Today, she plans the perfect Christmas dinner to celebrate their new life in New York. But when the arrival of a visitor stirs up long-buried memories, she and her husband are forced to confront the cost of their choices and retrace the past they left behind. With compassion and startling clarity, this play by internationally acclaimed, Michigan-born, Iraqi-American playwright Heather Raffo charts the intricate pathways of motherhood and marriage — and the fragile architecture of what we call home.
Noura
Eight years ago, Noura and her family fled their home in Iraq.
Mud Row weaves a compelling and hopeful story of sisterhood, love, forgiveness and intergenerational healing.
Meet The Cast
Heather Raffo
Noura
Heather Raffo is a singular and outstanding voice in the American Theater whose work has been championed by The New Yorker as “an example of how art can remake the world”. An Iraqi with American roots, she is a multi-award-winning playwright and actress whose work has taken her from the Kennedy Center to the U.S. Islamic World Forum, and from London’s House of Lords to stages nationally and internationally. She is the author and performer of NOURA, hailed by Gloria Steinem as a truly feminist refugee narrative and 9 Parts of Desire which ran Off Broadway for nine months and has played across the U.S. and internationally for nearly two decades. 9 Parts of Desire was the first play in the English language to feature an Iraqi female protagonist and its commercial success helped birth a new genre of Middle Eastern American theater. Raffo’s libretto for the opera FALLUJAH, was the first opera about the Iraq war and the first to openly confront the alarming rates of veteran suicide. A film of the opera aired on PBS accompanied by a documentary titled Fallujah: Art, Healing and PTSD. Her newly released anthology, Heather Raffo’s Iraq Plays: The Things That Can’t Be Said, brings together Raffo’s groundbreaking contribution not only to the American Theater but gives voice to nearly two decades of rarely examined traumas that have reshaped cultural and national identity for both Americans and Iraqis since the events of 9/11. March 2023 will bring two new works by Raffo to the Detroit area, a film adaptation of her play, 9 Parts of Desire, and an experimental theatrical platform on migration at the Arab American National Museum.
Mattico David
Tareq
Off Broadway: Selling Kabul, Noura. (Playwrights Horizons) Regional: Noura (Shakespeare Theatre Company, The Old Globe, Marin Theatre Company); A Streetcar Named Desire, Boeing, Boeing, A Stone Carver, Escanaba In Da’ Moonlight, Best Of Friends, Apartment 3A, Corktown, Bleeding Red, Consider The Oyster, Growing Pretty, White Buffalo (Purple Rose Theatre Company); American Buffalo, Disgraced (Jet Theatre); Nuts (Vertigo Productions); Danny And The Deep Blue Sea (Flint City Theatre). University of Michigan: BFA in Theater.
Amanda Najor
Maryam
Amanda is a Michigan-born, NYC-based actor. As a Chaldean-American, she is thrilled to be sharing this story. Prior to this, she received her BFA in Acting from Western Michigan University, performing in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Hallie), The Crucible (Ann Putnam/Sarah Good), and Angels in America (Hannah Pitt/Ethel Rosenberg). Most recently, she participated in a virtual production of Sophia, Our Beloved as Diane Johnson (Farmers Alley Theatre). She has also worked on several short films with students from the Motion Picture Institute and Oakland University. Amanda would like to dedicate this performance to her family. On behalf of all Iraqi refugees, she hopes you can consider donating to United Community Family Services (CALC) to help individuals and families in need.
Kal Naga (aka Khaled Abol Naga)
Rafa’a Moogie Fawez - Yazen
DPT Debut. ACTOR, PRODUCER & DIRECTOR from Egypt based in the US since 2017, with a body of work extending to the EU, UK, Australia, Africa, and Asia. Collected numerous Best-Actor Awards since 2001 (including: VILLA 69, EYES OF A THIEF, GAME OF LOVE). Produced Award-Winning feature films since 2009 (including: HELIOPOLIS, MICROPHONE, VILLA 69).
THEATER: Stanford TAPS Visiting Artist: “As Soon As Impossible”, Guthrie Theater “Noura”, Royal Cultural Center (Jordan): Oliver! In Arabic, a contemporary Arabic adaptation of Lionel Bart’s Oliver! (director/creator); Golden Thread Productions: Drowning in Cairo (stage reading director); D-CAF: White Rabbit, Red Rabbit; The American University in Cairo: Cancelled!, Lovestruck, Two Underground, Death Song, Mahfouz-yat, Oliver! FILM/TELEVISION More than 25 international films, including Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears; Out of the Ordinary; Eyes of a Thief; From A to B; Décor; Villa 69; Microphone; Heliopolis; In the Heliopolis Flat; Agamista; One-Zero; None but That!; Game of Love; Civic Duty; Harb Atalia; Sleepless Nights; and A Citizen, an Informant and a Thief; “RAMY” (hulu), “Messiah” (Netflix), “Vikings” (History),
“The Last Post” (BBC), “Tyrant” (FX).
