Back of the Throat

Khaled, a young Arab-American, is visited in his apartment by two government officials and interrogated about an act of terrorism. This award-winning play by Seattle-based playwright Yussef El Guindi — described as “Kafkaesque” by the Seattle Times — reflects the fear and suspicion that followed the Sept. 11 attacks and questions what we’ve learned to accept in the post-Patriot Act United States. The play was first staged in 2005, when the shadow of terrorism felt more urgent in the U.S., but the theme of privacy vs. security is hardly outdated. (See: NSA leaks.) The Stage Left production, presented as a staged reading, is directed by Robert Nelson.