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<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" version="2.0"><channel><atom:link href="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"></atom:link><atom:link href="https://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/" rel="hub" type="application/rss+xml"></atom:link><atom:link href="https://pubsubhubbub.superfeedr.com/" rel="hub" type="application/rss+xml"></atom:link><atom:link href="https://websubhub.com/hub" rel="hub" type="application/rss+xml"></atom:link><atom:link href="https://switchboard.p3k.io/" rel="hub" type="application/rss+xml"></atom:link><itunes:new-feed-url>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/feed.xml</itunes:new-feed-url><lastBuildDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:34:22 +0000</lastBuildDate><generator>Castopod - https://castopod.org/</generator><docs>https://cyber.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html</docs><podcast:guid>fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872</podcast:guid><title>Kunafa and Shay</title><description><![CDATA[<p>Kunafa and Shay focuses on Middle Eastern and North African (MENA)/Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre—highlighting classic and contemporary plays and theatremakers, spotlighting community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and analyzing the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the United States. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and discussion. The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our differences.</p>
]]></description><podcast:medium>podcast</podcast:medium><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/cover_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><language>en</language><podcast:locked owner="webmaster@howlround.com">no</podcast:locked><podcast:previousUrl>https://feeds.simplecast.com/V5hhVLbN-fbCrj_M</podcast:previousUrl><podcast:social priority="1" platform="castopod" protocol="activitypub" accountId="@kunafaandshay@podcasts.howlround.com" accountUrl="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay"></podcast:social><itunes:category text="Arts"><itunes:category text="Performing Arts"></itunes:category></itunes:category><category>Arts</category><category>Performing Arts</category><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:author>Marina J. Bergenstock, Nabra Nelson, HowlRound Theatre Commons</itunes:author><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay</link><itunes:owner><itunes:name>HowlRound Theatre Commons</itunes:name><itunes:email>webmaster@howlround.com</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><copyright>Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)</copyright><image><url>https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/cover_feed.jpg</url><title>Kunafa and Shay</title><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay</link></image><item><title>Golden Thread at Thirty: Looking Beyond 2026</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/golden-thread-at-thirty-looking-beyond-2026-7xss4.mp3" length="32382583" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>035d327f-700f-4ea0-9f50-7ee5932802ab</guid><pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2026 18:02:53 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[In the season finale, Marina and Nabra preview Golden Thread’s 2026 season, from Palestinian performance and stand-up comedy to new Arab American plays and ReOrient. They reflect on curation, community, and the future of Middle Eastern, North African, and Southwest Asian theatre. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2022</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/golden-thread-at-thirty-looking-beyond-2026-7xss4</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/golden-thread-at-thirty-looking-beyond-2026-7xss4_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>10</itunes:episode><itunes:season>6</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>6</podcast:season><podcast:episode>10</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/golden-thread-at-thirty-looking-beyond-2026-7xss4/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Inside the ReOrient Festival: Short Plays and Long-Term Impact</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/inside-the-reorient-festival-short-plays-and-long-term-impact-gm8ll.mp3" length="55589738" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>7d17f0e3-26b1-4010-822d-b2e3f22c189c</guid><pubDate>Thu, 21 May 2026 15:47:06 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[This episode is a deep dive into Golden Thread’s ReOrient Festival and the MENATMA convening, exploring how short plays, artistic experimentation, and community infrastructure shape the evolving landscape of Middle Eastern, North African, and Southwest Asian theatre in the United States. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3472</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/inside-the-reorient-festival-short-plays-and-long-term-impact-gm8ll</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/inside-the-reorient-festival-short-plays-and-long-term-impact-gm8ll_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>9</itunes:episode><itunes:season>6</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>6</podcast:season><podcast:episode>9</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/inside-the-reorient-festival-short-plays-and-long-term-impact-gm8ll/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Centering Women and Palestinian Solidarity at Golden Thread</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/centering-women-and-palestinian-solidarity-at-golden-thread-jg3kf.mp3" length="31127845" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>bf0f816f-ac3a-433d-869b-bb5584b1ec50</guid><pubDate>Thu, 14 May 2026 15:48:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Marina and Nabra explore how Golden Thread Productions amplifies women’s voices and mobilizes global artistic solidarity through What Do the Women Say? and 24 Hours for Palestine, where performance becomes archive, resistance, and collective action. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>1941</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/centering-women-and-palestinian-solidarity-at-golden-thread-jg3kf</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/centering-women-and-palestinian-solidarity-at-golden-thread-jg3kf_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>8</itunes:episode><itunes:season>6</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>6</podcast:season><podcast:episode>8</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/centering-women-and-palestinian-solidarity-at-golden-thread-jg3kf/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>New Threads, New Forms: MENA/SWANA Dramaturgy and Development</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/new-threads-new-forms-mena-swana-dramaturgy-and-development-ihdsq.mp3" length="52174677" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>0978c5c2-1f5b-4910-9c33-c92e14cb9c13</guid><pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2026 17:33:44 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Evren Odcikin joins Marina and Nabra to unpack new play development as a site of cultural translation, experimentation, and refusal, exploring Middle Eastern, North African, and Southwest Asian dramaturgies and artistic processes. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3260</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/new-threads-new-forms-mena-swana-dramaturgy-and-development-ihdsq</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/new-threads-new-forms-mena-swana-dramaturgy-and-development-ihdsq_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>7</itunes:episode><itunes:season>6</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>6</podcast:season><podcast:episode>7</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/new-threads-new-forms-mena-swana-dramaturgy-and-development-ihdsq/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Reclaiming the Narrative: The MENA Theatre Artists’ Bill of Rights</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/reclaiming-the-narrative-the-mena-theatre-artists-bill-of-rights-ktzih.mp3" length="40785796" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>082e1a88-c8c0-45bf-b9e0-463cbdd02395</guid><pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:37:28 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[A decade after landmark convenings, Nabra and Marina revisit the “Middle Eastern American Theatre Artists’ Bill of Rights” and “Dear Producers and Artistic Directors of the American Theatre” (an open letter to producers), asking how these calls for agency and equity continue to shape MENA/SWANA theatre today. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2547</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/reclaiming-the-narrative-the-mena-theatre-artists-bill-of-rights-ktzih</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/reclaiming-the-narrative-the-mena-theatre-artists-bill-of-rights-ktzih_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>6</itunes:episode><itunes:season>6</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>6</podcast:season><podcast:episode>6</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/reclaiming-the-narrative-the-mena-theatre-artists-bill-of-rights-ktzih/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>MENA Theatre for Young Audiences</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/mena-theatre-for-young-audiences-cynzd.mp3" length="52640882" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>e712b5ae-7e8e-4409-8110-131198e788f0</guid><pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[This episode explores how Middle Eastern, North African, and Southwest Asian folklore and performance create joy, belonging, and political imagination for young audiences in Fairytale Players. These plays also address gaps in representation and the urgent need for culturally specific youth theatre. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3289</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/mena-theatre-for-young-audiences-cynzd</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/mena-theatre-for-young-audiences-cynzd_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>5</itunes:episode><itunes:season>6</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>6</podcast:season><podcast:episode>5</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/mena-theatre-for-young-audiences-cynzd/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Golden Thread’s Current Decade</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/golden-thread-s-current-decade-56bqs.mp3" length="53905275" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>1092984c-ff55-4388-8465-4217474eff5d</guid><pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:33:03 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[This episode is a deep dive into Golden Thread’s evolution. Sahar Assaf reflects on leadership, hybridity, and making Middle Eastern, North African, and Southwest Asian theatre beyond stereotypes—centering community, complexity, and art as resistance in moments of crisis. