DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX (March 29, 2023): Following the extended run of Spaceman by Leegrid Stevens, Amphibian Stage announced the full company of Baba (April 21 – May 7) and shares new insight on their next Main-Stage Production. Baba tells the story of an immigrant father and US-born daughter separated by 30 years, 6,000 miles, and the price of pursuing the American dream. This script was initially written for playwright Denmo Ibrahim to play both the father, Mohammed, and daughter, Layla. While the original production toured many times, the Amphibian Stage regional premiere marks the first time the play is reinvisioned with a new director, creative team, and two actors.
Recent Northwestern MFA graduate Hamid Dehghani will helm the production as director. Dehghani tells us how his own experience immigrating to the US inspired his fantastical and colorful approach to staging Baba. “I still remember the day I went to the US embassy in Ankara, Turkey, for my student visa interview. Dressed in my finest suit and having practiced my responses meticulously, I was determined not to make any mistakes. My future and dreams hinged on their decision. To the embassy staff, I was just another applicant with a mountain of paperwork on an ordinary day. My story resonates with the play Baba, written by Denmo Ibrahim, which tells the tale of an immigrant man, Mohammad, seeking document approval from an indifferent desk clerk. While I needed a visa, Mohammad seeks a passport for his daughter. In this production, we have crafted two distinct yet interconnected worlds. The first world emphasizes the stark power disparity and Mohammad’s isolation within the cold, bureaucratic realm of rules and regulations. Act two, set 30 years later, follows Layla’s journey to reunite with her father and explore her heritage. Traveling from the US to Egypt, her voyage is portrayed through vibrant color, light, and fantastical elements, guiding the audience through her inner transformation as she discovers the magic that calls her home.”
