First Look $27 (incl. a $2 fee): Sept. 12 & 13

Home? A Palestinian Woman's Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness

Archived Show

Overview

Produced by:: San Francisco Playhouse in association with Voices Festival Productions and The New York Arab American Comedy Festival
Dates:: September 12 - October 11, 2025
Run Time:: 1 Hour, 30 Minutes
Intermission:: No
Theater:: Showing in Theater
Tickets:: $32 (incl. a $2 fee) | 59E59 Members: $25

Show Info

Written and performed by Hend Ayoub
Directed by Carey Perloff

In Israel, she’s Palestinian. In the Arab world, she’s Israeli. In America, she’s an “other.”

Through a panoply of vivid characters including her five-year-old self, an Egyptian casting director, her dying mother, and many others, Home? follows the true story of Hend Ayoub's journey to define her identity and find a place where she belongs. With warmth and humor, her poignant struggle asks: In a world divided by nationality and ethnicity, where is home for those caught between worlds?

Home? was commissioned and developed by San Francisco Playhouse. Original workshop production presented by Voices Festival Production as part of its 2022 Voices From a Changing Middle East Festival: Losing/Finding Home. Developed by Noor Theatre as part of its Highlight Reading Series. With support from The NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre by the City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment in association with The New York Foundation for the Arts.

Join us for post-show talkbacks following these performances:

Wednesday, September 17 at 7:30 PM with Rula Jebreal and Dean Obeidallah
Tuesday, September 23 at 7:30 PM with Aasif Mandvi and Dean Obeidallah
Saturday, September 27 at 2:30 PM with Jim Nicola and Alexandra Aron
Tuesday, September 30 at 7:30 PM with Gili Getz, Jenni Lawson, and Alisa Solomon
Wednesday, October 1 at 7:30 PM with Judith Sloan, Najla Said, and Dean Obeidallah
Sunday, October 5 at 2:30 PM with Peter Beinart and Dean Obeidallah
Thursday, October 9 at 7:30 PM with Murad Awawdeh, Maysoon Zayid, and Dean Obeidallah

Hend

Ayoub

Kiki Hood,

Scenic Design

Lex Noseworthy,

Costume & Properties Design

Michael Palumbo,

Lighting Design

James Ard,

Sound Design

Spenser Matubang,

Video Design

Ant Priola,

Production Stage Manager

Hend Ayoub in HOME? A PALESTIAN WOMAN'S PURSUIT OF LIFE, LIBERTY & HAPPINESS — Photo Caption: Hend Ayoub in HOME? A PALESTINIAN WOMAN'S PURSUIT OF LIFE, LIBERTY & HAPPINESS
Photo: Jessica Palopoli

Photo Caption: Hend Ayoub in HOME? A PALESTINIAN WOMAN'S PURSUIT OF LIFE, LIBERTY & HAPPINESS
Photo: Jessica Palopoli

Producing Company

San Francisco Playhouse

San Francisco Playhouse's mission is to share stories that uplift spirits, deepen self-awareness, and nurture compassionate community.

Reviews

"Home? puts wit and warmth on the map"
"Ayoub herself projects a radiant presence... Effortlessly shifting from English to Hebrew to Arabic and back again, Ayoub offers herself as a living example of how letting the global air in helps us all to breathe more healthfully." – Washington Post

"Entertaining and essential... Ayoub has a remarkable ability to perform a staggering variety of characters" – DC Theater Arts

"She's a captivating performer... Her fluency in Hebrew, Arabic and English underscores both her ability to adapt to her surroundings and her uneasy footing in any one of them." –Roger Catlin, BroadwayWorld

"This Palestianian woman's solo show insists on hope over hate" – San Francisco Chronicle

"Ayoub's words spend most of their capital making the case for humanity and her script does a stellar job" – KQED

"Hend carefully bridges the political horrors with a story of hope and fortitude"
"Mixing humor into the mostly sad story of discrimination and cultural alienation, Home? will resonate with today's anti-immigrant atmosphere." – Steve Murray, BroadwayWorld

"A gripping journey"
"She lifts our spirits with delightful moments of hilarity. Yet, there is no denying the serious story underneath." – Theatrius

"Remarkably entertaining... very personal story, told with humor and heartbreak"
"There is no question you should see this enlightening and entertaining theatrical experience." – Talkin' Broadway

"Ayoub inhabits a vast assortment of characters that are infused with inherent life" – Bay City News

"Ayoub's personal story about trying to live and find levity under crushing political and social circumstances is something a lot of people want to, and should, see right now."
"Playwright and star Hend Ayoub's life story eschews taking a strong political stance and instead relates the challenges of trying to fulfill your dreams while living under oppression–and gets laughs." – TheaterMania

"Home? is a touching contribution to an ongoing dialogue"
"Hend's nuance is tremendous, as is her pain–which deserves recognition."
"Doing a solo show that is so raw and real from her own perspective is a genuine act of courage" – Pages on Stages