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3367</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/golden-thread-s-current-decade-56bqs</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/golden-thread-s-current-decade-56bqs_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>4</itunes:episode><itunes:season>6</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>6</podcast:season><podcast:episode>4</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/golden-thread-s-current-decade-56bqs/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Golden Thread’s Second Decade</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/golden-thread-s-second-decade-fwut6.mp3" length="40848618" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>50c578bd-d90f-4909-a06d-c442a6a6fbb5</guid><pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:41:19 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Playwright Yussef El Guindi reflects on Golden Thread’s pivotal second decade; writing in the post-9/11 landscape; and how Middle Eastern, North African, and Southwest Asian  theatre carved space for nuance, resistance, and community in the US.  Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2545</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/golden-thread-s-second-decade-fwut6</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/golden-thread-s-second-decade-fwut6_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>3</itunes:episode><itunes:season>6</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>6</podcast:season><podcast:episode>3</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/golden-thread-s-second-decade-fwut6/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Golden Thread's First Decade</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/golden-thread-s-first-decade-zvccl.mp3" length="56575233" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>b657ba57-a778-4c2f-ac3a-e335ba74a1cd</guid><pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:26:59 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[This episode is a deep dive into the founding of Golden Thread Productions with founding artistic director Torange Yeghiazarian—tracing how one artist’s vision grew into a movement that reshaped Middle Eastern theatre in the US. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3535</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/golden-thread-s-first-decade-zvccl</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/golden-thread-s-first-decade-zvccl_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>2</itunes:episode><itunes:season>6</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>6</podcast:season><podcast:episode>2</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/golden-thread-s-first-decade-zvccl/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Thirty Years of MENA Theatre</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/thirty-years-of-mena-theatre-fmiey.mp3" length="35441760" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>e7909223-8ab0-416e-8c80-aff46b0f80d3</guid><pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Marina and Nabra take a sweeping look at thirty years of Middle Eastern, North African, and Southwest Asian theatre in the United States—from Golden Thread’s founding in 1996 to a growing ecosystem of bold, community-rooted companies shaping the American stage through urgency, artistry, and refusal. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2215</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/thirty-years-of-mena-theatre-fmiey</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/thirty-years-of-mena-theatre-fmiey_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>1</itunes:episode><itunes:season>6</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>6</podcast:season><podcast:episode>1</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/thirty-years-of-mena-theatre-fmiey/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>How Many SWANA Performance Artists Can We Talk About in One Episode?</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/how-many-swana-performance-artists-can-we-talk-about-in-one-episode-uc9xl.mp3" length="55373952" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>704299d3-0214-4c5b-9bc3-432ff87f20c5</guid><pubDate>Tue, 17 Dec 2024 20:23:50 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[There are so many cool Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) performance artists out there! Since this performance art season only had ten episodes to talk to artists directly, this last episode wraps up the season and goes through a whole bunch of other contemporary artists that hosts Marina Johnson and Nabra Nelson are excited about. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3459</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/how-many-swana-performance-artists-can-we-talk-about-in-one-episode-uc9xl</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/how-many-swana-performance-artists-can-we-talk-about-in-one-episode-uc9xl_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>10</itunes:episode><itunes:season>5</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>5</podcast:season><podcast:episode>10</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/how-many-swana-performance-artists-can-we-talk-about-in-one-episode-uc9xl/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Experimental Film with Basma al-Sharif</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/experimental-film-with-basma-al-sharif-fuxuv.mp3" length="50270784" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>98015f12-c1a9-4474-a8fc-19d1cf6e343c</guid><pubDate>Tue, 10 Dec 2024 14:24:06 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Palestinian filmmaker Basma al-Sharif dives into her award-winning pieces to discuss film as performance art. This discussion leads into the role of activism in the arts and the ways film responds to and comments on current events. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3140</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/experimental-film-with-basma-al-sharif-fuxuv</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/experimental-film-with-basma-al-sharif-fuxuv_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>9</itunes:episode><itunes:season>5</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>5</podcast:season><podcast:episode>9</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/experimental-film-with-basma-al-sharif-fuxuv/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Narrative Podcasts with Laila Abdo</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/narrative-podcasts-with-laila-abdo-0glw0.mp3" length="47361407" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>99be1568-3ada-422a-855e-465d55331f55</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Dec 2024 14:20:03 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[This episode analyzes narrative podcasts as a form of performance. Hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson and guest multi-hyphenate artist Laila Abdo utilize Laila’s latest project The Great Pyramid Scheme to discuss how comedy can be used as a powerful form of representation. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2958</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/narrative-podcasts-with-laila-abdo-0glw0</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/narrative-podcasts-with-laila-abdo-0glw0_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>8</itunes:episode><itunes:season>5</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>5</podcast:season><podcast:episode>8</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/narrative-podcasts-with-laila-abdo-0glw0/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Site-Specific Performance Art with Riham Isaac</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/site-specific-performance-art-with-riham-isaac-2wkx5.mp3" length="56473798" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>6f77558a-37af-43a5-b8cf-3cae7d3c708e</guid><pubDate>Tue, 26 Nov 2024 14:14:38 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Palestinian performance artist Riham Isaac discusses her site-specific performances, which understand performance as a medium for change. She shares insights into her pieces like Stone on Road and the profound symbolism of resistance in Palestinian art.  Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3528</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/site-specific-performance-art-with-riham-isaac-2wkx5</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/site-specific-performance-art-with-riham-isaac-2wkx5_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>7</itunes:episode><itunes:season>5</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>5</podcast:season><podcast:episode>7</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/site-specific-performance-art-with-riham-isaac-2wkx5/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Arab Experimentalism and Futurism with Leyya Mona Tawil</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/arab-experimentalism-and-futurism-with-leyya-mona-tawil-kjdig.mp3" length="61411908" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>e700d2d3-7a1d-46c0-a5e3-c9c73df4c87a</guid><pubDate>Tue, 19 Nov 2024 16:01:53 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[This episode explores Arab experimentalism and futurism with artist Leyya Mona Tawil, also known as Lime Rickey International. Leyya discusses her dynamic body of work and the power of art as a tool for exploring diasporic experiences and envisioning complex futures. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3836</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/arab-experimentalism-and-futurism-with-leyya-mona-tawil-kjdig</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/arab-experimentalism-and-futurism-with-leyya-mona-tawil-kjdig_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>6</itunes:episode><itunes:season>5</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>5</podcast:season><podcast:episode>6</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/arab-experimentalism-and-futurism-with-leyya-mona-tawil-kjdig/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Poetry Performance with George Abraham and Fargo Tbakhi</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/poetry-performance-with-george-abraham-and-fargo-tbakhi-x00dd.mp3" length="59074133" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>92d2cd4c-041f-469e-8032-5336eed8e472</guid><pubDate>Tue, 12 Nov 2024 14:13:25 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Hosts Marina Johnson and Nabra Nelson are joined by poets Fargo Tbakhi and George Abraham to explore the intersection of poetry and performance art. They discuss live expression, their collaborative process, and how performance can challenge norms and spark conversations about identity, diaspora, and revolution. