IRAQ, BUT FUNNY by Atra Asdou at Lookingglass Theater
​
May 29 -July 20,2025

A raucous satire about five generations of Assyrian women reclaiming their stories, as narrated by a British guy. Making its world premiere at Lookingglass Theatre, Ensemble Member Atra Asdou’s original dark comedy jauntily marches through The Ottoman Empire to modern-day U.S.A. exploring history, family, and dysfunction.
JEFF AWARD WINNER 2025 : NEW WORK //  PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE // PROJECTION DESIGN
NOMINATED: PRODUCTION - LARGE 
CREATIVE:
ATRA ASDOU
Writer 
​DALIA ASHURINA
Director
OMID AKBARI
Scenic Designer
CHRISTIE CHILES TWILLIE
Sound Designer
CHRISTINE A. BINDER
Lighting Designer
MARA BLUMENFELD
Costume Designer
AVI AMON
Composer
MICHAEL SALVATORE COMMENDATORE
Projection Designer
ISABEL PATT
Stage Manager
NAYSAN MOJGANI
Dramaturg
CAST:
​SUSAAN JAMSHIDI
Actor 1
GLORIA IMSEIH PETRELLI
Actor 2
JAMES RANA
Actor 3
SINA POORESMAEIL
Actor 4
ATRA ASDOU
Actor 5
Praise for IRAQ, BUT FUNNY 
"This is a work of genius"- Chicago Stage and Screen 

"Exhilarating. thought-provoking, and truly witty" - Chicago Reader

"Trailblazing play 'Iraq, But Funny' is Both Hilarious and Heartfelt" - Newsweek 

“a show to see… multiple times.” - The Fourth Walsh 

“Iraq, But Funny” will join “The Arabian Nights” and “Metamorphoses” at the top of the Lookingglass canon. It is not to be missed." - New City Stage 

"If I were a scout looking for colossal young talent, I’d jump on a plane, buy a ticket and see what Asdou can do." - Chicago Tribune

"Asdou is both the creator and star of the show. She zings punch lines, improvs with the audience and delivers a badass Jennifer Coolidge impression. Asdou is nonstop comedic relief from the atrocious facts she is presenting." - Block Club Chicago

UNCLE JOHN AND THE DEMON OF THE WOODS at Ars Nova ANTFEST - June 18th 

Led by Uncle John and his niece Sonya, a band of musicians attempt a ritual to contact the spirit of their sister and mother through song. The sound of wind rattles the cabin walls and shakes the door handles. There are rumors of a demon in the woods beyond. Who or what is the ghost that haunts this forest? A song cycle of folk music performed by the band Go Home, a theatricalized concert, and a ritual seance based on the characters and narrative of Anton Chekov’s Uncle Vanya.

Three Tall Persian Women by Awni Abdi-Bahri at Shakespeare and Co.

​​September - October 2024 

Video and Photo Credit to Maggie Hall/Shakespeare & Company / Katie McKellick .
Playwright - Awni Abdi-Bahri
Director -   Dalia Ashurina 
Cast:  Awni Abdi-Bahri  - Golnar
Lanna Joffrey  - Mamani
Afsheen Misaghi  - Shayan
Niousha Noor  - Nasrin 

Scenic Designer -  Omid Akbari 
Lighting Designer - Erika Johnson 
Costume Designer -  Andrea Herrera
Sound Designer -  Bryn Scharenberg
Intimacy Director - Atalanta Siegel  
Production Stage Manager - Anthony Feola
​Rehearsal Stage Manager -  Amelia Heastings.

UPCOMING: Letters From Almeda: A Song Cycle

Conceived by: Jesse J. Sanchez
​Music: Jesse J. Sanchez
Lyrics: Jesse J. Sanchez & Sami Horneff
Development Director: Dalia Ashurina

Synopsis:
“Letters from Almeda” is an original song cycle that weaves together the voices of Southern Oregon residents, first responders, and volunteers who lived through and helped during the devastating 2020 Almeda Fire. Through a powerful combination of original music and spoken testimonials, the piece explores themes of loss, survival, community, resilience, and hope. Designed to be both a deeply personal and universally relatable experience, the song cycle takes the audience from the calm before the fire, through the harrowing realities of evacuation, and ultimately to the hope and heartbreak of rebuilding.
The work incorporates a diverse range of musical styles—folk, indie, blues, electronic, mariachi, traditional Broadway, and eclectic vocal arrangements—to offer a poignant and multifaceted reflection on the human cost of disaster, as well as the strength found in recovery. My goal is to create an opportunity for both local engagement and universal reflection on how we cope with trauma, rebuild from devastation, and work toward preventing such disasters in the future.


Input/Output by Adam Rothenberg and RJ Christian

Omar Bashir, Back to My Assyrian Roots

UNDERSTUDIES, a pilot by Awni Abdi-Bahri and Dalia Ashurina

Edessa of Baghdad by Dalia Ashurina and Avi Amon, directed by Sivan Batat 

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

Backlash by Julia ​Pugachevsky

Machinal by Sophie Treadwell 

Essie Spec Commercial 

Peel by Go Home 

Abraham's Daughters by Emma Goldman-Sherman

Ava Maria by Anne Flanigan