EVREN ODCIKIN
World Premiere
WE SWIM, WE TALK, WE GO TO WAR
by Mona Mansour
Golden Thread Productions, San Francisco, CA (2018)
While trying to navigate the currents of the Pacific, an Arab-American woman and her nephew, who has enlisted in the military, dive into the murky waters of family, identity, and politics. Adventurous and playful, We Swim takes the form of a literal conversation on stage, and expands into a nuanced dialogue about what it means to be American, Arab, and Arab-American at our current moment in time.
Theatre Bay Area Awards Recommended Production
"HIGHEST RATING! Each time the play, directed by Evren Odcikin, steps out of and then back inside a frame it’s established, it feels like the only possible move the show could make."
—San Francisco Chronicle
"Under Odcikin’s assured direction, scenes play out quite nicely, among them a balletic, surreal fight."
—San Francisco Examiner
"Under Odcikin's assured direction, the production has caught the tenor of the times."
—Free Audience
"A masterful touch... We loved the evocative swimming choreography."
—SF Theater Blog
"Excellently choreographed… Odcikin’s direction is to be commended."
—For All Events
"Compelling... Odcikin handles the play's changes of pace and places handily."
—Mercury News
“Working on a bare-bones unit set enhanced by projections, Odcikin has done an impressive job of shaping the conversations.”
—My Cultural Landscape
Cast
Tre'Vonne Bell, Joshua Chessin-Yudin, Adam El-Sharkawi, Sarah Nina Hayon
Creative Team
Hala Baki (assistant director), Cassie Barnes (lighting designer), Kate Boyd (scenic designer), Sara Huddleston (sound designer), Mona Kasra (projection designer), Michelle Mulholland (costume designer), Carla Pantoja (fight choreographer), Slater Penney (movement specialist), Karen Runk (stage manager), Benjamin Shiu (assistant stage manager), Chris Swartzel (technical director), Grisel Torres (production manager)