AWARDS: Best Actor Silver Pyramid Award (Cairo International Film Festival);
Horus Best Actor Award (Egyptian National Film Festival); Best Actor Award
(Alexandria International Film Festival); Best Actor Award (IMA Biennale of Arab
Cinema, Paris). TRAINING The American University in Cairo. @kalnaga (IG, TW),
Meet The Creative Team
Heather Raffo
Playwright
Heather Raffo is a singular and outstanding voice in the American Theater whose work has been championed by The New Yorker as “an example of how art can remake the world”. An Iraqi with American roots, she is a multi-award-winning playwright and actress whose work has taken her from the Kennedy Center to the U.S. Islamic World Forum, and from London’s House of Lords to stages nationally and internationally. She is the author and performer of NOURA, hailed by Gloria Steinem as a truly feminist refugee narrative and 9 Parts of Desire which ran Off Broadway for nine months and has played across the U.S. and internationally for nearly two decades. 9 Parts of Desire was the first play in the English language to feature an Iraqi female protagonist and its commercial success helped birth a new genre of Middle Eastern American theater. Raffo’s libretto for the opera FALLUJAH, was the first opera about the Iraq war and the first to openly confront the alarming rates of veteran suicide. A film of the opera aired on PBS accompanied by a documentary titled Fallujah: Art, Healing and PTSD. Her newly released anthology, Heather Raffo’s Iraq Plays: The Things That Can’t Be Said, brings together Raffo’s groundbreaking contribution not only to the American Theater but gives voice to nearly two decades of rarely examined traumas that have reshaped cultural and national identity for both Americans and Iraqis since the events of 9/11. March 2023 will bring two new works by Raffo to the Detroit area, a film adaptation of her play, 9 Parts of Desire, and an experimental theatrical platform on migration at the Arab American National Museum.
Mike Mosallam
Director
is a producer, director, writer for theatre, film, and television. Through his production company, Mike Mosallam Productions, he and his team produced short films: Breaking Fast (Cannes Film Festival) and Brothers (12-time Jury & Audience Award Winner), both written and directed by Mike, along with the short film “Ubuntu,” a co-production with the Muslim Public Affairs Council. His feature film debut, Breaking Fast (based on the short), is now available on Hulu and anywhere you can rent movies. He is the creator and co-executive-producer of the 2011 critically-acclaimed TLC series, All-American Muslim. Most recently, Mike was an executive creative consultant on Season 2 of Hulu’s Ramy. His second feature film (a film adaptation of Heather Raffo’s Nine Parts of Desire) will premiere on PBS in the spring of 2023. His latest script, The Untitled Chubby Muslim Project, was a Black List selection in 2020 and is currently hoping for summer 2023 production. Currently in development are a TV series adaptation of Breaking Fast and a feature film based on CNN Hero, Rahul Dabey. On the theatre side, Mike has produced and directed more than 100 theatrical productions from large-scale musicals, intimate cabaret settings, plays, concerts, and multimedia theatrical events. He made his off-Broadway directorial debut with Miller/Tysen’s FUGITIVE SONGS. Favorite theatre credits include: Stephen Karam’s SONS OF THE PROPHET (Boston Conservatory) and SPRING AWAKENING (Ann Arbor in Concert). He is a proud Muslim and Lebanese-American. Mike is represented by The Gersh Agency, Color Creative by Issa Rae, and Granderson Des Rochers, LLP.
Jungah Han
Scenic Design
is a New York-based freelance set designer in theatre, film, and television. She has designed a various styles of theatre productions including selective list: Roe (Waterwell), The Barber of Seville (SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center), The House that will notstand (Le Petit Theatre), Grounds (A Devised Environmental Opera Installation, Bush Terminal Park & 59th st & 6th ave), Vier Letzte Lieder by Richard Strauss (Alchemical Studio), My Onliness & Numbness: Chapter 2 (New Ohio Theatre), Shockheaded Peter, When the Rain Stops Falling (Cygnet Theatre), Coriolanus, Paradise Lost, Cardboard Piano, Measure for Measure (Yale Iseman Theatre), Solo Bach (Yale Cabaret), A Number (Cygnet Roland Theatre), and No Exit (Diversionary Theatre).
