Golden Thread 2026 Season

30 Years of Creativity, Courage and Connection

Golden Thread’s 30th Anniversary Season’s ambitious line-up brings bold and defiant storytelling to the fore! Join us as we celebrate 30 years of providing an essential communal space for joy and grief amid struggle, and manifest what the next 30 years could hold!

Productions

What Do the Women Say? 2026

March 9, 2026

Join founder Torange Yeghiazarian, outgoing Artistic Director Sahar Assaf, and incoming Artistic Director Nabra Nelson as they co-host a special Women’s Day Celebration marking our 30th Anniversary. Our leaders will welcome women artists connected to Golden Thread to share music, spoken word, and plays and engage them in a wide-ranging conversation about the past, the present, and the future of the company.

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A Festival of Palestinian Art

April 9, 2026 - April 19, 2026

Uplifting Palestinian voices and stories in theater, film, and stand-up comedy, this unique festival builds upon Golden Thread’s decades-long commitment to Palestinian art.

Projects featured include the return of the sold-out AMREEKA 2026: The Comedy Show, curated by Wafaa Bilal and featuring an all-Palestinian line-up; a New Threads developmental workshop of A Country Made of Salt by Denmo Ibrahim, directed by Nabra Nelson; and a filmed version of Alaa Shehada’s acclaimed solo show The Horse of Jenin.

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Arab Spring

June 19, 2026 - July 12, 2026

Yusef, a recovering addict and Dina, his controlling big sister, return on the 4th of July to their childhood home in the suburbs to bury their deadbeat Dad. Can they figure out a) how to do an Islamic funeral before his body goes cold, b) who their estranged father was, and c) what family means without killing each other? Inshallah.

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ReOrient 2026 Festival of Short Plays

October 9, 2026 - November 1, 2026

Our signature program returns with an innovative and spirited festival of short plays from or about the Middle East. The 30th anniversary lineup is diverse in content and style, with 5 plays selected from 83 submissions, highlighting a multiplicity of Middle Eastern perspectives and identities.

ReOrient 2026 Forum, a convening of artists, academics, activists produced in partnership with MENA Theater Makers Alliance, will take place during the run of the festival in San Francisco.

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