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3691</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/poetry-performance-with-george-abraham-and-fargo-tbakhi-x00dd</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/poetry-performance-with-george-abraham-and-fargo-tbakhi-x00dd_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>5</itunes:episode><itunes:season>5</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>5</podcast:season><podcast:episode>5</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/poetry-performance-with-george-abraham-and-fargo-tbakhi-x00dd/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Palestinian Drag in the Diaspora with Mama Ganuush</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/palestinian-drag-in-the-diaspora-with-mama-ganuush-vam2n.mp3" length="49506054" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>f488f13a-f5d1-4fe5-92bf-cc00243910a7</guid><pubDate>Mon, 04 Nov 2024 14:40:26 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Hosts Marina Johnson and Nabra Nelson interview Palestinian African trans drag artist Mama Ganuush. They discuss the vibrant drag scene in San Francisco, Mama Ganuush's journey into drag, and the intersection of activism, identity, and performance. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3094</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/palestinian-drag-in-the-diaspora-with-mama-ganuush-vam2n</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/palestinian-drag-in-the-diaspora-with-mama-ganuush-vam2n_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>4</itunes:episode><itunes:season>5</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>5</podcast:season><podcast:episode>4</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/palestinian-drag-in-the-diaspora-with-mama-ganuush-vam2n/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Feminist Performance Art with Rima Najdi</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/feminist-performance-art-with-rima-najdi-xphhs.mp3" length="41682073" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>5c5c603c-fba1-47c8-ba21-0ea0270070d5</guid><pubDate>Tue, 29 Oct 2024 13:19:42 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[This episode dives into the performance art of Lebanese artist Rima Najdi. From Hollywood's portrayal of Arab women to navigating complex personal and political landscapes, this thought-provoking discussion highlights the power of performance art in creating social change. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2604</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/feminist-performance-art-with-rima-najdi-xphhs</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/feminist-performance-art-with-rima-najdi-xphhs_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>3</itunes:episode><itunes:season>5</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>5</podcast:season><podcast:episode>3</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/feminist-performance-art-with-rima-najdi-xphhs/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Performance Art on Video with Khansa</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/performance-art-on-video-with-khansa-derzw.mp3" length="42903324" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>860f171e-016c-463e-a888-9a79e7d1b33e</guid><pubDate>Tue, 22 Oct 2024 13:21:11 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Lebanese multidisciplinary artist Khansa shares his artistic journey, blending traditional Middle Eastern music with modern avant-pop, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process. This episode delves deep into the power of art as a medium for cultural fusion and storytelling. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2680</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/performance-art-on-video-with-khansa-derzw</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/performance-art-on-video-with-khansa-derzw_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>2</itunes:episode><itunes:season>5</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>5</podcast:season><podcast:episode>2</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/performance-art-on-video-with-khansa-derzw/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Installation and Audience Collaboration with Tania El Khoury</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/installation-and-audience-collaboration-with-tania-el-khoury-6l24n.mp3" length="40099436" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>cbcfa329-83a4-4f30-899f-76ab5fb46761</guid><pubDate>Tue, 15 Oct 2024 13:52:02 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Live artist Tania El Khoury discusses her creative process, the ways audience participation cultivates solidarity and awareness of social justice issues, her role as the director of the Center for Human Rights and the Arts at Bard College, and the intersection of art and activism in her work. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2505</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/installation-and-audience-collaboration-with-tania-el-khoury-6l24n</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/installation-and-audience-collaboration-with-tania-el-khoury-6l24n_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>1</itunes:episode><itunes:season>5</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>5</podcast:season><podcast:episode>1</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/installation-and-audience-collaboration-with-tania-el-khoury-6l24n/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Rant and Rave: Middle Eastern, North African, and Southwest Asian Classics and Theatre History</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/rant-and-rave-middle-eastern-north-african-and-southwest-asian-classics-and-theatre-history-wzxql.mp3" length="48199874" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>4b8b0202-9ed5-4745-afc1-1f3c195451d7</guid><pubDate>Tue, 13 Aug 2024 18:09:42 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[In the last episode of the fourth season of Kunafa and Shay—which was a historical and classical Middle Wastern and North African (MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre season—Marina Johnson and Nabra Nelson reflect on the season, give some additional insight, and provide a broader overview of their framework for historical and classical theatre. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3011</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/rant-and-rave-middle-eastern-north-african-and-southwest-asian-classics-and-theatre-history-wzxql</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/rant-and-rave-middle-eastern-north-african-and-southwest-asian-classics-and-theatre-history-wzxql_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>10</itunes:episode><itunes:season>4</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>4</podcast:season><podcast:episode>10</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/rant-and-rave-middle-eastern-north-african-and-southwest-asian-classics-and-theatre-history-wzxql/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Resistant Ventriloquism and Postcolonial Courtesy</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/resistant-ventriloquism-and-postcolonial-courtesy-ddour.mp3" length="49221600" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>8d15576b-05a2-457b-8686-2ee009e5f1cc</guid><pubDate>Tue, 06 Aug 2024 13:16:17 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Dr. Samer Al-Saber joins hosts Marina Johnson and Nabra Nelson for a conversation around resistant ventriloquism and postcolonial courtesy. Dr. Al-Saber also shares stories from his upcoming book about the Palestinian theatre movement in the 1970s and 1980s. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3076</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/resistant-ventriloquism-and-postcolonial-courtesy-ddour</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/resistant-ventriloquism-and-postcolonial-courtesy-ddour_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>9</itunes:episode><itunes:season>4</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>4</podcast:season><podcast:episode>9</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/resistant-ventriloquism-and-postcolonial-courtesy-ddour/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Iraqi Theatre History</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/iraqi-theatre-history-h1gtr.mp3" length="45123975" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>a3245e9c-d0c7-42e6-b9ff-54b2dd22f264</guid><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jul 2024 13:32:16 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Hosts Marina Johnson and Nabra Nelson learn from Dr. Amir Al-Azraki about Iraqi theatrical traditions, the birth of modern Iraqi theatre springing from church drama in Mosul in the late nineteenth century, Iraqi plays in translation, and Afro-Iraqi theatre.   Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2819</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/iraqi-theatre-history-h1gtr</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/iraqi-theatre-history-h1gtr_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>8</itunes:episode><itunes:season>4</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>4</podcast:season><podcast:episode>8</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/iraqi-theatre-history-h1gtr/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Palestinian Storytelling</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/palestinian-storytelling-sla9o.mp3" length="45335055" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>e243ed39-7025-424c-b1f1-0f46b1622fcd</guid><pubDate>Tue, 23 Jul 2024 14:10:24 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Hosts Marina Johnson and Nabra Nelson are joined by Fidaa Ataya, a Palestinian storyteller who talks with us about the tradition of the hakawati and how she and her work are looking at different forms of storytelling from ancient traditions to new ways of storytelling in Palestine. