Pioneer Theatre Company(PTC), Utah’s premier professional theatre, presents PTC alum Kareem Fahmy’s A Distinct Society. The production, a world premiere in association with TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, runs January 27 through February 11 and is described as follows:
A sleepy library that strategically straddles the U.S. and Canadian borders becomes an unlikely meeting place for separated families. Winner of the Next Act! New Play Summit, Fahmy tells the story of five people from different countries and cultures choosing between breaking the law or saving themselves, while trying desperately to understand one another. Alliances are built and broken, borders are straddled, but love and human connection prevail.
Kareem Fahmy is an award-winning Canadian-born playwright and director of Egyptian descent. He has worked previously at Pioneer Theatre Company and around the country— including Artists Repertory Theatre, City Theatre, InterAct Theatre, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Writers Theatre, Atlantic Theatre Company, Denver Center, and Northlight Theatre. He is the Co-founder/Chair of the Middle Eastern American Writers Lab. He holds an MFA in Theatre Directing from Columbia University.
“I’ve had the privilege of working as a director with PTC over several years now, first with the Play-by-Play development program, then the virtual A Christmas Carol, and most recently with last season’s Fireflies. To now have my playwriting work supported by this tremendous organization is a true honor and demonstrates Karen Azenberg’s deep commitment to fostering the next generation of theatre artists, particularly those from under-represented communities like my own,” said Fahmy. “Pioneer is one of the few theatres of its size committed to producing world premieres by early-career playwrights on a large stage and with the finest directors, designers, and actors from around the country. A Distinct Society is a deeply personal play, set a stone’s throw from my hometown, and I’m thrilled to be inviting Utah audiences into my little corner of southeastern Quebec.”
