and is an associate literary manager with Golden Thread Productions’ 2023 ReOrient Festival. She has trained with the SITI Company and in the Kennedy Center Directing Lab. Prior to beginning her Ph.D, she was a visiting assistant professor at Beloit College for three years.
Recent directing credits include Shakespeare’s Sisters, The Palestinian Youth Monologues, Supposed Home, Man of God, Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche and In the Next Room at Beloit College. Additionally, she was the assistant director and dramaturg on As Soon As Impossible (Stanford, 2021) and dramaturg and assistant director for Twice, Thrice, Frice at Silk Road Rising (2019). Her work has been published in MATC’s Theatre/Practice, Eumenica and in Arab Stages.
Roxane Assaf-Lynn (performer)
ROXANE ASSAF-LYNN (performer)
Roxane Assaf-Lynn (Hajja Souad) moved to Chicago from her native New Orleans in pursuit of acting, singing, modeling and video production with parts already performed for the New Orleans Contemporary Arts Center (the title role in “Condominium of Love”) and LSU’s 1987 production of “The Rose Tattoo” (Assunta), and with the Loyola University Opera Workshop (Mad Margaret “Ruddygore”). As a classically trained mezzo soloist and chorister, she has worked professionally with numerous choral ensembles in New Orleans and Chicago, both religious and secular, and in musical theatre and operatic productions by Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré, Light Opera Works, the Opera Factory, and Jefferson Performing Arts Society. She played Witch Gothal in children’s theatre, and performed comedy improv with Batteries Not Included. Roxane was represented by the Chicago Elite modeling agency, working in print for major retailers and appearing on the “Oprah Winfrey Show.” Her voiceover credits earning her a SAG card included the Boston Globe newspaper and Miller Lite.At age 35, after ‘discovering’ Palestine, the land of her paternal grandparents, and moving to the West Bank as a freelance journalist and contributor to the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Roxane devoted her stage work to original presentations by invitation, such as her own performance piece “Now that I'm an Arab,” for the Chicago Humanities Festival, a video dramatization for broadcast in the role of esteemed activist Cedar Duaybis, the role of Nabila in the “The Voice of Rachel Corrie” for American Friends Service Committee, and a staged reading of Dr. Robert Hostetter’s “The Longing.” Her most significant contribution included the launch of Chicago’s venerable Silk Road Theatre Project with Jamil Khoury’s “Precious Stones,” a two-woman play with six characters and narration that enjoyed stellar reviews and an extended run in 2003. Roxane teaches journalism and video reporting at various institutions of higher learning, most recently the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her reports and opinion have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, the Durham Herald-Sun, Arms Control Today, Zenger News, the Journiest, and in television reports from Capitol Hill for the CBS affiliate in Monroe, Louisiana, in fulfillment of her master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern Univ. at age 40. Roxane took national First Place for the 2003 Society of Professional Journalists' "Mark of Excellence Award" in Television General News Reporting. She is co-author of the 5th edition of the Lonely Planet travel guidebook Israel and the Palestinian Territories thanks to significant support from Leila Sansour and the Abunimeh family of Battir, Bethlehem. She has been Outreach Director for Chicago Area Peace Action, local affiliate of Peace Action. She volunteers for lively arts organizations preserving the life of theatre, cabaret and opera, co-founding Chicago Cabaret Professionals and the Chicago Paris Cabaret Connexion, and she volunteers for peace and social justice initiatives. Roxane is currently a French-speaking nanny and Social Media Co-Coordinator for RootsAction.org. Her husband Michael Lynn, a fellow activist and writer, is her biggest supporter
Ronnie Malley (sound design)
RONNIE MALLEY (sound design)
