PRESS
Press Quotes & Reviews
A DISTINCT SOCIETY Midwest Premiere
Some very skillful directorial decisions by Fahmy. The scene changes are little pieces of art that audiences would applaud except it would disrupt the action. — Life & Times Chicago
Fahmy’s words and direction are a beautifully balanced equation of the confusion, anger, and raw emotion of bigotry and nationalism. — Third Coast Review
[A] stellar production. Beautifully executed. Packs an enormous amount of theatrical excellence into the hour and a half run time — People & Places
THE FIFTH DOMAIN World Premiere
The show is beautifully staged [with] fine performances from all of the actors, who are well-directed by Kareem Fahmy. — Broadway World Baltimore
Kareem Fahmy directs the show at a brisk clip. A dramatically fun and exciting ride with top-notch acting. — DC Theatre Arts
FIREFLIES Utah Premiere
Sweet, simple, and sometimes sublime. The cast of stage and screen veterans fills out the characters with superbly nuanced, enjoyable performances, skillfully directed by Kareem Fahmy. — Broadway World
An absolute must-see. Fahmy's direction is clear through every moment of the play. What Fireflies is able to capture, that many similar plays fall flat of, is an intense realism. The house on stage instantly feels well lived-in. The characters are fully-dimensional real people. — Utah TheatreBloggers
A comforting, crowd-pleasing success. The appropriately low-key direction by Kareem Fahmy emphasizes quiet, simple moments. — Salt Lake Magazine
YASMINA'S NECKLACE New Jersey Premiere
Voted one of the Top 12 New Jersey Theatre Productions of 2019 by NJArts.com
A must-see. The play is superbly directed by Kareem Fahmy and features a cast that brings Malik's beautifully crafted, emotive, yet entertaining story to life. This production addresses timely issues with sensitivity, heart, and just the right amount of humor. — Broadway World
Director Kareem Fahmy adeptly keeps the action moving smoothly from location to location. Yasmina’s Necklace shows what often happens to refugees to America, haunted by their past as they attempt to establish a new life. — NJ Arts Maven
Director Kareem Fahmy has brought Ms. Malik’s vision to life in the most remarkable way through spot-on casting, great pacing of the realistic dialogue and smart staging. — Westfield Leader
Yasmina’s Necklace is an exquisite play, and it is an honor to see it. It is a work of rare skill and charm brought to life by an outstanding cast and a sensitive director. — Out in Jersey
REFUGE*MALJA*ملج World Premiere
The play depends on its flashbacks and lots of expeditionary dialogue to move its story along, but director Kareem Fahmy keeps a gentle pace so that the shifts in time and distance are clear. The opening night audience was captivated by the production’s ethereal nature. — Portland Press Herald
Though the show sometimes reels in its abundance of symbols and motifs the flavor of these scenes is richly imagined and their stagecraft strikingly realized. — Portland Phoenix
ALTERNATING CURRENTS World Premiere
The cast is delightful...thanks to strong direction by Kareem Fahmy, we don't miss a beat. The scenes flow together making this puzzle come together flawlessly. — Theater That Matters
Kareem Fahmy has expertly directed this helter-skelter through the many spaces of Electchester. — Stage Biz
Alternating Currents perceptively explores the messy realities of living and laboring in NYC, and, by extension, the United States today. — Culture Catch
THE MECCA TALES New York Premiere
Fahmy does an incredible job of charting the ever-shifting power dynamics between Mecca's characters by adjusting their positions and facings across the stage as if they were brushstrokes comprising a master painting. — BroadwayWorld
A stunning gem. This beautifully written theatrical piece by Rohina Malik featured a remarkable cast and the finest direction by Kareem Fahmy. — BroadwayWorld New Jersey
Malik's foregrounding of underrepresented voices enriches the tapestry of contemporary American theater. — Culture Catch
A touching, humorous look at a transformative religious journey, as seen through the eyes of women. — Edge Media
3/FIFTHS World Premiere
Visually and conceptually, “3/Fifths” is extraordinary. Relentlessly provocative, intricately imagined satire. — The New York Times
★★★★ The insidious brilliance of SupremacyLand lies in the way that Scruggs, along with directors Tamilla Woodard and Kareem Fahmy, co-opt the conventions of immersive theater to deliver a powerful message.The show offers what may be one of the most uncomfortable experiences you'll ever have at a theater—and that's precisely the point. — TimeOut
Disquieting, to say the least. — The New Yorker
Eye opening from moment to moment, the production is an act of great daring and discomfort. — The Village Voice
INDIAN HEAD World Premiere
Solidly directed by Kareem Fahmy, Indian Head is an insightful, effective, often wonderfully theatrical production. — NorthJersey.com
Timely, disturbingly thought provoking. Director Kareem Fahmy plays us like a violin, and this play remains with you. — QOnstage
THIS TIME World Premiere