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2833</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/palestinian-storytelling-sla9o</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/palestinian-storytelling-sla9o_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>7</itunes:episode><itunes:season>4</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>4</podcast:season><podcast:episode>7</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/palestinian-storytelling-sla9o/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Nubian Theatre</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/nubian-theatre-rvg4f.mp3" length="54943684" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>fd864db3-6866-4393-a0c5-7a8d27fa0db0</guid><pubDate>Tue, 09 Jul 2024 14:30:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Nubia has a long history of theatre, both before and after the displacement of the 1960s. In this episode, hosts Marina Johnson and Nabra Nelson highlight Nubian theatre, including the only Nubian opera, Opera El Aml by Mohy El Din Sherif. With special guest Mazen Alaa from Nubian Geographic, this episode focus on Nubian theatre in Abu Simbel and the effect that the displacement had and continues to have on theatre in Nubia and the Nubian diaspora today. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3433</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/nubian-theatre-rvg4f</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/nubian-theatre-rvg4f_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>6</itunes:episode><itunes:season>4</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>4</podcast:season><podcast:episode>6</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/nubian-theatre-rvg4f/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Ibn Daniyal and Puppetry</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/ibn-daniyal-and-puppetry-xuwsq.mp3" length="44802887" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>aa5e4e39-26a4-4529-9875-901efa075f16</guid><pubDate>Tue, 02 Jul 2024 16:03:36 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Hosts Marina Johnson and Nabra Nelson look at MENA and SWANA puppetry traditions with guest artivist Dr. Sarah Fahmy. They talk about her production of the first recorded full play in English of Ibn Daniyal, The Shadow Spirit; the Aragoz Puppet; and, coming more into current puppetry practice by MENA folks, Fahmy's own ecofeminist puppetry practice. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2799</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/ibn-daniyal-and-puppetry-xuwsq</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/ibn-daniyal-and-puppetry-xuwsq_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>5</itunes:episode><itunes:season>4</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>4</podcast:season><podcast:episode>5</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/ibn-daniyal-and-puppetry-xuwsq/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Ottoman Theatre</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/ottoman-theatre-istvx.mp3" length="40670059" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>34cdaac1-d20c-4db7-985f-489d63157cf5</guid><pubDate>Tue, 25 Jun 2024 13:18:12 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Hosts Marina Johnson and Nabra Nelson discuss Ottoman theatre, emphasizing its significance in global theatre history. They highlight the Ottoman Empire as a pivotal point of cultural exchange comparable to the Greek and Roman empires. They focus on three major forms of traditional theatre—Ortaoyunu, Karagöz, and Meddah—and dive into these forms of “plays performed in the open,” shadow theatre, and storytelling. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2540</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/ottoman-theatre-istvx</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/ottoman-theatre-istvx_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>4</itunes:episode><itunes:season>4</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>4</podcast:season><podcast:episode>4</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/ottoman-theatre-istvx/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>People of the Cave</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/people-of-the-cave-orapb.mp3" length="54374182" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>eb1d4781-0dbe-489a-a984-5f09038f0b65</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Jun 2024 13:27:17 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Hosts Marina Johnson and Nabra Nelson talk about Egyptian playwright Tawfiq al-Hakim and his “unstageable” classic play People of the Cave. They provide historical context of the play, al-Hakim’s career, and the Christian and Islamic stories that served as al-Hakim’s inspiration. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3397</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/people-of-the-cave-orapb</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/people-of-the-cave-orapb_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>3</itunes:episode><itunes:season>4</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>4</podcast:season><podcast:episode>3</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/people-of-the-cave-orapb/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Majnun Layla</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/majnun-layla-yp9v3.mp3" length="30826263" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>4cf4c1af-5adf-4ffe-a35a-582a4e4b7d86</guid><pubDate>Tue, 11 Jun 2024 13:44:17 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Audiences pack houses to see stories about forbidden love. Romeo and Juliet is a famous Western example of this phenomenon, but the trope goes back much further, to a poem that likely inspired even inadvertently Shakespeare's famous play. In this episode, we look at the timeless tale of Layla and Majnun made famous by Nizami Ganjavi as a poem and later adopted for the stage and the screen countless times. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>1926</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/majnun-layla-yp9v3</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/majnun-layla-yp9v3_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>2</itunes:episode><itunes:season>4</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>4</podcast:season><podcast:episode>2</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/majnun-layla-yp9v3/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>The Triumph of Horus</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/the-triumph-of-horus-okwsy.mp3" length="35034214" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>120bc13d-66a5-44f8-8840-bf3bdbf9d095</guid><pubDate>Tue, 04 Jun 2024 13:25:34 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[In episode, hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson discuss the oldest surviving play, The Triumph of Horus. The play is an Ancient Egyptian script from the thirteenth century BCE that tells the story of the triumph of the god Horus over Set. Nabra and Marina go through the plot of the play, its history and significance, and give an overview of other forms of Ancient Egyptian theatre.  Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2189</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/the-triumph-of-horus-okwsy</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/the-triumph-of-horus-okwsy_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>1</itunes:episode><itunes:season>4</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>4</podcast:season><podcast:episode>1</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/the-triumph-of-horus-okwsy/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Theatre in Palestine</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/theatre-in-palestine-gba0g.mp3" length="61448564" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>3814c9f6-c8e0-4c18-b154-0db1fafc46da</guid><pubDate>Wed, 31 Jan 2024 16:18:09 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[How can theatre make an impact in moments of crisis? During a time of ongoing genocide and brutal occupation in Palestine, this special episode focuses on Palestinian theatre and political action across borders. We discuss The Gaza Monologues and To The Good People of Gaza. Then Palestinian actor, writer, and scenographer Jeries AbuJaber joins us in conversation about what is currently happening in the West Bank and Gaza and his experience as a theatre artist in Palestine. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3840</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/theatre-in-palestine-gba0g</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/theatre-in-palestine-gba0g_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>11</itunes:episode><itunes:season>3</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>3</podcast:season><podcast:episode>11</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/theatre-in-palestine-gba0g/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Queer Dramaturgies in Turkish Theatre</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/queer-dramaturgies-in-turkish-theatre-36s0o.mp3" length="50851136" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>d1db667e-d4b8-403a-a1e7-a04e6b16e475</guid><pubDate>Wed, 24 Jan 2024 17:05:01 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[How can we think of queerness as a form of political intervention? In this episode, we talk with Erdem Avşar about Turkish theatre, queer utopias, and ghosts. We examine queer dramaturgies in Turkish and international theatre, discuss translation into and from Turkish, re-think temporality in playwriting, and question what queer utopias look like onstage. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3177</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/queer-dramaturgies-in-turkish-theatre-36s0o</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/queer-dramaturgies-in-turkish-theatre-36s0o_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>10</itunes:episode><itunes:season>3</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>3</podcast:season><podcast:episode>10</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/queer-dramaturgies-in-turkish-theatre-36s0o/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Producing Queer MENA Theatre on the American Stage</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/producing-queer-mena-theatre-on-the-american-stage-epjn3.mp3" length="47733731" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>aaa9bbd2-8aa1-4103-b455-716732834835</guid><pubDate>Wed, 17 Jan 2024 15:15:39 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[This season, we have talked about what it means to create characters who break out of boxes and create new queer representations. Once these characters are created, then comes the challenge of having your work produced. In this episode, we talk with Kareem Fahmy who has dealt with the considerations of producibility and what it means to have his work produced on stages in the United States. