By: Tally Daniels
Urban Stages is set to bring Yussef El Guindi’s acclaimed play People of the Book to New York City for the first time this October, and the anticipation is palpable. Directed by John Langs, this production will run from October 4 to November 3, 2024, at Urban Stages, with an opening night on October 10. The play dives into the tangled web of personal relationships, war, truth, and deception, set against the backdrop of a war-torn world and the aftermath of conflict. It raises profound questions about the personal and national cost of lies.
Born in Egypt, raised in London, and now based in Seattle, Yussef El Guindi has long been a leading voice in exploring the intersection of culture, politics, and identity in the Arab-American experience. Known for his sharp insights into the collision of ethnicities and national narratives, his body of work has won numerous accolades, including the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award and the Middle East America Distinguished Playwright Award. People of the Book follows his signature style, interweaving complex, humanized characters into a larger examination of truth, friendship, and national identity.
Photo Courtesy: Ann Margaret Johnson Photography
Yussef El Guindi
In an interview, El Guindi shared the inspiration behind People of the Book. Writing about the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had long been a daunting task, as his emotions about the subject often overwhelmed him. But one day, “characters started chatting away,” he explained. The spark for the play came when he realized that these characters were waiting for an old classmate, Jason, who had written a book about his experiences at war. Through this narrative, El Guindi found his way into a conversation about truth, patriotism, and the narratives that nations choose to tell. “That was how I was going to wade into the wars without getting bogged down in my own personal feelings about them,” he shared.
The play centers on Jason, a soldier-turned-author whose bestselling book about the war brings him celebrity. His fame is complicated by his marriage to Madeeha, an Iraqi woman he saved during the war, and his reunion with old friends Amir and Lynn. As they grapple with Jason’s patriotic American narrative, tensions rise, revealing the personal and political costs of lies. At its heart, People of the Book asks, “What is the expense of lies—personally and as a country?”
El Guindi’s exploration of immigration and cultural conflict, which threads through much of his work, is embodied in Madeeha’s character. She reflects the playwright’s own experience as an immigrant, constantly testing the boundaries of belonging and identity. “The character of Madeeha continues that journey of further exploring what it means to migrate, willingly or not, outside one’s own culture,” El Guindi noted. Her presence in the play adds a layer of complexity, examining the cost of displacement and the power dynamics at play in a marriage built on rescue and war.
The New York premiere of People of the Book is a milestone for El Guindi. Though a seasoned playwright with many productions across the U.S., bringing his work to New York City represents a new challenge. Reflecting on the significance of this moment, El Guindi shared his excitement and gratitude: “I am of course thrilled that Frances Hill and the people at Urban Stages have taken on this play.” He is eager to see how New York audiences will react to a story that he admits might provoke strong responses. As a playwright accustomed to Seattle’s theatergoers, he confessed that he’s uncertain how the play will land in a city with such a unique political and cultural atmosphere. “Perhaps there isn’t much of a difference with Seattle audiences,” he mused. “Or maybe there is.”
John Langs, the director of the production, has been a key collaborator for El Guindi. Their partnership began in Seattle, where People of the Book had a successful run at ACT Theatre. Langs brings an open and collaborative approach to his work, which El Guindi greatly appreciates. “John Langs listens to the entire creative team. Including the playwright,” El Guindi emphasized. This mutual respect and understanding have allowed the play to flourish, with Langs contributing invaluable insight into the shaping of the production.
As the play moves from Seattle to New York, it remains largely unchanged, save for a few adjustments to the set. But as with any production, the previews may bring new surprises. The evolving nature of theater is something El Guindi embraces, trusting that the characters and their story will guide him as they have done from the beginning.
At its core, People of the Book critiques the way war narratives are constructed and consumed in Western culture. El Guindi was struck by how mainstream narratives about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars often centered on the emotional and physical journeys of Western soldiers while the native populations became mere “props and fodder” in the larger heroic arc of the soldier’s journey. “Naturally, this bugged me,” he admitted. His play offers a counterpoint to these narratives, centering the complexity of the relationships between those affected by war, both on and off the battlefield.
Looking forward, El Guindi is already at work on a new project about political activists responding to the crisis in Gaza, a subject that has preoccupied him deeply in recent months. As always, his work will likely reflect the intricate intersections of personal and political life, offering audiences another thought-provoking exploration of truth, identity, and the human cost of conflict.
With People of the Book, Yussef El Guindi invites New York audiences into a world where lies unravel, relationships strain, and the complexities of war are laid bare. As Urban Stages prepares to raise the curtain, the play promises to be a gripping exploration of the personal and political costs of the stories we tell ourselves and each other.
Catch People of the Book at Urban Stages from October 4 to November 3, 2024. Tickets and more information are available at UrbanStages.org.
Published by: Martin De Juan
