Back of the Throat is a play written by Arab-American playwright Yussef El Guindi. The play reflects the fear of the Arab-American community in the post-9/11 America.[1] [2]
It was first performed by San Francisco's Thick Description and Golden Thread Productions in April 2005.[3] [4] [5]
It was performed in 2005 in Seattle,[2] in 2006 at The Flea Theater in New York City under direction of Jim Simpson,[6] [7] and has also been produced in other locations, including Chicago,[8] Pasadena, California (Los Angeles area),[9] [10] and London.[11]
The play won the 2004 Northwest Playwrights' Competition held by Theater Schmeater,[2] L.A. Weekly's Excellence in Playwriting Award for 2006, was nominated for the 2006 American Theater Critics Association's Steinberg/New Play Award, and was voted Best New Play of 2005 by the Seattle Times.[3]
The play is an approximately 75 minute one-act production, about a young Arab-American (Khaled) confined to his home by two government agents.[9] The questioning of Khaled intensifies as the play progresses, with seemingly every item in his apartment a potential source of suspicion. It is revealed that his girlfriend first reported him for seeming suspicious in light of recent "attacks" which have occurred.[9]
The play's title is a reference to the pronunciation of the Arabic “K” in Khaled’s name.[9]