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2982</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/producing-queer-mena-theatre-on-the-american-stage-epjn3</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/producing-queer-mena-theatre-on-the-american-stage-epjn3_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>9</itunes:episode><itunes:season>3</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>3</podcast:season><podcast:episode>9</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/producing-queer-mena-theatre-on-the-american-stage-epjn3/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Femme MENA Representation in Lebanon and the United States</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/femme-mena-representation-in-lebanon-and-the-united-states-gk5cd.mp3" length="52030269" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>3a0c0012-9118-43a7-90dd-badc5d705881</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jan 2024 17:08:08 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[This season, we further complicate notions of MENA womanhood by exploring the additional intersection of queerness in femme MENA theatremaking. Two queer Lebanese femme theatremakers based in the United States, Lama El Homaïssi and Sarah Bitar, join us to discuss how intersectional identities show up in their work and life, and the social atmosphere for femme MENA theatre artists in Lebanon and the United States. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3251</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/femme-mena-representation-in-lebanon-and-the-united-states-gk5cd</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/femme-mena-representation-in-lebanon-and-the-united-states-gk5cd_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>8</itunes:episode><itunes:season>3</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>3</podcast:season><podcast:episode>8</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/femme-mena-representation-in-lebanon-and-the-united-states-gk5cd/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Affinity Spaces for MENA/SWANA and LGBTQIA+ Artists</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/affinity-spaces-for-mena-swana-and-lgbtqia-artists-jb1ex.mp3" length="55450998" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>616625f7-e89d-45ec-bd94-d707b748209e</guid><pubDate>Wed, 13 Dec 2023 15:08:05 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Affinity spaces have been an undercurrent of discussion across the three seasons of Kunafa and Shay. In this live session at the 2023 MENATMA Convening at Golden Thread Productions in San Francisco, in partnership with Mizna+RAWIfest, Marina and Nabra sit down with artists to discuss the nuances of MENA and SWANA affinity spaces and MENATMA, Mizna, and RAWI’s roles in facilitating national cultural affinity among artists of intersectional identities. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3464</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/affinity-spaces-for-mena-swana-and-lgbtqia-artists-jb1ex</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/affinity-spaces-for-mena-swana-and-lgbtqia-artists-jb1ex_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>7</itunes:episode><itunes:season>3</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>3</podcast:season><podcast:episode>7</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/affinity-spaces-for-mena-swana-and-lgbtqia-artists-jb1ex/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Home and Exile in Queer MENA Theatremaking</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/home-and-exile-in-queer-mena-theatremaking-zncx2.mp3" length="59945587" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>2c0c73c7-d074-48dd-baa7-5590fe19e99d</guid><pubDate>Wed, 06 Dec 2023 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[MENA cultures are deeply familial with a strong connection to home, defined geographically and through close family bonds. With fraught political and religious opinions about queerness throughout the region, making queer art can threaten those deep connections. How do queer MENA artists consider those complications when making theatre? How do individuals change culture in the face of possible exile? Multi-hyphenate artists Zeyn Joukhadar and Raphaël Aimé Khouri interrogate these questions. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3744</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/home-and-exile-in-queer-mena-theatremaking-zncx2</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/home-and-exile-in-queer-mena-theatremaking-zncx2_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>6</itunes:episode><itunes:season>3</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>3</podcast:season><podcast:episode>6</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/home-and-exile-in-queer-mena-theatremaking-zncx2/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Queering Film</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/queering-film-dgvaz.mp3" length="55335204" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>d422f44b-734b-4d63-87be-4bd986adc5dd</guid><pubDate>Wed, 22 Nov 2023 16:37:11 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Film reaches a larger public than theatre due to the way it is produced and disseminated. In this way, it has a large and lasting cultural impact. In this episode with Mike Mosallam and Amin El Gamal, we discuss the ways the film and theatre fields influence each other as they both contribute to culture change and performance methodologies. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3456</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/queering-film-dgvaz</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/queering-film-dgvaz_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>5</itunes:episode><itunes:season>3</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>3</podcast:season><podcast:episode>5</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/queering-film-dgvaz/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Art, Activism, and Connecting to the Past</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/art-activism-and-connecting-to-the-past-f2hzz.mp3" length="52028941" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>c0fc019f-dd1f-490b-9840-42275c19fe1a</guid><pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2023 15:21:03 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Activism and storytelling often go hand in hand. What does it mean for queer art and activism to take center stage? How can we look to the future while honoring the places and people from where we all came? In this episode, Sivan Battat talks about their ancestral storytelling workshops within queer and Middle Eastern communities and how they see the relationship between art and activism. Note: This conversation was recorded in June 2023. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3251</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/art-activism-and-connecting-to-the-past-f2hzz</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/art-activism-and-connecting-to-the-past-f2hzz_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>4</itunes:episode><itunes:season>3</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>3</podcast:season><podcast:episode>4</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/art-activism-and-connecting-to-the-past-f2hzz/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Art as Politics</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/art-as-politics-fhpiu.mp3" length="37461454" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>5c5101e9-40d5-4e1f-868a-4dbeb70db512</guid><pubDate>Wed, 25 Oct 2023 14:05:04 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Is art inherently political? Must artists consider sociopolitics in the development of their work? Hamed Sinno’s art has been constantly and publicly politicized. In this episode, we hear about Sinno’s own artistic process and how they approach their art in light of this politicization and their perspective on the role of art in politics in the MENA region and beyond. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2340</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/art-as-politics-fhpiu</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/art-as-politics-fhpiu_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>3</itunes:episode><itunes:season>3</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>3</podcast:season><podcast:episode>3</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/art-as-politics-fhpiu/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Breaking Out of Queer Boxes with Bazeed and Pooya Mohseni</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/breaking-out-of-queer-boxes-with-bazeed-and-pooya-mohseni-tr4e1.mp3" length="62143946" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>29830857-b54f-43ff-bfaa-dd4a1c05205a</guid><pubDate>Wed, 11 Oct 2023 13:56:06 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Queer SWANA theatremakers are constantly breaking out of boxes. Even within queer and/or SWANA spheres, some artists are pushing boundaries and redefining broad identity categories. Join two such artists, Bazeed and Pooya Mohseni, in a discussion on the present and future of SWANA theatremaking. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3882</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/breaking-out-of-queer-boxes-with-bazeed-and-pooya-mohseni-tr4e1</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/breaking-out-of-queer-boxes-with-bazeed-and-pooya-mohseni-tr4e1_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>2</itunes:episode><itunes:season>3</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>3</podcast:season><podcast:episode>2</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/breaking-out-of-queer-boxes-with-bazeed-and-pooya-mohseni-tr4e1/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Queer Representation in the United States with Adam Ashraf Elsayigh</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/queer-representation-in-the-united-states-with-adam-ashraf-elsayigh-oqgfg.mp3" length="45801433" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>e3077a61-2810-467d-82ab-f37aa7596389</guid><pubDate>Wed, 27 Sep 2023 14:34:26 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[In this episode, playwright and dramaturg Adam Ashraf Elsayigh joins co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson to unpack what it means to put queer SWANA characters on stage and discuss the future of representation in the United States. