PHILADELPHIA, PA: Walnut Street Theatre’s 2018-19 Independence Studio on 3 season opens with a personal look into the Palestinian-Israeli identity with IN BETWEEN. Written and performed by Ibrahim Miari and directed by Elena Araoz, the production begins with previews on September 25th, opens September 27th and continues through October 28th.
On the precipice between two cultures stands Ibrahim Miari, son of a Palestinian Muslim father and Jewish Israeli mother. In this riveting and thought-provoking one-man show written and performed by Miari, he recalls his childhood in Israel and brings us into the complexities and contradictions that define his life “In Between” two worlds. With deftness, wit, and humor, Miari transcends today’s political distractions and reminds us of the deeper inner struggles and bonds that link us all.
Over the past nine years Miari has toured the world performing and further developing In Between. Now the Walnut Street Theatre is proud to produce the premiere of the first fully-staged production for a limited run in the Intimate Independence Studio on 3.
Miari was born “Avraham” in Acre, Israel and attended Jewish school until the age of seven. At eight years old, his name was changed to the Arabic spelling, “Ibrahim,” and he was enrolled at in Arabic School where Israeli Independence Day was celebrated as the “Day of the Catastrophe.” He grew up in theatre and trained for twelve years with the Acco Theatre Center’s Actor Training Program. He also studied Sufi dance and performed internationally with Acco Theatre Center’s Sufi Dance show, Prayer, for six years in Turkey, Austria, New York and New Mexico. Before officially moving to the United States in 2005, Miari directed several drama programs in peace camps in Canada and the United States with Israeli and Palestinian high schoolers. While working at a camp in Canada, he met his wife, an American Jew. Their search for clergy to officiate their ceremony inspired many parts of In Between.
Miari created In Between in 2009, as part of his masters’ degree from Boston University’s College of Fine Arts. He was inspired, not only by his search for an officiant; but also by an interrogation he faced at an Israeli airport. Throughout the show, he recalls his childhood, his memories of his Jewish and Palestinian grandmothers, and the questions surrounding his identity. The show weaves together not only stories and monologues, but also Sufi dance and music. Since its inception, Miari has performed In Between across the world in festivals, colleges, and synagogues. It has also been featured at the United Solo Theatre Festival in New York City, The Leeds International Jewish Arts Festival, and the El Hakawati International Theater Arts Festival in Vienna.
In Between will be directed by Elena Araoz in her Walnut directorial debut. She has been working with Miari on the show for several years as he toured it nationally and internationally. Outside of In Between, Araoz has worked internationally, regionally, and Off-Broadway as a director, actor, and playwright. She has directed with the New York City Opera, People’s Light, Brooklyn Philharmonic, La MaMa, and the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis. Araoz has worked extensively with director Sir Jonathan Miller, even serving as the assistant director for the Broadway production of King Lear starring Christopher Plummer. She also is a faculty member at Princeton University.
Miari made his debut at the Walnut last season in The Humans as Richard Saad. Outside of the Walnut, Miari has performed with companies including Philadelphia Fringe Company, Central Square Theatre, and Lau Lapides Company, and in theatres and festivals in Israel, Germany, and Austria.
Roman Tatarowicz (Tell Me On A Sunday, The Humans, Souvenir) returns to the Walnut as the set designer for In Between. Drawing inspiration both from the Wailing Wall, as well as the mosaics and artifacts found in the Israeli airport, Tatarowicz had blended Miari’s cultures into a space that can truly live “in between” two worlds. Joining Tartarowicz are lighting designer Aly Docherty and sound designer Nathan Leigh in their Walnut debuts.
The season sponsor for the 2018-19 Independence Studio on 3 Season is The Independence Foundation. Media season sponsors are Philadelphia Weekly and WRTI. Tickets are $35 and are now available at 215-574-3550 or 215-336-1234. Tickets are also available at walnutstreettheatre.org or Ticketmaster.com.
