Kunafa and Shay

About Kunafa and Shay

Kunafa and Shay focuses on Middle Eastern and North African (MENA)/Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre—highlighting classic and contemporary plays and theatremakers, spotlighting community-engaged work in the region and diaspora, and analyzing the past, present, and future of MENA/SWANA theatre in the United States. Theatre artists and scholars Nabra Nelson and Marina Johnson bring their own perspectives, research, and special guests in order to start a dialogue and encourage further learning and discussion. The name, Kunafa and Shay, invites you into the discussion in the best way we know how: with complex and delicious sweets like kunafa, and perfectly warm tea (or, in Arabic, shay). Kunafa and Shay is a place to share experiences, discuss ideas, and sometimes engage with our differences.

Publisher

Marina J. Bergenstock, Nabra Nelson, HowlRound Theatre Commons

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

31 Mar 2021

Latest episode

28 May 2026

Latest episodes

63 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 May 2026

   Golden Thread at Thirty: Looking Beyond 2026

   In the season finale, Marina and Nabra preview Golden Thread’s 2026 season, from Palestinian performance and stand-up comedy to new Arab American plays and ReOrient. They reflect on curation, community, and the future of Middle Eastern, North African, and Southwest Asian theatre.

2. 

   21 May 2026

   Inside the ReOrient Festival: Short Plays and Long-Term Impact

   This episode is a deep dive into Golden Thread’s ReOrient Festival and the MENATMA convening, exploring how short plays, artistic experimentation, and community infrastructure shape the evolving landscape of Middle Eastern, North African, and Southwest Asian theatre in the United States.

3. 

   14 May 2026

   Centering Women and Palestinian Solidarity at Golden Thread

   Marina and Nabra explore how Golden Thread Productions amplifies women’s voices and mobilizes global artistic solidarity through What Do the Women Say? and 24 Hours for Palestine, where performance becomes archive, resistance, and collective action.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Contact Kunafa and Shay

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.