Ronnie Malley (he/him/his) is a Palestinian-American multi-instrumentalist musician, actor, composer, sound designer, producer, playwright, and educator. As executive director of Intercultural Music Production he is committed to promoting cultural understanding through performance, education, and production. For over fifteen years, he has worked on regional and international theatrical productions including with renowned award-winning directors Mary Zimmerman, David Cromer, and Aaron Posner. His credits include: Layalina, The Jungle Book, Mirror of the Invisible World (Goodman Theatre); "Mo" (Netflix); Little Syria co-creator (Brooklyn Academy of Music); The Band’s Visit (North American tour; Broadway Tony and Grammy Award-winner); Macbeth (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); The Shroud Maker, The Sultan’s Dilemma, The Castle and the Sparrow (International Voices Project); Scenes From 73 Years (Medina Theatre Collective); American Griot co-author (MVCC/Silk Road Rising/Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Award 2020); A Disappearing Number (Timeline Theatre); Great Expectations (Silk Road Rising/Remy Bumppo; Jeff nominated for Best Original Music), Ziryab, The Songbird Of Andalusia author and solo performer, Obstacle Course (Silk Road Rising); The White Snake (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Arabian Nights (Lookingglass, Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep Theatres). Ronnie has a BA in global music studies from DePaul University and is currently a graduate student at the University of Chicago. He is also a teaching artist and frequent guest lecturer at universities. Ronnie performs regularly with several global music ensembles and was awarded the 2023 Michael Jaffee Visionary Award from Chamber Music America. Ronnie is a member of Actors Equity Association and the American Federation of Musicians. More info at ronniemalley.com
Eric Backus (co-sound design)
ERIC BACKUS (co-sound design)
Eric Backus, he/him is a Chicago-based composer and sound designer, excited to work with IVP for the first time! Eric previously collaborated with co-designer Ronnie Malley on Layalina (Goodman) and Ziryab, The Songbird of Andalusia (Silk Road Rising). Other Chicago credits include productions at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Northlight, Writers, Windy City Playhouse, Music Theater Works, Raven Theatre, American Blues Theater, The Gift, and many others. Off-Broadway: Hollow/Wave (United Solo Festival), Churchill (New World Stages); Regional credits include productions at Milwaukee Rep, Northern Stage, TheatreSquared, The Rev, and Lake Dillon Theatre Co. In addition to theatre, Eric composes and sound designs for podcasts and film. www.ericbackus.com.
Charlotte Breanne Brown (stage manager)
CHARLOTTE BREANNE BROWN (stage manager)
Charlotte Breanne Brown (they/them) is a recent Chicago transplant from Orlando, Florida. Pursuing their MFA in Comedic Screenwriting from DePaul University. While everyone was making sourdough during the pandemic Charlotte picked up stage managing skills by working on virtual narrative improv shows through The Hideout Theatre (Austin, Tx). One thing led to another and they found themselves working on their first scripted show Human Resources the Musical (dir. Mallory Schlossberg) , a show that was done entirely via zoom and comprised people spanning across several states. As they say the rest is history and Charlotte can now be found stage managing shows whenever they can in addition to their job at Second City.
Raja Alkam & Nevin Abdelghani (costume design)
RAJA ALKAM & NEVIN ABDELGHANI (costume design)
Raja Alkam and Nevin Abdelghani are our costumer designers and are also mother and daughter. We are thrilled to have them create the costumes worn in The Shroud Maker, as well as decorate our lobby at Chicago Dramatists.
Born and raised in Turmusaya, Palestine, Raja Alkam has been keeping Palestinian culture alive in the Chicago suburbs by selling traditional Palestinian dresses called thobes for 9 years. She is influenced by her experience living through two intifadas and aims to develop a strong cultural identity in Palestinians for generations to come.
Mary Mouton (lighting designer)
MARY MOUTON (lighting designer)
(she/her) is a (relatively) recent graduate with a passion for lighting design. This is her first time designing in a professional context, and she’s so excited to help bring this show to life alongside IVP! Her previous lighting experience includes a variety of shows through University Theater at the University of Chicago.
Special thanks to:
Ahmed Masoud, Fouad Teymour, Carson Becker, Zack Robinson, Lou Acerra, Mary Acerra, Jamil Khoury and Malik Gilani, Walter Stearns, Eugene Dizon, Omar Khalil, Samer Al-Saber, Scott Dray, Muhammad Eissa, Maen Al Sharif, Students for Justice in Palestine Chicago, Rohina Malik, Medina Theatre Collective, Maren Rosenberg, Uprising Theatre, Nicole Sieczka, Bobbi Masters, Maggie Dougherty, United States Palestinian Community Network, Teresa Hernando, Instituto Cervantes Chicago, The Goodman Theatre