Page 73 Presents: Sisyphus in Yaffa

Join us for a free reading of R. Forest Malley’s Sisyphus in Yaffa, directed by Sivan Battat. Following the reading, there will also be a conversation with Forest about his inspiration as well as a reception.

Thursday, November 20 at 7pm and Friday, November 21 at 4pm

The Flea
20 Thomas Street
New York, NY 10007

Because of our supporters, Page 73's readings are offered at no charge to the public. Reservations are required – and fill up quickly! Click below to reserve your seats.

About the Play

Harvard professor Walid Elsady is invited to deliver a keynote address at a conference not too far from his hometown of Damascus in the ancient port city of Yaffa--or, as it is better known in 2021, Tel Aviv. In denial of the risks involved, he arrives at Ben Gurion Airport with his wife and star student in tow, only to find himself detained without explanation. As he waits in limbo, Walid begins questioning the stories he has told--to his colleagues, to his wife, to himself--and the compromises he has made to succeed in the West.

About the Playwright

R. Forest Malley is a playwright and performer from Massachusetts. His work explores memory, migration, violence, queerness, divas, and his Arab and Jewish heritage. He was the winner of the 2024 Goldberg Play Prize for his play French Boy Cigarettes and a 2025 MacDowell Fellow and Yaddo Resident Artist. His work has also been recognized and supported by Theater Masters (Winner, 2022), Page 73 (Workshop, 2025; Member, 2024 Writers Group; Finalist, 2024 Playwriting Fellowship), The Bay Area Playwrights Festival (Finalist, 2025), The O’Neill National Playwrights Conference (Finalist, 2023 and Semi-Finalist, 2024) and The American Blues Theater (Finalist, 2025). He is currently a member of the SWANA Writer’s Co-Op and a Planet Fitness in Brooklyn. M.F.A: NYU Tisch School of the Arts ‘23; B.A: Harvard University ‘20.

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