←Recommendations of The Triumphant

A moving portrait of what it's like to be part of LGBT+ community in Egypt. The blending of interviews with ancient literature and pop culture was absolutely brilliant. It was so moving to see how all four of these men hold on to their hope. Hope that they will escape their prison. Hope that they can live freely exactly who they are. Kareem Fahmy is one of the most important artists when it comes to giving voice to the unseen communities of the Middle Ease. Produce this play.

Kareem Fahmy has written an amazing play that riffs off Sinbad stories. Four men in a 21st Century Egyptian prison for gay men, fearing torture or execution - each time their fears and mutual conflicts become unbearable, they burst into storytelling to survive the terror, physically and imaginatively re-enacting scenes from the Sinbad stories, then subside back to their reality. A May 24 NY Times article by Salman Rushdie about stories reminded me of seeing this powerful play in Brooklyn.

A uniquely theatrical, powerful play that looks at the persecution of the LGBTQ community by examining many potently told, individual stories. The juxtaposition of conversational interviews with the harrowing and affecting scenes within prison and with "story world" is discordant in the best way. Fahmy creates a distinct visual/aural world onstage that whose contrasts help paint a clearer socio-cultural picture. I would love to see this harrowing and well-told story on its feet!

Beautifully written and powerful. The reason we tell stories, to lend our voices for those who need us. Bravo!

THE TRIUMPHANT leaps off the page - with great heart and beauty married with the immense power of storytelling. The prison these men find themselves in only holds their physical bodies as they fight for their right to love who they want. A beautiful piece of writing. It is a uniquely theatrical play that feels urgent and one that must be seen.