Columbia University School of the Arts International Play Reading Festival

Playwrights Asiimwe Deborah Kawe (Uganda), Nick Makoha (England), and Dima Mikhayel Matta (Lebanon), in conversation with Columbia University School of the Arts International Play Reading Festival Co-Founder David Henry Hwang, Theatre Program. The panel took place with a live zoom audience on October 23, 2021 at 12pm Eastern.PRODUCTIONAndrew Agress, Literary ManagerNatalie Layne Baker, Sound Editor Gavin Browning, Director of Public Programs & EngagementJessi Cotter, Production ManagerJordan Fleming, Student ProducerKanika Vaish, Literary ManagerFESTIVAL CO-FOUNDERSCarol Becker, Dean of Columbia University School of the ArtsDavid Henry Hwang, MFA Theatre Program, Columbia University School of the Arts© 2021 by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Queerness is a construct. So is language, and so is this play. Nothing about this performance is reliable. The performer questions gender, memory, sex, identity, and her relationship with Beirut — but gives no answers.THIS IS NOT A MEMORIZED SCRIPT, THIS IS A WELL-REHEARSED STORYWritten and Performed by Dima Mikhayel Matta (Lebanon)Directed by Noelle GhoussainiPRODUCTIONAndrew Agress, Literary ManagerGavin Browning, Director of Public Programs & EngagementJessi Cotter, Production ManagerJordan Fleming, Student ProducerJim Petty with Five Ohm Productions, Audio EngineerKanika Vaish, Literary ManagerAda Westfall, Sound DesignerFESTIVAL CO-FOUNDERSCarol Becker, Dean of Columbia University School of the ArtsDavid Henry Hwang, MFA Theatre Program, Columbia University School of the Arts© 2021 by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

In the heat of a November night in 1978, after eight years of civil war, four-year-old Nick and his mother flee their homeland of Uganda. What unfolds is a story of those who find themselves exiled, told through a series of voices echoing from varying states of darkness. THE DARKWritten by Nick Makoha (United Kingdom)Directed by NJ AgwunaCASTPetrina Ampeire, Joyce (rebel radio) and Ouma (boy soldier)Robert K Benson, Mr. Fairfax and Customs OfficerShadrack Boakye, Soldier, Shopkeeper, and Baba NickShiro Kihagi, Mama NickCici Koueth, MirembeJulia Kwamya, Fatima and Camera WomanIrungu Mutu, Narrator Nick and Young NickChris Okawa, Ocheng, Opio, and KigoJames Okungu, Old Man, Radio Uganda, Sergeant 853, and KimathiPRODUCTIONAndrew Agress, Literary ManagerGavin Browning, Director of Public Programs & EngagementNatalie Layne Baker, Sound Editor Jessi Cotter, Production ManagerCaroline Eng, Sound DesignerJordan Fleming, Student ProducerIrungu Mutu, Dialect CoachJim Petty with Five Ohm Productions, Audio EngineerZoe E. Rotter, Casting DirectorKanika Vaish, Literary ManagerDaniel Vaughn, Stage ManagerFESTIVAL CO-FOUNDERSCarol Becker, Dean of Columbia University School of the ArtsDavid Henry Hwang, MFA Theatre Program, Columbia University School of the ArtsSpecial thanks to the following, who created some of the sounds you heard in today’s episode and made them available through freesound.org: vedas, malupeeters, Vortichez, Veridiansunrise, mariadrrs, dj997, jobro, mansardian, daveincamas, bone666138, calpomatt, washout, suoitnop, lgarrett, Jay_You, bigmanjoe, kevp888, Erdie, newagesoup, cgrote, CastIronCarousel, stomachache, Almusic34, Thalamus_Lab, digifishmusic, straget© 2021 by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

