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JACKALOPE THEATRE’S UNITED STATES PREMIERE OF
ESHO RASHO’S
DUMMY IN DIASPORA
IS NOW PLAYING THROUGH MARCH 23 AT THE BROADWAY ARMORY PARK
One Of The Hits Of The 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, these "Confessions of a Very American Boy,” a Solo Play Directed By Karina Patel, is Absurd. Raw. Untold. And Funny, Until it isn’t.
The running time is currently 70 minutes with no intermission
Jackalope Theatre Company’s 17th season continues with the United States premiere of one of the hits of the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Dummy in Diaspora, now playing through March 23, written and performed by Esho Rasho and directed by Karina Patel, at the Broadway Armory Park, 5917 N Broadway St. I'll be out for the Press Opening March 3rd.
The performance schedule is Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. The accessibility performance with audio description is Sunday, March 16 at 3 p.m. and the live captioning performance is Sunday, March 23 at 3 p.m.
Tickets are $15 - 35 with student and Edgewater resident discounts available. Subscription and single tickets are now available at JackalopeTheatre.org or call/text the box office at 773.340.2543.
Dummy in Diaspora is a coming-of-age solo play written and performed by Esho Rasho about a Middle Eastern American boy, Essa, whose parents are refugees. During its most recent run in the 2024 Edinburgh Festival, The Scotsman in its four-star review said Dummy in Diaspora is “brutally honest” and “chilling.” Essa confesses the experience of growing up in a country that doesn’t have a place for him. He navigates sexuality, the demands of a religion passed onto him from his parents, learning the English language, the fleetingness of youth and a nicotine demon that won't leave him alone.
“After premiering the show in the UK, I’m beyond excited to bring it to Chicago—the city the show was born in and the place that shaped me as an artist. Sharing this story with the Chicago community feels like such a gift,” said Esho Rasho. “While performing the show in Edinburgh, I kept hoping for the chance to bring it to Chicago in its fully developed form and I’m so grateful to be able to do that now with Dummy in Diaspora at Jackalope Theatre. The addition of Karina Patel's brilliant direction and our amazing design team makes this specific production even more special and fully fleshed.”
"We are thrilled to be hosting the United States premiere of this fantastic production. Chicago-based Esho Rasho is a phenomenal and absolutely magnetic performer in this tale. His story is both uniquely specific to him and surprisingly universal to so many who haven't felt like they culturally fit in,” added Artistic Director Kaiser Ahmed. “In his first written work, Esho's Dummy in Diaspora is a hilarious and touching experience that will warm the soul. I cannot wait to share it with audiences and to see what's next in store for this exciting artist."
ABOUT ESHO RASHO, PLAYWRIGHT/PERFORMER, DUMMY IN DIASPORA
Esho Rasho (he/him) is a Chicago-based actor and writer. His father is an Assyrian-Iraq refugee and his mother is an Assyrian-Lebanese immigrant. He is a graduate of the BFA in acting program at The Theatre School at DePaul University. His solo play, Dummy in Diaspora, which he wrote and performed, ran at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it received critical acclaim, earning four stars from The Scotsman, Broadway Baby, ThreeWeeks and Culture Fix UK. It was also given an "EXCELLENT SHOW" rating by Fringe Review and listed in a database of the best shows The Scotsman had seen at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He was a part of the 2024 “Criminal Queerness Playwriting Studio” cohort at The National Queer Theatre in New York and has also trained at The Second City Chicago.
ABOUT KARINA PATEL, DIRECTOR, DUMMY IN DIASPORA
Karina Patel (she/her) is a devised theatre artist, director and dramaturg originally from London, United Kingdom. She is currently the new works manager at Jackalope Theatre Company and literary associate at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Patel has developed new and devised work with The Story Theatre, The Understudy Chicago, APIDA Arts, TimeLine Theatre Company, Avalanche Theatre, Token Theatre, 24 Hour Plays and others. She has also served as an assistant director at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Court Theatre and the Repertory Theatre of St Louis.
ABOUT JACKALOPE THEATRE
Jackalope Theatre Company expands the definition of American Identity by engaging with communities to produce works that celebrate diverse perspectives. Jackalope is a premier home for new and exciting Off-Loop Theatre based in Chicago's Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods. They are committed to cultivating new voices that contribute to an expanding American culture and mythology. Each season, Jackalope produces full-length plays, new play development programming and provides free classes in partnership with the Chicago Park District.
MORE FROM JACKALOPE
WORLD PREMIERE
Neighborhood Watch
May 22 - June 28, 2025
Written by Rehana Lew Mirza
Directed by Artistic Director Kaiser Ahmed
Previews: Thursday, May 22 - Saturday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. and Monday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Performance schedule: Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:30 p.m.,
Sundays at 2:00 p.m.
The Broadway Armory, 5917 N Broadway
JackalopeTheatre.org/2024-2025-season
Tickets: $15 - $40
Neighborhood Watch is a sharp and heightened tale of islamophobia in an American suburb. Paul, a suburban family man, becomes so convinced that his new neighbor is a terrorist that in his pursuit to uncover the truth, he begins terrorizing his daughter and neighborhood.
16th Annual Living Newspaper Festival
August 21 - 25, 2025
Performance schedule: Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and Mondays at 7:30 p.m.
The Broadway Armory, 5917 N Broadway
JackalopeTheatre.org/2024-2025-season
Tickets: $15 - $35
The Living Newspaper Festival is inspired by the 1930s Living Newspapers of the Federal Theatre Project that created stories based on recent events. This year’s Festival will include one-act plays inspired from recent news headlines.
Performances, show times, dates are subject to change.
Jackalope Theatre expands American identity by engaging with our communities to produce works that celebrate diverse perspectives. Season 17 is made possible by the continued generosity of Season Sponsors Michael and Mona Heath.
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