Description
WRITTEN BY
Ensemble Member Sadieh Rifai
DIRECTED BY
Alex Mallory
PERFORMANCE RUN
EXTENDED through March 16, 2025
SEASON
Season 32
World Premiere!
Amidst breaking news of the first Gulf War, tragedy forces a Palestinian-American family to move from Las Vegas to Columbus, Ohio, upending their lives. Jamil struggles to hold himself and his family together as the world becomes unbalanced and terror can no longer be buried behind closed doors. Sadieh Rifai’s thriller of a new play examines how a family across cultures and generations leans into love and humor in the face of global turmoil and a fracturing American dream.
CAST
Jamil | H. Adoni Esho
Noor | Milla Liss
Bonnie | Artistic Director Kirsten Fitzgerald*+
Dema | Aaliyah Montana
Gail | Ashley Neal
Neil | Founding Ensemble Member Guy Van Swearingen*+
Actor on TV/Omar | Omer Abbas Salem
Grandpa | Ensemble Member John Judd*+
Grandma | Ensemble Member Natalie West*+
u/s Jamil | Mohammad N. ElBsat
u/s Bonnie | Tatiana Pavela
u/s Dema & Noor | Iman Kamel
u/s Gail & Grandma | Melissa Van Kersen
u/s Neil & Grandpa | Paul Murray
u/s Actor on TV/Omar | Faiz Siddique
CREATIVE TEAM
Playwright | Ensemble Member Sadieh Rifai*
Director | Alex Mallory
Scenic Designer | Sotirios Livaditis^
Asst. Scenic Designer | Joe Johnson
Costume Designer | Kotryna Hilko
Lighting Designer | Ensemble Member Mike Durst*^
Master Electrician | Duncan Hon
Sound Designer | Joe Court^
Props Designer | Julia Alvarez
Projections/Video Designer | Eme Ospina-López
Violence Director/Armorer | David Gonzalez
Dialect & Language Coach and Cultural Consultant | Ronnie Malley
Wig Designer | Hannah Andruss
Technical Director | Tom Daniel
Stage Manager | JC Widman+
Asst. Stage Manager | Faith Locke
2nd Asst. Stage Manager | Casey Fort
Production Manager | Patrick Starner
Assistant Director & Intimacy Director | Victoria Nassif
Dramaturg | Yasmin Zacaria Mikhaiel
Script Supervisor | Peter Ruiz
Casting Assistant | Kyle Stoffers
* Ensemble Member of A Red Orchid Theatre
+ Member of Actor’s Equity Association, Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers
Jeff Recommended!
Excavating family drama in The Cave – Chicago Reader Preview
Sadieh Rifai interview with South Asian Avant-Garde (SAAG) Anthology
Sadieh Rifai interview with Block Club Chicago
★★★ “I’ve long loved the warmth and empathy Rifai brought to her acting so it’s no surprise that her play has much the same qualities…a most intriguing (and, trust me, moving) work…from one of Chicago’s most gifted artists, put on by a generous creative ensemble” – Chicago Tribune
“The Cave marks Sadieh Rifai as a playwright to watch…so many moments of pure honesty, humor, pain, and revelation” – Chicago Reader
“A brave and beautiful story…There is so much in this play: how hard cross cultural marriages can be, how much violence is a part of our culture and how devastating trauma can be for a family” – Chicago Stage and Screen
“This production is directed with so much empathy and fire by Alex Mallory. It’s performed by a talented cast of skilled and focused actors and supported with technical expertise by a crew of gifted theatre artists.” – Chicago Theatre Review
Content advisory: Adult language, artificial blood, sudden light changes, flashing lights, sounds of gunfire and war, and the appearance of a firearm.
A Red Orchid Theatre recognizes that sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have questions about the content, age-appropriateness, or stage effects of a show, please email us at audience@aredorchidtheatre. org or call 312-943-8722.
Photos by Evan Hanover
Production Sponsors
Heidi Graham
Jane P. Madden
Developmental Sponsor
Kate Gray
Impact Partner