She has been an associate and assistant set designer for several Broadway and international productions including Jagged Little Pill (National Tour 2022), Lempicka (La Jolla Playhouse, 2022), The Empire of Light (Théâtre National de Bretagne, France), Red Waters (Opéra de Rennes, France), Derren Brown Secret (Cort Theatre), Once On This Island (Circle in the Square Theatre, National Tour), Frankie & Johnny in the Clair de Lune (Broadhurst Theatre), Harlequinade (American Ballet Theatre), Rigoletto (Die Staatsoper Unter den Linden), and Tosca (Cincinnati Opera House).
She received her MFA from David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. She teaches at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Her additional works can be found on her website, www.jungahhan.com.
Katherine Nelson
Costume Design
is thrilled to be part of this artistic team after previously working on over 15 productions with DPT, selections including Murder Ballad and Detroit ’67. They designed Riddle of the Trilobites Off-Broadway at the New Victory Theatre with CollaborationTown and Flint Repertory Theatre. Selected additional regional credits include Flint Repertory Theatre, Flint Youth Theatre, the Wharton Center for the Performing Arts, Purple Rose Theatre Company, and Tipping Point Theatre. Additionally, Kate works frequently as a stage manager and has done so numerous times with DPT; favorite productions include Detroit ’67 as a co-production with Baltimore Center Stage and the world premiere of Birthday Candles. They have also stage managed with Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Revenge Song), Actors Theatre of Louisville (Every Brilliant Thing), Chautauqua Theatre Company (No Child…, Thurgood) and the Wharton Center for the Performing Arts. Proud member and National Councilor of Actors’ Equity Association. www.knelsondesigns.com.
Jen Fok
Lighting Design
is a Chinese American lighting designer based in New York City. She is excited to be returning to DPT this season after having designed Pipeline and Girlfriend. Her design collaborations center around reimagining classics, established plays, and exploring new work in theatre, dance, and music. Her work has been seen at Spoleto Festival, Long Wharf Theatre, Lincoln Center Education, Flint Repertory Theatre, Syracuse Stage, The Geva Theatre, Kitchen Theatre, TheatreWorks Colorado Springs, Brown /Trinity, The Know Theater of Cincinnati, Portland Stage, The New School For Drama, Bates Dance Festival, NCPA Beijing, Gala Hispanic, Ars Nova, Luna Stage, and Theatre At Monmouth, among others. She received her BFA in Theatre Production and Design from Ithaca College. www.jenniferfok.com.
Katie Hopgood
Sound Design
is thrilled to return to Detroit Public Theatre. Credits: Broadway: Birthday Candles (Roundabout’s American Airlines Theater). Regional credits include Julius Caesar (PlayMaker’s Repertory Company), The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Detroit Public Theatre), The Tempest, Richard III, Twelfth Night, Hamlet (Michigan Shakespeare Festival). Chicago: Love’s Labour’s Lost (Lifeline Theatre), Titus Andronicus (Babes with Blades), The Electric Baby, Wrens (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble).
Katie Kim
Properties Design
is a senior props fabrication and management student at the University of Michigan and an artisan in the university’s prop shop. Her recent work includes acting as Production Properties Manager for the University of Michigan’s productions of Junk: The Golden Age of Debt, Hair, and Bernarda Alba and working at the Utah Shakespeare Festival as a properties artisan and Assistant to the Properties Supervisor for their productions of Clue, Trouble in Mind, and The Sound of Music.
As a senior, graduating in December, Katie would like to thank all those who have supported and guided her through her academic journey. She would especially like to thank Patrick Drone and all the staff and students of the University of Michigan Prop Shop for introducing her to the world of theatrical prop making and for helping her grow into the artisan and manager she is today.
Maya Roth
Dramaturgy for development and previous productions of NOURA
Doran Konja
Production Stage Manager
Doran Konja (he/him) – Doran is a Theatre Artist and Grant Writer that is more than excited to be back for DPT’s 9th Season. As a local Chaldean artist, he deeply appreciates DPT’s efforts to reflect the unique and diverse communities in Detroit through the work we produce. Some of his most memorable credits outside of DPT were with Shakespeare in Detroit (Detroit), The In[HEIR]itance Project (Detroit), The Agency (Chicago), and The New Coordinates (Chicago).