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2861</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/queer-representation-in-the-united-states-with-adam-ashraf-elsayigh-oqgfg</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/queer-representation-in-the-united-states-with-adam-ashraf-elsayigh-oqgfg_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>1</itunes:episode><itunes:season>3</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>3</podcast:season><podcast:episode>1</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/queer-representation-in-the-united-states-with-adam-ashraf-elsayigh-oqgfg/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Buffer Fringe Performing Arts Festival with Raffi Feghali</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/buffer-fringe-performing-arts-festival-with-raffi-feghali-krmwd.mp3" length="45363495" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>1c209e12-4299-4873-a9de-b8a4e2383492</guid><pubDate>Tue, 04 Oct 2022 12:43:05 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[In this special episode, Marina and Nabra sit down with Lebanese actor, theatremakers, and peacebuilder Raffi Feghali to talk about the Buffer Fringe Festival. Buffer Fringe is an annual festival with a mission for peacebuilding and social justice, organized by Home for Cooperation and situated in the buffer zone in Cyprus. Buffer Fringe runs 7-9 October 2022, presenting three days of international, interdisciplinary, experimental performances under the theme of Pockets (beyond). Join us as we explore improv in Lebanon, experimental theatre in a geographically contentious area, and artistic curation for peacebuilding.  Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2835</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/buffer-fringe-performing-arts-festival-with-raffi-feghali-krmwd</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/buffer-fringe-performing-arts-festival-with-raffi-feghali-krmwd_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>11</itunes:episode><itunes:season>2</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>2</podcast:season><podcast:episode>11</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/buffer-fringe-performing-arts-festival-with-raffi-feghali-krmwd/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Season Debrief and what’s next for Kunafa and Shay</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/season-debrief-and-what-s-next-for-kunafa-and-shay-nami0.mp3" length="53601353" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>fb499f06-9798-46dd-8eea-2b591060d070</guid><pubDate>Wed, 08 Jun 2022 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[To end the season, this episode will have Marina and Nabra sitting down to tea to talk about highlights from this season and what is to come in the future.  Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3346</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/season-debrief-and-what-s-next-for-kunafa-and-shay-nami0</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/season-debrief-and-what-s-next-for-kunafa-and-shay-nami0_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>10</itunes:episode><itunes:season>2</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>2</podcast:season><podcast:episode>10</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/season-debrief-and-what-s-next-for-kunafa-and-shay-nami0/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Balancing Comedy and Drama as a MENA Playwright with Yussef El-Guindi &amp; Leila Buck</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/balancing-comedy-and-drama-as-a-mena-playwright-with-yussef-el-guindi-leila-buck-mr4rb.mp3" length="55368613" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>c0fc32f0-72df-436b-928d-9a2ec7126b11</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Jun 2022 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[As politicized ethnic groups, playwriting comes with a sense of responsibility and history for many MENA/SWANA writers. Balancing drama and comedy in plays that deal with MENA politics, identity, and history can be difficult but is also crucial in inviting audiences into our stories and addressing stereotypes and historical harm. Join two prominent playwrights and pillars of the MENA community, Yussef El-Guindi & Leila Buck, as we have an open conversation about how they approach their writing and reflect on what their work means in a greater societal context.  Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3455</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/balancing-comedy-and-drama-as-a-mena-playwright-with-yussef-el-guindi-leila-buck-mr4rb</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/balancing-comedy-and-drama-as-a-mena-playwright-with-yussef-el-guindi-leila-buck-mr4rb_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>9</itunes:episode><itunes:season>2</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>2</podcast:season><podcast:episode>9</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/balancing-comedy-and-drama-as-a-mena-playwright-with-yussef-el-guindi-leila-buck-mr4rb/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Multihyphenate Artists with Denmo Ibrahim and Sarah Fahmy</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/multihyphenate-artists-with-denmo-ibrahim-and-sarah-fahmy-e7y1g.mp3" length="57111184" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>e8d55024-e8f1-4f1a-89ee-1fe515a2c314</guid><pubDate>Thu, 26 May 2022 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Artistic identities can be complicated, and many theatremakers work equally within two or more disciplines simultaneously. The most interesting work is rarely created in a vacuum. These multidisciplinary artists create diverse projects in all senses of the word, broadening our idea of what theatre can and should be. Today, two such multihyphenate artists, Denmo Ibrahim and Sarah Fahmy, converse about their multiple identities, how they reconcile and manage their myriad expertise, and the role of multihyphenate artists in today’s theatre landscape. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3567</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/multihyphenate-artists-with-denmo-ibrahim-and-sarah-fahmy-e7y1g</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/multihyphenate-artists-with-denmo-ibrahim-and-sarah-fahmy-e7y1g_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>8</itunes:episode><itunes:season>2</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>2</podcast:season><podcast:episode>8</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/multihyphenate-artists-with-denmo-ibrahim-and-sarah-fahmy-e7y1g/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Creating the Change: Featuring Masrah Cleveland Al-Arabi with Raymond Bobgan and Omar Kurdi</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/creating-the-change-featuring-masrah-cleveland-al-arabi-with-raymond-bobgan-and-omar-kurdi-s83yy.mp3" length="56720324" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>82128c57-9f33-4ed6-b1fb-a4bd4343197b</guid><pubDate>Wed, 18 May 2022 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[MENA artists continue to work hard to create representation in large theatrical arenas by pushing for their work to be produced on contemporary stages. However, since some major theatres only allot 1 or 2 slots a year for plays by BIPOC artists, and MENA artists have frequently been ignored. They have found other ways to create thriving artistic spaces for actors, directors, and playwrights alike. Masrah Cleveland Al Arabi has created a space for MENA artists to thrive. This artist-led organizational infrastructure serves as an example of how change can be made within existing theatrical structures. Today we are joined by Raymond Bobgan and Omar Kurdi.  Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3542</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/creating-the-change-featuring-masrah-cleveland-al-arabi-with-raymond-bobgan-and-omar-kurdi-s83yy</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/creating-the-change-featuring-masrah-cleveland-al-arabi-with-raymond-bobgan-and-omar-kurdi-s83yy_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>7</itunes:episode><itunes:season>2</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>2</podcast:season><podcast:episode>7</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/creating-the-change-featuring-masrah-cleveland-al-arabi-with-raymond-bobgan-and-omar-kurdi-s83yy/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Iranian Theatre Companies with Parmida Ziaei (Seda Seattle) &amp; Shadi Ghaheri (Peydah NYC)</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/iranian-theatre-companies-with-parmida-ziaei-seda-seattle-shadi-ghaheri-peydah-nyc-5akwg.mp3" length="45084472" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>d0011e5a-f4c5-4f9c-a980-884ef9bd3aa0</guid><pubDate>Wed, 11 May 2022 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[In the greater conversation about MENA or SWANA identity, many national and ethnic groups do not neatly fit into that category or are in between geographic areas. One of the largest groups that are both within and without what is considered the “Middle East” is Iran. So many Iranian leaders are making intentional space for the diversity and specificity of their culture by creating companies for Iranian artists. In this episode, we highlight two Iranian theatre companies: Seda Iranian Theatre Ensemble in Seattle, WA, and Peydah Theatre Company in NYC. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2815</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/iranian-theatre-companies-with-parmida-ziaei-seda-seattle-shadi-ghaheri-peydah-nyc-5akwg</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/iranian-theatre-companies-with-parmida-ziaei-seda-seattle-shadi-ghaheri-peydah-nyc-5akwg_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>6</itunes:episode><itunes:season>2</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>2</podcast:season><podcast:episode>6</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/iranian-theatre-companies-with-parmida-ziaei-seda-seattle-shadi-ghaheri-peydah-nyc-5akwg/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Centering Perspectives of Color in Theatre Criticism with Arti Ishak and Yasmin Zacaria Mikhaiel</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/centering-perspectives-of-color-in-theatre-criticism-with-arti-ishak-and-yasmin-zacaria-mikhaiel-qew78.mp3" length="44334670" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>8ca94a63-2898-4708-a579-21e40a31a587</guid><pubDate>Wed, 04 May 2022 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[For artists, getting a quality review of their show is often critical to continued success. It can make or break new plays and emerging artists. However, works by BIPOC artists have often been subjected to the white critical gaze in reviews, which has frequently not made any attempt to account for the complexity of culture outside of the reviewer’s own understanding. There has been a major push by BIPOC artists to counter the white supremacy of reviews, including who writes the critiques and what they write about. In this episode, Arti Ishak and Yasmin Zacaria Mikhaiel talk about their experiences as MENA artists and critics, how they negotiate the field of criticism, and what changes can and must be made to the landscape. