Contemporary Plays from Iraq

James Al-Shamma is Assistant Professor of Theatre at Belmont University, where he started teaching in 2007. He teaches theatre history and literature, scriptwriting, film, improvisation and other courses. He directs at the university and is an artistic and producing partner for the Five Dollar Recession (FDR) Theatre Company. Dr. Al-Shamma’s principal areas of research are contemporary women playwrights and Arabic, and specifically Iraqi, theatre. He has published two books on American playwright Sarah Ruhl and has published articles in the Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism and The Eugene O’Neill Review. A. Al-Azraki is an Iraqi playwright.

Foreword

General introduction

Biographies

The Takeover by Hoshang Waziri
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A Cradle by Abdul-Kareem Al-Ameri
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Ishtar in Baghdad by Rasha Fadhil
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Summer Rain by Abdel-Nabi Al-Zaidi
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Romeo and Juliet in Baghdad by Monadhil Daoud Albayati
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Me, Torture, and Your Love by Awatif Naeem
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A Strange Bird on Our Roof by Abdul Razaq Al-Rubai
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Cartoon Dreams by Kareem Sheghaidil
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The Widow by A. Al-Azraki
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