
Director | Playwright | Screenwriter
Kareem is a member of the WarnerMedia Access Writers Program and is a commissioned playwright at Artists Repertory Theatre, Colt Coeur, and Ensemble Studio Theatre. He is is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Middle Eastern American Writers Lab. Member: SDC.
Kareem is the creator of the BIPOC Director Database which can be accessed HERE. To read the American Theatre article about the Database, click HERE.

KAREEM FAHMY is a Canadian-born, New York-based theatre director, playwright, and screenwriter. He was named a TCG
"Rising Leader of Color." He was a Janet Sloane Literature Fellow at Yaddo, a Classical Directing Fellow at The Old Globe, a Sundance Theatre Lab Fellow, the Phil Killian Directing Fellow at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and a National Directors Fellow.
JULY 5-31, 2022
THE FIFTH DOMAIN by Victor Lesniewski
Contemporary American Theatre Festival, Shepherdstown, WV
An exciting world premiere
Removed from his position at the National Security Agency, Troy latches onto a new opportunity—one he can’t refuse. But his eagerness blinds him to the unintended repercussions of cyberwar. Is cyberspace the battlefield of the future? Does our nation’s security depend on recognizing this threat? This thriller reflects on patriotism and government accountability in our digital age. [TICKETS]
JUNE 22 - JULY 23, 2023
A DISTINCT SOCIETY by Kareem Fahmy
Writers Theatre, Glencoe, IL
My Chicago debut as both director and playwright
A quiet library that straddles the border of the U.S. and Canada becomes an unlikely crucible for five people from around the world. When an Iranian family, separated from one another by the "Muslim ban," uses the library as a meeting place, the head librarian, a U.S. border patrol officer and a local teenager must choose between breaking the law and saving themselves. [LEARN MORE]
AMERICAN FAST | 2022 WOODWARD/NEWMAN AWARD
American Fast is the winner of the 2022 Woodward/Newman Award, named for Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman
NYSCA/NYFA ARTIST FELLOW IN PLAYWRITING
JANUARY – JUNE, 2023
AMERICAN FAST | NNPN ROLLING WORLD PREMIERE
Artists Repertory Theatre, Portland, OR
City Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
InterAct Theatre, Philadelphia, PA
JANUARY – APRIL, 2023
A DISTINCT SOCIETY | WORLD PREMIERE
Pioneer Theatre Company, Salt Lake City, UT
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, CA
A Distinct Society will receive a co-world premiere at Salt Lake City's Pioneer Theatre and Palo Alto's TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, directed by Giovanna Sardelli.
MARCH 2023
AMERICAN FAST | CARDINAL STAGE
American Fast will receive a production at Bloomington, Indiana's Cardinal Stage, directed by Reena Dutt.
JULY, 2021 – MARCH, 2022
WARNERMEDIA ACCESS WRITERS PROGRAM
CURRENT PLAYWRITING COMMISSIONS
ARTISTS REPERTORY THEATRE — Portland, OR
American Fast
COLT COEUR — NYC
Dodi & Diana
ENSEMBLE STUDIO THEATRE/SLOAN COMMISSION
Riparian States
American Fast will receive a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere in the '22-'23 season. Directors: Chip Miller (Artists Rep), Jennifer Chang (City Theatre), Seth Rozin (InterAct)
Selected out of 3000 applicants, I'm thrilled to be a part of the '21-'22 cohort of the WarnerMedia Access Writers Program, where I'm developing a new television pilot. This program aims to amplify under-represented voices in the world of TV writing.
I’m proud to be a 2022 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Playwriting. Looking forward to using the unrestricted cash award to support the development of my new plays.
NNPN NOTES FOR THE FIELD
On The Care & Feeding of Freelance Artists in the American Theatre
AMERICAN THEATRE MAGAZINE
Meet the Leaders Who Are Already Reshaping the Field
THE SANCTUARY FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
An interview with playwright & director Kareem Fahmy
ONSTAGE BLOG
Kareem Fahmy on Bringing More Middle Eastern & Muslim Stories on Stage
Justice Nnanna & Sammy Noor in The Triumphant