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2768</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/centering-perspectives-of-color-in-theatre-criticism-with-arti-ishak-and-yasmin-zacaria-mikhaiel-qew78</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/centering-perspectives-of-color-in-theatre-criticism-with-arti-ishak-and-yasmin-zacaria-mikhaiel-qew78_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>5</itunes:episode><itunes:season>2</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>2</podcast:season><podcast:episode>5</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/centering-perspectives-of-color-in-theatre-criticism-with-arti-ishak-and-yasmin-zacaria-mikhaiel-qew78/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Community Engagement Through Art and Programs With Pirronne Yousefzadeh &amp; Lia Fakhouri</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/community-engagement-through-art-and-programs-with-pirronne-yousefzadeh-lia-fakhouri-ujjqm.mp3" length="58006209" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>11b45eb7-997d-4e87-bb05-4914c47456eb</guid><pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2022 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Community engagement is more than a post-show talk or touring production. These two directors and administrative leaders are community engagement practitioners in everything that they do, including their artmaking and program curation. They work both as independent artists and through organizations. We will discuss the nature of community engagement as an artistic practice, how their MENA backgrounds influence their practice, and how the theatre atmosphere is or should shift to be community engaged in an authentic and equitable way. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3622</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/community-engagement-through-art-and-programs-with-pirronne-yousefzadeh-lia-fakhouri-ujjqm</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/community-engagement-through-art-and-programs-with-pirronne-yousefzadeh-lia-fakhouri-ujjqm_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>4</itunes:episode><itunes:season>2</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>2</podcast:season><podcast:episode>4</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/community-engagement-through-art-and-programs-with-pirronne-yousefzadeh-lia-fakhouri-ujjqm/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Site-Specific and Devised Theatre in Lebanon with Sahar Assaf &amp; Zeina Daccache</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/site-specific-and-devised-theatre-in-lebanon-with-sahar-assaf-zeina-daccache-2cwpo.mp3" length="49525280" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>c213cff4-682b-4dcb-a82b-51a9f4c023a8</guid><pubDate>Wed, 20 Apr 2022 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Site-specific performances have the possibility to truly make all the world a stage. To produce site-specific and devised theatre performances in the United States and abroad, artists must engage with the questions of the politics of any space, what communities inhabit or use it, and who is invited into it. Sahar Assaf, a Lebanese theatremaker and the new artistic director of Golden Thread Productions, and Zeina Daccache, an actor, director, and the founder of Catharsis: Lebanese Center for Drama Therapy come together to talk about site-specific and devised theatre pieces in Lebanon, the rest of the MENA world, and the United States.   Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3094</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/site-specific-and-devised-theatre-in-lebanon-with-sahar-assaf-zeina-daccache-2cwpo</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/site-specific-and-devised-theatre-in-lebanon-with-sahar-assaf-zeina-daccache-2cwpo_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>3</itunes:episode><itunes:season>2</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>2</podcast:season><podcast:episode>3</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/site-specific-and-devised-theatre-in-lebanon-with-sahar-assaf-zeina-daccache-2cwpo/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Theatre as Advocacy/Palestinian Theatre with Ahmed Mansour &amp; Hanna Eady</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/theatre-as-advocacy-palestinian-theatre-with-ahmed-mansour-hanna-eady-pmhvc.mp3" length="41443759" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>698b2b7c-7573-411e-8fd7-ea8572dc8de8</guid><pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2022 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Theatre is a powerful tool for political and community advocacy efforts. From the stage to the streets, theatre can illuminate underheard narratives, reveal different perspectives on political events, and humanize the struggles of groups. There is a long history of theatre as a tool for advocacy in the Palestinian community in the US and abroad. In this episode, we talk to two Palestinian writers and theatremakers who have been using the art form as a way to bring awareness to the conflict in Palestine, give audiences with concrete tools for change, and provide direct relief to Palestinians internationally. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2589</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/theatre-as-advocacy-palestinian-theatre-with-ahmed-mansour-hanna-eady-pmhvc</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/theatre-as-advocacy-palestinian-theatre-with-ahmed-mansour-hanna-eady-pmhvc_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>2</itunes:episode><itunes:season>2</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>2</podcast:season><podcast:episode>2</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/theatre-as-advocacy-palestinian-theatre-with-ahmed-mansour-hanna-eady-pmhvc/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Representation Behind the Scenes with Betty Shamieh and Tracy Francis</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/representation-behind-the-scenes-with-betty-shamieh-and-tracy-francis-h2dkc.mp3" length="55926496" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>ebc34251-b746-430a-9ee0-be99d866c6c4</guid><pubDate>Wed, 06 Apr 2022 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Last season we talked about on-stage representation in contemporary theatre. But what does representation look like behind the scenes and why is it important? How does the process change when there are MENA creative team members, production staff, directors, and playwrights involved from the inception of a project to its closing night? What role does this representation play in new work development?  We will discuss all of this and more with playwright Betty Shamieh and artistic director of Boom Arts Tracy Francis as they share their past experiences, insight, and ideas for the future.  Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3494</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/representation-behind-the-scenes-with-betty-shamieh-and-tracy-francis-h2dkc</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/representation-behind-the-scenes-with-betty-shamieh-and-tracy-francis-h2dkc_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>1</itunes:episode><itunes:season>2</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>2</podcast:season><podcast:episode>1</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/representation-behind-the-scenes-with-betty-shamieh-and-tracy-francis-h2dkc/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Afghan Art and Advocacy With Yousof Sultani</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/afghan-art-and-advocacy-with-yousof-sultani-gdhyz.mp3" length="59103378" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>a23b488d-ce6a-463f-8ebb-bd7be034fe63</guid><pubDate>Mon, 20 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[On this special episode of Kunafa and Shay, Marina and Nabra are joined by actor and activist Yousof Sultani, who discusses his experiences in the theatre field as an Afghan American artist and the advocacy and community organizing he does for the people of Afghanistan. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3692</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/afghan-art-and-advocacy-with-yousof-sultani-gdhyz</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/afghan-art-and-advocacy-with-yousof-sultani-gdhyz_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>11</itunes:episode><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>1</podcast:season><podcast:episode>11</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/afghan-art-and-advocacy-with-yousof-sultani-gdhyz/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>The MENA Theatre Movement Today</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/the-mena-theatre-movement-today-itcxq.mp3" length="51258214" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>a7570b74-9818-4519-b4f2-bcad4080a6c0</guid><pubDate>Wed, 02 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[In this final episode of Kunafa and Shay, Marina and Nabra are focusing on MENA theatre in the United States with playwrights Lameece Issaq, Torange Yeghiazarian, and Jamil Khoury. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3203</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/the-mena-theatre-movement-today-itcxq</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/the-mena-theatre-movement-today-itcxq_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>10</itunes:episode><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>1</podcast:season><podcast:episode>10</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/the-mena-theatre-movement-today-itcxq/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Culinary Diplomacy</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/culinary-diplomacy-csdwo.mp3" length="47790529" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>71deef9d-555e-458e-8613-029287100b4b</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Join Marina and Nabra on this week's episode of Kunafa and Shay as they discuss Middle Eastern and North African cuisine in theatre and their lives. