An image seen in an international relations lecture – depicting a group of young Egyptian activists uploading photos and videos onto a Mac during the unfolding uprising below on Tahrir Square – became the impetus for “We Live in Cairo”, a musical show currently premiering at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, US. Directed by Egyptian-American Taibi Magar and written by Patrick and Daniel Lazour, two brothers of Lebanese descent, the impressive piece follows six young activists, as they navigate the jubilant 2011 revolution and its bleak aftermath: the tumultuous two years that included a military coup and a violent crackdown. By capturing this seminal moment in Egypt, “We Live in Cairo” focuses on the inspiring ways in which a youth and social media powered rebellion was able to overthrow a president who had been in power for 30 years. “Every day that we work on this musical, we are inspired by the revolutionaries of Egypt—those men and women who broke the wall of fear and risked their lives for their beautiful home,” reads the creative team’s contribution to the brochure. There were a couple of factors that compelled Obie…
“We Live in Cairo”: a Musical Rendition of the Egyptian Revolution Comes to the US Stage
May 30, 2019
