How far do you have to go to find yourself?
Hotter Than Egypt
Dates: February 22 – March 6, 2022
Run time: Approximately 1 hour, 40 minutes. No intermission
Location: The comfort of your home!
Closed-captioning will be available soon
ACT – A Contemporary Theatre in association with Marin Theatre Company proudly presents Hotter than Egypt, a World Premiere by Core Company artist and acclaimed Seattle playwright Yussef El Guindi.
Hotter than Egypt is a poignant play about personal revelation. Paul and Jean, an American couple, travel to Cairo for their 24th wedding anniversary. Long-dormant troubles within the marriage start to percolate, and their two Egyptian tour guides, newly engaged Maha and Seif, become drawn into the crisis. This dramedy explores the uneven power dynamics between these Western tourists and the locals. Dreams and relationships are put to the test when old connections lead to new temptations.
Hotter than Egypt, recently workshopped through the ACT Local program, is a vivid new work from the audience favorite and award-winning author of Threesome, Ramayana, and People of the Book.
Cast
Ahmad Kamal — Boatman / Museum Guard / Doorman
Jen Taylor — Jean
Naseem Etemad — Maha
Paul Morgan Stetler — Paul
Wasim No’mani — Sief
Candace Vance — Understudy
Frank Lawler — Understudy
Nima Rakhshanifar — Understudy
Vahishta Vafadari — Understudy
Creative Team
John Langs — Director
Yussef El Guindi — Playwright
Nihan Yesil — Composer
Nakissa Etemad — Dramaturg
Carey Wong — Set Designer
Melanie Burgess — Costume Designer
Robert Aguilar — Lighting Designer
Johanna Melamed — Sound Designer
Ian Bond — Intimacy Director
Tori Thompson — Stage Manager
David Hsieh — Production Assistant
Theatrical fog/atmospherics are used throughout the play. You may experience a slight chemical odor.
Hotter Than Egypt is recommended for those age 12+ and contains the following: adult themes, themes of sexuality and adult/coarse language.
ACT believes that our patrons can determine what is offensive for themselves, and what is appropriate for their children. We don’t create age restrictions but do our best to offer content advisories for each show. For detailed information about show content and possible triggers, please contact communications@acttheatre.org.
You asked for it and now, it’s here! ACT is thrilled to launch online streaming – watch ACT productions from the comfort and convenience of your home.
See this World Premiere play by Yussef El Guindi. Filmed in front of a live audience just for our streaming viewers. Available for two weeks only, February 22 – March 6. Get your (virtual) ticket now!
Hotter Than Egypt will be available to stream from February 22 through March 6. Purchase during the 2-week streaming window and watch within two days of your purchase.
Pay What You Choose is available for all of our streaming shows. Now, your whole household can watch a performance for one price.
$35 streaming, or Pay What You Choose starting at $10.
American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be offered on Thursday, February 17 at 7:30pm. Click here to purchase tickets in the ASL section.
Audio description: Audio description devices offer a spoken narration that describes important details in the show for one show during each production’s run. Devices can be checked out when you arrive. Please see a Front of House team member for assistance.
Audio description performance of Hotter Than Egypt: February 13, 2pm
Check out clips from actor Paul Morgan Stetler’s podcast, Conversations with Curtis, where he interviews fellow cast member Jen Taylor.
View the full interview on YouTube.
Jen talks about being Cortana
Paul introduces Jen to Phantasmagoria 2
Paul & Jen discuss Hotter Than Egypt
Paul & Jen talk about their work together over the years
ACT has stuck with the works of [Yussef] El Guindi for several years now and it’s no small wonder as he keeps bringing us gems like [Hotter Than Egypt] … A fantastic way for ACT to kick off their 2022 season.
[Yussef] El Guindi’s finely tuned dialogue allows the often-excruciating process of being honest with yourself to play out in real time in his long scenes, paced deliberately but decisively by [John] Langs’ direction.
In Yussef El Guindi’s plays, personal and political are in bed together.
Yussef El Guindi, winner of the Stranger Genius Award in Literature, exquisitely modulates comedy with tragedy… His plays feature geographically disoriented characters trying to navigate new circumstances. [His] ability to write from that gap, that moment of displacement and discomfort — whether geographical, cultural, or sexual — is the heart of his genius.