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2986</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/culinary-diplomacy-csdwo</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/culinary-diplomacy-csdwo_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>9</itunes:episode><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>1</podcast:season><podcast:episode>9</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/culinary-diplomacy-csdwo/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Forum Theatre in Palestine</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/forum-theatre-in-palestine-ehofm.mp3" length="55466889" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>19588964-2e1e-4134-acdf-a8948bdf99f4</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[On this week’s episode of Kunafa and Shay, join Marina and Nabra as they discuss Forum Theatre in Palestine with Palestinian actors and founders of ASHTAR Theatre Edward Muallem and Iman Aoun. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3466</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/forum-theatre-in-palestine-ehofm</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/forum-theatre-in-palestine-ehofm_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>8</itunes:episode><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>1</podcast:season><podcast:episode>8</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/forum-theatre-in-palestine-ehofm/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Complicating Notions of Womanhood</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/complicating-notions-of-womanhood-uxyjd.mp3" length="24398172" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>6b4bae3e-43d1-4966-9002-be3f2394985e</guid><pubDate>Wed, 12 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[On this week's episode of Kunafa and Shay, Marina and Nabra discuss Western ideals of women, specifically Arab women, and two adaptations of Western plays by Arab women. The hosts also explore the authentic Arabic feminist themes in the plays Jogging: Theatre in Progress and Noura. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>1524</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/complicating-notions-of-womanhood-uxyjd</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/complicating-notions-of-womanhood-uxyjd_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>7</itunes:episode><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>1</podcast:season><podcast:episode>7</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/complicating-notions-of-womanhood-uxyjd/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Egyptian Theatre with Mohab Saber</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/egyptian-theatre-with-mohab-saber-nlz8v.mp3" length="46652560" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>bd41e139-730b-4ab0-9215-374ed5e9008b</guid><pubDate>Wed, 05 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[On this episode of Kunafa and Shay, Marina and Nabra discuss Egyptian street theatre with Egyptian curator and coordinator Mohab Saber. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>2915</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/egyptian-theatre-with-mohab-saber-nlz8v</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/egyptian-theatre-with-mohab-saber-nlz8v_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>6</itunes:episode><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>1</podcast:season><podcast:episode>6</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/egyptian-theatre-with-mohab-saber-nlz8v/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Drama on Video with Andrea Assaf</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/drama-on-video-with-andrea-assaf-xe4qw.mp3" length="52824434" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>a33c7262-40d3-4426-bc79-4b407571e55b</guid><pubDate>Wed, 28 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[On this week’s episode of Kunafa and Shay, join Marina and Nabra as they discuss MENA drama on video, touching a wide range of plays. Marina and Nabra also interview Andrea Assaf about her works, DRONE and Eleven Reflections on September. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3301</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/drama-on-video-with-andrea-assaf-xe4qw</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/drama-on-video-with-andrea-assaf-xe4qw_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>5</itunes:episode><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>1</podcast:season><podcast:episode>5</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/drama-on-video-with-andrea-assaf-xe4qw/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>The Power of Verbatim Theatre with Jen Marlowe</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/the-power-of-verbatim-theatre-with-jen-marlowe-mo25j.mp3" length="52556578" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>c890ceff-71f6-4292-9231-d03835bef4de</guid><pubDate>Wed, 21 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[On this weeks episode of Kunafa and Shay, join Marina and Nabra as they interview Jen Marlowe about her her company Donkeysaddle Productions, conducted interviews for 15 years to create the verbatim piece There is a Field, a play about Aseel Asleh, a 17-year old Palestinian citizen of Israel killed by police in October 2000. Donkeysaddle used this piece to connect communities in the way the piece was subsequently performed and then documented. Listen to find out how this piece came to be. 
 Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3284</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/the-power-of-verbatim-theatre-with-jen-marlowe-mo25j</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/the-power-of-verbatim-theatre-with-jen-marlowe-mo25j_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>4</itunes:episode><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>1</podcast:season><podcast:episode>4</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/the-power-of-verbatim-theatre-with-jen-marlowe-mo25j/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Drama Therapy: The Work of Zeina Daccache</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/drama-therapy-the-work-of-zeina-daccache-mzar8.mp3" length="31641500" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>c991ec44-9697-4894-bbaf-88a2176671af</guid><pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[On this weeks episode of Kunafa and Shay, join Marina and Nabra as they discuss Zeina Daccache's work using drama therapy in Lebanon to empower inmates in the carceral system.
 Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>1977</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/drama-therapy-the-work-of-zeina-daccache-mzar8</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/drama-therapy-the-work-of-zeina-daccache-mzar8_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>3</itunes:episode><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>1</podcast:season><podcast:episode>3</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/drama-therapy-the-work-of-zeina-daccache-mzar8/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Representation 101: Trends of Contemporary MENA Theatre in the U.S.</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/representation-101-trends-of-contemporary-mena-theatre-in-the-u-s-s3atq.mp3" length="53148992" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>063656c8-4284-4be3-9c92-5504cc3281db</guid><pubDate>Wed, 07 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Join Nabra and Marina as they discuss how MENA theatre in the United States was affected by 9/11, analyze post-9/11 trends in MENA theatre from their own perspectives, and also examine popular MENA plays of the twenty-first century. Setting the stage for future episodes, this discussion illuminates how theatre has contributed to representation of Arabs in popular media and highlights the playwrights who have fought against the stereotypes that were made mainstream by the widespread racism and xenophobia following 9/11, which continue to this day. Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>3321</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/representation-101-trends-of-contemporary-mena-theatre-in-the-u-s-s3atq</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/representation-101-trends-of-contemporary-mena-theatre-in-the-u-s-s3atq_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>2</itunes:episode><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>1</podcast:season><podcast:episode>2</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/representation-101-trends-of-contemporary-mena-theatre-in-the-u-s-s3atq/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item><item><title>Meet the Hosts</title><enclosure url="https://op3.dev/e,pg=fd282f39-cf4b-5c0e-b8f8-f6f432f21872/podcasts.howlround.com/audio/@kunafaandshay/meet-the-hosts-rbepx.mp3" length="25504531" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><guid>4373d838-b7bb-44d9-9348-6d9b3a724901</guid><pubDate>Wed, 31 Mar 2021 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[In this first episode of Kunafa and Shay, meet our hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina J. Bergenstock!  Kunafa and Shay is a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons by
co-hosts Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson. Kunafa and Shay discusses and
analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North African
(MENA) and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre from across
the region.

Kunafa and Shay highlights MENA/SWANA plays and theatremakers,
spotlights community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and
analyzes the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the
United States and beyond. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and
Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special
guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and
discussion.

The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best
way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and
perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to
share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our
differences. In each country in the region, you’ll find kunafa made
differently. In that way, we also lean into the diversity, complexity,
and robust flavors of MENA/SWANA theatre.]]></description><itunes:duration>1593</itunes:duration><link>https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/meet-the-hosts-rbepx</link><itunes:image href="https://s3.castopod.cloud/caafd812fd832afb6f023ce79884ae993/podcasts/kunafaandshay/meet-the-hosts-rbepx_feed.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episode>1</itunes:episode><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:season>1</podcast:season><podcast:episode>1</podcast:episode><podcast:comments uri="https://podcasts.howlround.com/@kunafaandshay/episodes/meet-the-hosts-rbepx/comments" contentType="application/podcast-activity+json"></podcast:comments></item></channel></rss>
