Virtual Salon #32: MENA Designers in US Theatre
Bold graphic text with information about the event over black, red, orange, yellow, and blue calligraphy artwork by eL Seed.
In anticipation of the Middle Eastern and North African Theatre Makers Alliance 2021 Fall Convening, designers come together across disciplines to talk about inspiration, collaboration, community, and the state of making theatre in the US. Join Wingspace and MENATMA for a roundtable discussion with Dina El-Aziz, Rana Esfandiary and Maamoun Tobbo. Moderated by Kate Moore Heaney and Kate Freer.
Please check out the virtual fall convening and connect with MENA/SWANA theatre makers from coast to coast. The three day-gathering will take place on Zoom, and features artist and academic panels, an open mic event, and networking opportunities: https://www.menatheatre.org/fall-2021-convening
Thursday, November 4th, 7-9pm ET via Zoom and Facebook Live
Register in advance for this salon: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIuc-yorzsoE9RBQP9OHRWcLTkZWOYYf779
Wingspace is committed to inclusivity and we are dedicated to increasing accessibility for all our events. If you have questions or concerns centered around access or accommodations we strongly welcome you to please reach out to us via DM or email: salons@wingspace.com
Dina El-Aziz is a British-Egyptian Costume Designer based in New York. Born and raised in the UK, she moved to Egypt to study Art and Communication and Media Arts at the American University in Cairo, where she discovered her passion for costume design. A graduate of the Design for Stage and Film MFA program at NYU’s Tisch School for the Arts, Dina has worked on numerous film and theatre productions in NYC and across the US. Regional venues include Portland Center Stage, Northern Stage, The Guthrie, The Old Globe, Williamstown Theater Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and Geva Theatre. Recipient of the JS Seidman Award.
Learn more: www.dinae.me
Rana Esfandiary is an Assistant Professor of design & technology at the University of Kansas. She holds PhD in theatre and MFA in scenography from University of Kansas and has been an active designer in the greater Kansas City area where she has designed multiple shows including Chasing Gods, Sunset Baby, Mascot, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Wolves, Urinetown, Summer and Smoke, Dog Sees God, Adding Machine: A Musical, and The Mousetrap. Rana’s research areas are Race and Performance studies, Ritual and Religious Studies, Middle Eastern Theatre Studies, Scenography and Ecoscenography. Rana is one of the core members of the Middle Eastern Theatre (MET) focus group within Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) and she currently serves as the conference planner for the upcoming 2021 ATHE conference.
Learn more: www.ranaesfandiary.com
Maamoun Tebbo is an interdisciplinary Lebanese born Artist based in New York City. Equally at home in the worlds of Theater/film and Opera, Performing and visual Arts. In 2014 he received his master in higher studies in architecture from the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts, while pursuing his passion for Acting. He performed in many productions in Lebanon and around the Middle East, Such as Alexandria Opera House in Egypt (2015) and The Royal Cultural Center in Amman Jordan (2016). In 2015 Ma’moon combined his work and passion and Started designing films and plays. In 2018, “Brine'' a Film, in which he played a leading role and did the Production Design, won the 24thEuropean Film Festival. Kalash, a film on which he was the Art director, was internationally acclaimed and was awarded in many festivals around the world such as the LA International Film Festival,and Hollywood MPIFF. In 2020 he graduated from NYU tisch school of the arts with an MFA in Theatre and film Design. Since then he assisted well accredited designers such as Clint Ramos And designed shows such as Gimpse produced by rattlestick théâtre and New York théâtre salon. Ma’moon does not define his artistic expression. His passion for storytelling takes shape in many forms such as Directing, Designing,Painting and Writing. Expanding the boundaries of what an artist could offer today.
Learn more: www.ma-moon.com
Kate Moore Heaney is a theatre director, producer, and dramaturg of Lebanese and Irish descent. Kate is the Artistic Associate, Literary at Long Wharf Theatre, Artistic Producer of Noor Theatre, and a founding steering committee member for the Middle Eastern and North African Theater Makers Alliance (MENATMA). She has directed and/or developed new work with The Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, The Civilians’ R&D Group, New York Theatre Workshop, The Amoralists, The Flea, The Shakespeare Society, The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals, and other NYC companies. She has assistant or associate directed with Ibex Theatricals/The New Vic, McCarter Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, Yale Institute for Music Theatre, and The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway. B.A.: Yale. katemooreheaney.com