Mourning Sun
About the show
Set in Ethiopia and New York, 'Mourning Sun' is a love story that spans continents and cultures. More…
At 14, Biftu and Abdi listen to American pop music and fantasize about meeting Michael Jackson. Then Biftu is forced into an arranged marriage and her dreams and her body are shattered. This explosive new play explores trauma and recovery, dislocation and identity, and the power of human connection.
"More than just an 'issue play,' 'Mourning Sun' sheds light on a preventable medical condition, but does so with a level head and a full heart...Yet for all its level-headed eye-opening, 'Mourning Sun' truly comes to life in the second act...'Mourning Sun' moves from a solid play to a great one; the penultimate scene is especially powerful—incredibly unexpected yet also somehow dramaturgically perfect, and one of the most moving portrayals of cross-cultural empathy I have seen on stage." Full Review
"Theatre 167 once again presents an intriguing, global and universal new work...This was a long, beautiful show followed by a lively talkback session...Jessica Raye Court’s costumes are beautifully distinctive. Jen Price Fick’s set design is functional and makes the places we leave seem pleasantly transparent." Full Review
"A beautifully acted new play…It was sometimes hard to follow completely, due both to language and leaps in the plotting. But, thanks to the direction by Ari Laura Kreith and the acting of the seven-member cast, the play is not easily summed up or dismissed...'Mourning Sun' winds up satisfying in surprising ways." Full Review
"What begins as a fascinating cultural case study turns into an unfortunate romantic drama...It’s one thing transporting across continents but transporting it to a new genre and style was detrimental to the promise that [playwright] Yacob truly has...[Director] Kreith’s focus was telling a story and she did solid work in storytelling no matter what the script threw at her." Full Review
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