The Selected Works of Yussef El Guindi

Back of the Throat / Our Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat / Language Rooms / Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World / Threesome

Yussef El Guindi, Michael Malek Najjar

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781350057173
• eBook ISBN: 9781350093775
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: American Drama
• Index: Literature

A prolific playwright in the US, Egyptian-American playwright Yussef El Guindi explores, through his dramatic work, the immigrant experience. Addressing the personal, political and social encounters of those trying to adapt to new western countries and cultures, his plays are conceived and shaped with intelligence, sensibility and humour.
This collection brings together works that span his career, from his first major play, Back of the Throat, to his boldly topical Threesome, throughout which he delves into the complex issues commonly felt by Arab immigrants in the US: Arabophobia, Islamophobia, media orientalism and bi-cultural issues.
The plays featured in the anthology are: Back of the Throat
Our Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat
Language Rooms
Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World
Threesome Packed with supplementary information that expands upon and contextualises El Guindi's work, this collection is both an excellent compendium and a resource for study. Additional material includes: an annotated timeline of the playwright's life and work; an introduction by Professor Michael Malek Najjar (University of Oregon) that draws out themes within the plays and examines El Guindi's place in American theatre in the post-9/11 era; production stills of some productions of El Guindi's work; and El Guindi's essay Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Meet Abdallah and Ahmed: Musings about Arabs and Muslims in American Theatre.

Our Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat

Production History

Our Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat received its world premier at Silk Road Theatre Project (Jamil Khoury, Artistic Director; Malik Gillani, Executive Director) in Chicago, Illinois on February 21, 2008. It was directed by Patrizia Lombardi Acerra with set design by Lee Keenan, lighting design by Mac Vaughey, sound design and original music by Robert Steele, costume design by Christine Pascual, and props design by Daniel A. Katz. Stage manager was Adrienne Guldin. The cast was as follows:

Noor Monica Lopez

Gamal/Make-Up Man Kareem Bandealy

Mohsen Andrew Navarro

Sheikh Alfani Vincent P. Mahler

Hani James Elly

Olivia Susie Griffith

Earl, Russel, Father Carol Don Bender

Cast (7 actors needed)

Noor

Gamal/Make-Up Man

Mohsen

Sheikh Alfani

Hani

Olivia

Earl

Russel

Father Carol

(Note: Earl, Russel, and Father Carol can be played by the same actor, with a few wardrobe, make-up adjustments.)

Act One

Scene One

A television sound-stage. Screens hang on either side of the stage. Various images of Arab men in a demonstration are projected onto them. Earl and Mohsen enter.

Mohsen Huh. So this is it.… I have always wondered what it looked like from backstage.… The hot seat, huh. You’ve held some great interviews here.

Earl That I have.

Mohsen I have to tell you, I am—so honored to sit where you’ve interviewed presidents, and some pretty important authors.

Earl You’re an important man in your own right, Mohsen.

Mohsen I don’t know about that. One book is not exactly a career.

Earl Depends on the book. And what it has to say. If it’s something people need to hear.

Mohsen I should warn you I am very susceptible to flattery. Do it enough and I start spilling the beans.

Earl Then get ready to be flattered to death, because I want every bean you’ve got.

Mohsen (a laugh, pointing to the images playing on screen) These—. Will these be shown during the interview?

Earl Top of the show and during commercials.

Mohsen They are from where?

Earl Couldn’t tell you. The producer handles that end. Looks like scenes from a demonstration to me. (To someone off-stage.) How long have we got?

Woman’s Voice (over the speakers, or from off-stage) Ten minutes.

Earl Time enough for a smoke. Care to join me?

Mohsen No thank you. I gave it up.

Earl What d’you do that for? People are getting too prissy about their health. The one thing I liked about the Middle East was that people didn’t seem as hung up on health crap as we are here.

Mohsen I’m afraid health consciousness is seeping in even among the bedouins and sheep herders.

Earl Sorry to hear that. The problem with Westernization going global is there’s no escaping the West now. Even a West cheerleader like me needs to escape it now and again. Okay: we all set then? We’ll just follow the talking points as mentioned. I’ll cover the first four chapters: early childhood up to your arrival in the States and then get your take on the current situation.

Mohsen Good. Which is, um—why I’m not sure these photos are relevant to the book.

Earl I wouldn’t worry about it. The camera won’t be on the screens while we talk. Right, cigarette break. See you in a sec.

Earl leaves. Mohsen turns his attention to the images of the angry mob scenes. Perhaps a new set of Arab demonstrators are projected onto the screen.

A Make-Up Man enters carrying a make-up kit. He wears a baseball cap.

Make-Up Man Mr. Shukri?

Mohsen Yes?

Make-Up Man Sylvia asked me to come out and do a touch up.

He holds up the make-up kit by way of explanation.

Mohsen Yes. I probably need it with this face.

Make-Up Man Just to cut out the glare.

Mohsen Would you like me to sit or—?

Make-Up Man (indicating chair) That might be simpler, thank you.

Mohsen Sure.

Mohsen sits on one of the interview chairs.

Make-Up Man Sylvia’s taken care of most of it.

The Make-Up Man will proceed to apply a little foundation on Mohsen’s face.

Mohsen I’m surprised the sweat doesn’t fly more often in these interviews.

Make-Up Man The secrets of the right foundation.

Mohsen Must be.

Make-Up Man Keeping one’s cool is actually a make-up trick. One of the benefits we offer to those in the hot seat.

Mohsen Then apply all your tricks, my friend. I need it.

Make-Up Man Nah, you seem to be doing well. In the interviews I’ve seen. No signs of nerves with you.

Mohsen I don’t know about that.

Make-Up Man You’ve taken well to all this media attention. For someone who was a school teacher.

Mohsen You know, it’s not so different from standing up in front of a class. After years of screaming kids, these interviews can seem like a cake-walk, or a nice massage in comparison.

Make-Up Man Except your audience in this class is close to a million.

Mohsen Thanks for reminding me. You’d better add more foundation now.

Make-Up Man You’re doing great. I’m impressed. Anyone who figures out what they want to say, and then has the courage to stand up in front of millions and say it? That takes guts.

Mohsen If I was thinking of that when I sat down to write. But I never think of who might read the book.

Make-Up Man You don’t?

Mohsen You spend most of y...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of Illustrations
• Foreword Torange Yeghiazarian
• Preface Jamil Khoury
• Acknowledgments
• Chronology
• Introduction Michael Malek Najjar
• Back of the Throat
• Our Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat
• Language Rooms
• Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World
• Threesome
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Meet Abdallah and Ahmed: Musings about Arabs and Muslims in American Theater Yussef El Guindi
• Bibliography and Further Reading
• Copyright