This Time is a skillfully constructed, beautifully acted play about one woman’s quest for liberation. The director, Kareem Fahmy, makes the transitions seamless. — The New York Times, Critic's Pick
Director Kareem Fahmy creates some lovely moments... crafting a sad, nostalgic love letter to youthful, whirlwind romances. — Theater Is Easy
Fahmy’s swift staging wastes no time. This Time reveals itself a full-fledged tragedy, succeeding as an achingly human story. — HowlRound
Fahmy’s direction was clear, precise, and acute. Fahmy brought the requisite care and attention to a work that required extra sensitivity given the cultural specificity of the play. — Arab Stages
COURIERS AND CONTRABANDS World Premiere
Named one of Upstage-Downstage's Best Plays of 2015
A riveting theatrical experience, smartly directed by Kareem Fahmy, boasting a terrific ensemble of actors. — Talkin' Broadway
Masterfully designed and performed, with nuanced characters and writing. It flows wonderfully. — Quick Theatre
A penetrating, suspenseful spy drama. Seven effective cast members provide the fireworks under the savvy direction of Kareem Fahmy. — Wolf Entertainment Guide
A FIRST CLASS MAN World Premiere
This crowd-pleasing drama...entertains quite efficiently. — The New York Times
Director Fahmy has staged with grace and elegance, creating a lovely, involving, briskly paced, and entirely professional work of theatre. He is a talent to watch. — NYTheatre.com
LION IN THE STREETS
Director Kareem Fahmy is at once bold, firm, and delicate. Under his helming, the play's many shifts in tone are seamless, as are the interludes of dance, music, and movement. — TheaterMania
Fahmy has so cannily brought [the play] to life that audiences are in for a theatrical experience that is at once stimulating and cathartic. — OffOffOnline
Interviews & Features
6/22/2023 – DAILY HERALD: 'Country-spanning library inspires Writers Theatre's A Distinct Society'
4/4/2023 – BAY CITY NEWS: 'A Distinct Society: An American, Canadian and Iranian story all at once'
3/31/2023 – BROADWAYWORLD: 'Kareem Fahmy & Giovanna Sardelli of A Distinct Society Bring a New Play to Life That Makes the Political Personal'
10/26/2022 – OBSERVER: 'Dodi & Diana Asks if a Relationship Can Survive the Past'
10/7/2022 – OUR TOWN NY: 'Making a Middle Eastern Crazy Rich Asians'
10/4/2022 – NEWSWEEK: 'New Play Shines Light on Erasure of Dodi Fayed'
7/26/2022 – BROADWAYWORLD: 'Playwright Kareem Fahmy Discusses Dodi & Diana'
9/22/2021 – AMERICAN THEATRE: 'Come Back to the Theatre? First, We Need to Talk'
4/15/2021 – AMERICAN THEATRE: 'Seeking a Director of Color? Now There’s a Database for That'
10/24/2020 – ON STAGE BLOG: 'Kareem Fahmy on Bringing More Middle Eastern & Muslim Stories on Stage'
7/20/2020 – AMERICAN THEATRE: 'Meet the Leaders Who Are Already Reshaping the Field'
7/9/2020 – THE SARATOGIAN: 'Capital Rep New Play Readings Speak To Contemporary Issues'
7/8/2020 – THE DAILY GAZETTE: 'Cap Rep going virtual with New Play Summit'
2/17/2020 – I INTERVIEW PLAYWRIGHTS: 'Kareem Fahmy'
8/31/2019 – INWARD DIGEST: 'Kareem Fahmy: The Gift of Breadth'
6/1/2018 – ARAB STAGES: 'The Yacoubian Building Onstage: An Interview with Kareem Fahmy'
5/1/2018 – THE BROOKLYN RAIL: 'The Rooted Adventure of Target Margin: 1001 Nights in Sunset Park'
10/6/2017 – MUFTAH: 'The Mecca Tales: Telling Real Stories About Middle Easterners & Muslims on the American Stage'
10/6/2017 – CULTUREBOT: 'You’re Going To Do My Play And It’s Going To Be A Hit: The Mecca Tales Defies Stereotypes'
8/2/2017 – WINDY CITY TIMES: 'Directing Diversity'
5/26/2016 – HOWLROUND: 'Defiance Before Freedom: Rising Circle’s This Time'
5/5/2016 – CULTUREBOT: 'No Veils, No Headscarves – Reimagining the Middle Eastern Play with Kareem Fahmy and Sevan K. Greene'
3/29/2016 – AXS: 'Rising Circle presents This Time'
9/16/2015 – BACKSTAGE: 'The Inspiring Story Behind Couriers and Contrabands'
9/15/2015 – OUT MAGAZINE: New Civil War Play Couriers and Contrabands Explores the Performance of Race and Gender'
9/4/2015 – CULTUREBOT: 'Historical Subterfuge'
9/1/2015 – REVIEWFIX: 'Kareem Fahmy Talks Couriers and Contrabands'
6/30/2015 – ASK A DIRECTOR BLOG
6/21/2013 – WORKING THEATER DIRECTORS SALON BLOG: 'Q&A with The In-Between director Kareem Fahmy'
Podcasts
1/17/2024 – KUNAFA AND SHAY: 'Producing Queer MENA Theatre on the American Stage.'
6/21/2023 – AMERICAN THEATRE'S SUBTEXT PODCAST: 'Kareem Fahmy's Auteur Theory'
6/16/2023 – FANN: AMERICAN MUSLIM CREATIVE PROJECTS: 'Playwright Kareem Fahmy on Empowering Muslim Voices in Theater'
5/18/2023 – SILK ROAD INSTITUTE'S THE STORY SO FAR: Kareem Fahmy on grappling with multiple identities in his writing.
5/2/2023 – CITYSPEAKS: A NEW PLAY PODCAST: 'American Fast by Kareem Fahmy'
10/18/2022 – THEATRE GEEKS ANONYMOUS PODCAST: 'New Works Series: "Dodi & Diana"'
7/13/2020 – SANCTUARY FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA: 'An Interview with Playwright & Director Kareem Fahmy'
9/5/2019 – PLAY4KEEPS PODCAST: 'Friendship and collaboration: A conversation with Victor Lesniewski and Kareem Fahmy'
Kyle Knauf & Nathan Blew in
The Collected Works of Billy the Kid