Washington, DC, Aug. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WASHINGTON (August 12, 2021) — Mosaic Theatre Company of DC regrets to announce its delay of My Father, My Martyr, and Me by Fargo Tbakhi due to growing concerns about the COVID-19 Delta variant and the nature of this specific interactive project. My Father, My Martyr, and Me includes audience participation, dancing and movement in an intimate space that could not be realized with current safety requirements. Therefore, Mosaic has made the difficult decision to suspend its production of My Father, My Martyr, and Me until the artistic aspirations of the playwright/performer, Fargo Tbakhi, and the director, Danielle Drakes, are possible.
Mosaic’s decision is made as an expression of support for the artists, staff, and audiences, and is in line with its commitment to the Actor’s Equity Association. It is also in support of the artist’s message and the project, which it commits to producing at a later date at its home in the Atlas Performing Arts Center when safety allows. The rest of the season’s planned productions, all more traditional audience spectator works, are still planned to go ahead as scheduled.
“We here at the Atlas are saddened by Mosaic Theater's decision to delay their first show of the new season, My Father, My Martyr, and Me, by Fargo Tbakhi. But, we understand - due to the nature of the production, its design and proximity of artist and audience, it was a necessary and prudent decision,” said Douglas Yeuell, Executive Director of the Atlas Performing Arts Center. “Currently, the Atlas will be open for other performances and events still scheduled for the fall season. All performances and events will be presented under the unified vaccine mandate adopted by a coalition of regional theatres together with other safety protocols and procedures in place.”
Mosaic will release a full-length version of playwright Dalia Taha’s work Keffiyeh/Made in China in the coming weeks, ahead of its opening show Birds of North America, by Anna Ouyang Moench, opening October 27. Keffiyeh/Made in China presents seven utterly distinct slices of Palestinian life that are at times unsettling, heartbreaking, and humorous - as parents, lovers, sisters, and friends cope with a decades-long occupation. Originally distributed on Mosaic’s website as a seven-episode web series, this work will be edited into a single full-production length video including all seven episodes, which is perfect for hungry theatre audiences at home waiting to get back to the live theatre-going experience.
“This was obviously a difficult and disappointing decision for all of us working on the project. But the dream of this show is for all of us to gather together and work towards something intimate, difficult, and vital. That work requires safety and trust, and ultimately we felt that the current moment would not allow for us to create that environment while keeping the integrity of the show intact,” said playwright Fargo Tbakhi. “In the meantime, I am tremendously proud of the work Mosaic has done on Dalia Taha's luminous Keffiyeh/Made in China. It's funny, beautiful, and bold, and I couldn't be more excited for folks to engage with it and to see its bright future.”
For more information about Keffiyeh/Made in China, visit https://mosaictheater.org/keffiyeh. For more information about Mosaic’s next scheduled live production, Birds of North America, visit https://mosaictheater.org/birds-of-na.
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ABOUT THE MOSAIC THEATER COMPANY OF DCMosaic Theater Company of DC is committed to making transformational, socially relevant art, producing plays by authors on the front lines of conflict zones, and building a fusion community to address some of the most pressing issues of our times. Free public programming and educational initiatives complement our productions. Mosaic is dedicated to making our theater a model of diversity and inclusion on stage and off. We strive to foster a culture of listening and welcoming, embracing complexity and a multi-focal perspective. www.mosaictheater.org