A group of nervous visa applicants in an unnamed country sit in a waiting room, trading stories and tips on how to best present themselves before US consuls — the “gODs.” Their reasons for coming to the US vary, but will the gODs consider them?  APPOINTMENT WITH gODWritten by Asiimwe Deborah Kawe (Uganda)Directed by Nana DakinCASTAndrew Agress, Stage DirectionsAnita Abdinezhad, gOD 1 and Voice OnePetrina Ampeire, KakyeAnita Ganesan, gOD 2 and Voice TwoKambi Gathesha, Announcer and Man 1Shiro Kihagi, Achen and Voice 5Janet Kilonzo, Fatima and Voice 3James Okungu, Man 2 and Voice 4PRODUCTIONAndrew Agress, Literary ManagerGavin Browning, Director of Public Programs & EngagementNatalie Layne Baker, Sound Editor Jessi Cotter, Production ManagerCaroline Eng, Sound DesignerJordan Fleming, Student ProducerJim Petty with Five OHM Productions, Audio EngineerZoe E. Rotter, Casting DirectorKanika Vaish, Literary ManagerDaniel Vaughn, Stage ManagerFESTIVAL CO-FOUNDERSCarol Becker, Dean of Columbia University School of the ArtsDavid Henry Hwang, MFA Theatre Program, Columbia University School of the ArtsSpecial thanks to the following, who created some of the sounds you heard in today’s episode and made them available through freesound.org: Damsteegt, bigjoedrummer, boykind, Sorrow-Fox, InspectorJ, hazure, Natty23, devilfish101, Andrew Duke, Veridiansunrise, mariadrrs, dj997, jobro, mansardian© 2021 by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Co-founded by Carol Becker, Dean of Columbia University School of the Arts, and David Henry Hwang, Theatre Program, this annual festival presents readings of three plays by living international playwrights. Now in its fourth year, the 2021 Columbia University School of the Arts International Play Reading Festival features Asiimwe Deborah Kawe (Uganda), Nick Makoha (United Kingdom), and Dima Mikhayel Matta (Lebanon). © 2020 by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.Trailer sound design by Ada Westfall.

Playwrights Candace Chong Mui Ngam (Hong Kong), Nophand (Thailand), and Camila Villegas (Mexico), in conversation with Columbia University School of the Arts International Play Reading Festival Co-Founder David Henry Hwang, Theatre.PRODUCTION CREDITSCarol Becker, Dean, Columbia University School of the ArtsDavid Henry Hwang, Head of Playwriting, School of the ArtsGavin Browning, Director of Public Programs & EngagementD. R. Baker, Sound EditorJessi Cotter, Production ManagerSami Pyne, Student ProducerKate Foster, Michael Murry, & Paola Alexandra Soto, Student Literary ManagersMore information available on the Columbia University School of the Arts International Play Reading Festival website.© 2020 by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Featuring translators Daniel Jáquez (Rarámuri Dreams) and Nophand (Taxi Radio).Moderated by Susan Bernofsky, Writing. Translating for the stage is a special skill, and sometimes plays pass through several hands on their way from their original language (in this case, Spanish and Thai) into English. In this conversation, these translators consider the challenges of translating Rarámuri Dreams and Taxi Radio not only from one language to another, but from a theatrical performance to an audio play. This panel discussion was co-sponsored by the MFA Writing Program/Literary Translation at Columbia.PRODUCTION CREDITSCarol Becker, Dean, Columbia University School of the ArtsDavid Henry Hwang, Head of Playwriting, School of the ArtsGavin Browning, Director of Public Programs & EngagementD. R. Baker, Sound Editor Jessi Cotter, Production ManagerSami Pyne, Student ProducerKate Foster, Michael Murry, & Paola Alexandra Soto, Student Literary ManagersMore information available on the Columbia University School of the Arts International Play Reading Festival website.© 2020 by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Thirty years later, the Tiananmen Square massacre remains censored and repressed. Sui Lum and Ah Dai grapple with a date so volatile that the government won’t let them say it aloud. May 35th explores the indelible human aspiration for freedom alongside the complexities of personal and political history.MAY 35THWritten by Candace Chong Mui Ngam (Hong Kong)Translated from Cantonese by AnonymousDirected by Leigh SilvermanCASTClem Cheung, Ah PingFang Du, Young Man 1 and Young Man 2Wai Ching Ho, Siu LumFrancis Jue, Ah DaiJohnny Wu, The Strangerwith Anna Weng reading Stage DirectionsPRODUCTIONGavin Browning, Director of Public Programs & EngagementD. R. Baker, Sound Editor Jessi Cotter, Production ManagerCaroline Eng, Sound Designer & ComposerMartin Murry, Literary ManagerJim Petty with Five Ohm Productions, Audio EngineerSami Pyne, Student ProducerZoe E. Rotter, Casting DirectorJoan Wyatt, Stage ManagerSpecial thanks to the following, who created some of the sounds you heard in today’s episode and made them available through Freesound.org: daveincamas, bone666138, calpomatt, washout, suoitnop, lgarrettThis podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Collective Bargaining Agreement.© 2020 by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

On a stormy night in Bangkok, four beings are stuck in traffic. Accompanied by karaoke hits, Taxi Radio is a dark comedy that conjures the afterlife and calls upon higher powers to critique cycles of corruption. This soulful play highlights the absurdity of navigating one’s own life in the maelstrom of expectations and statuses. GPS, Google, and Facebook won’t help you out of these dead ends. TAXI RADIOWritten and translated by Nophand (Thailand)Directed by Aya OgawaCASTDion Graham, EChris McKinney, DAndrea Morales, CKate Rigg, MSathya Sridharan, QPRODUCTIONGavin Browning, Director of Public Programs and EngagementD. R. Baker, Sound Editor & ComposerJessi Cotter, Production ManagerNana Dakin, Culture ConsultantCaroline Eng, Sound DesignerKate Foster, Literary ManagerJim Petty with Five Ohm Productions, Audio EngineerSami Pyne, Student ProducerZoe E. Rotter, Casting DirectorTheo Van Dyck, Trumpet ImprovisationsJoan Wyatt, Stage ManagerSpecial thanks to the following: Freesound.org, bigjoedrummer, boykind, Sorrow-Fox, RTB45, Damsteegt, LG, emirdemirel, vedas, malupeeters, Vortichez, Veridiansunrise, mariadrrs, dj997, jobro, mansardian, Jay_You, bigmanjoe, kevp888, Erdie, newagesoup, cgrote, CastIronCarousel, stomachache, Almusic34, Thalamus_Lab, digifishmusic, stragetAlmost Bliss, Kevin MacLeodhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Prelude and Action, Kevin MacLeodhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Shadowlands 4 - Breath Kevin MacLeodCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 LicenseThis podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Collective Bargaining Agreement.© 2020 by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Nicolasa goes to the police to report that her son has been kidnapped. Jacinto confesses to the murder of his friend. Unfolding in the rugged landscape of the Sierra Tarahumara in Northern Mexico, both parents seek justice and redemption—if only the system worked that way.RARÁMURI DREAMSWritten by Camila Villegas (Mexico)Translated from Spanish by Daniel JáquezDirected by OpalanietetCASTTanis Parenteau as Nicolasa Reza Salazar as JacintoPRODUCTIONGavin Browning, Director of Public Programs and EngagementD. R. Baker, Sound EditorJessi Cotter, Production ManagerCaroline Eng, Sound DesignerJim Petty with Five Ohm Productions, Audio EngineerSami Pyne, Student ProducerZoe E. Rotter, Casting DirectorPaola Alexandra Soto, Literary ManagerJoan Wyatt, Stage ManagerSpecial thanks to the following, who created some of the sounds you heard in today’s episode and made them available through Creative Commons: InspectorJ, hazure, Natty23, devilfish101, Andrew Duke, SavvahSjuhengof, tim.kahn, Uni000, drotzruhn, enric592, GoodListener, test_sound, destron.This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Collective Bargaining Agreement.© 2020 by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Welcome to the Columbia University School of the Arts International Play Reading Festival. Co-founded by Carol Becker and David Henry Hwang, this annual marquee festival presents readings of three plays by living international playwrights alongside conversations with the playwrights and translators. Now in its third year, the 2020 edition of the festival will be held as a series of podcasts. This year's plays include Rarámuri Dreams, by Camilla Villegas (Mexico), translated by Daniel Jáquez; Taxi Radio, written and translated by Nophand (Thailand); and May 35th, by Candace Chong Mui Ngam (Hong Kong). Subscribe to be sure you don't miss an episode.© 2020 by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.