In We Live in Cairo, the new musical by the duo The Lazours currently running at New York Theatre Workshop, a group of young people in Egypt set out to create a revolution. Based on the real-life Arab Spring in 2011, it's not a spoiler to say they succeed, only to discover that the work of maintaining progress and change, and hope, is much more difficult. For the six-member cast of We Live in Cairo, who are all Arab American, the show has been particularly poignant. And sharing one small dressing room backstage, they've all become close.

Below, cast member Drew Elhamalawy has provided Playbill with exclusive behind-the-scene photos of the show, including dressing room moments and pre-show rituals. Scroll down for photos and reflections from Elhamalawy and his castmates. Read more below.

Drew Elhamalawy: “My station is dressed with reminders of why I do this show. It is decorated with a photo of my parents, Polaroids from our first days of tech, a cartoonized version of us as our characters, the Egyptian flag, dried flowers, and a photo of my dad from when he was my age. To do this show every night, with these people, is an honor. What the six of us share is special. This show is special. This show will never be done like this again. This show is my love letter to the Arab world. This show is my love letter to those before me, to the martyrs of all revolution, to all Egypt has gifted us. This show is my love letter to Palestine. This show is part of my daily activism. This show is an act of protest. I am a gay Egyptian man, originating a role that is gay and Egyptian. I never thought that would happen. I love our show and the universe for bringing the six of us together.”

Rotana Tarabzouni: “I’m a huge introvert, and I tend to be very precious about my alone time and pre-show rituals. For We Live in Cairo, our shared dressing room is essentially a line of table and chairs with curtains—alone time is not exactly possible. And it turns out, that’s exactly what I needed. My show prep is being in community with these fellow Arab actors that I have come to love like family. I want to be all up in their faces before the show. I want to know how their day has gone and what’s on their minds and hearts in this moment we’re in as Arabs in America. We are doing a show about liberation and revolution at a time where the world is so desperately trying to figure that out. My grounding is in the laughter, breath, frustration, goofing around and all the love we share backstage as a family. That is something I know is real in this moment that I can hold onto, and I’m so grateful for it.”

Ali Louis Bourzgui: “In a space as intimate as NYTW, the dressing rooms are tight and right behind the stage, which creates a lovely safe little corner for the eight of us to share in laughter, check ins, and support before we head into such an emotional show. It’s a safe space, and I cherish goofing off, warming up in tandem (or sometimes in complete dissonance, much to the dismay of the backstage crew) and sharing in deep breaths. I like to take a moment to emotionally and physically connect with my guitar before heading on, too, as it becomes an extra limb in this show and an extension of my soul. Treating the objects we use on stage with the same amount of care as we treat our fellow actors gives them a weight and importance that translates in the minute details of the story.” 

Nadina Hassan: “This show has given me gifts I couldn’t even dream up because I didn’t know they were possible, one of them being the gift of my incredible castmates. This love is so big on and off stage. It’s a cast filled with remarkable humans, profound artists, and great thinkers. And while each of our cultures are different, we get another immense gift that is to share in the Venn diagram of crossovers the countries of the Arab world DO have and celebrate our identities together. Again, a gift I couldn’t even dream up. Truly before shows, we like to just be together. Each other is what grounds us and puts us into the world, so as simple as sitting and talking and laughing with one another roots our feet to the ground in such a supportive way.” 

Michael Khalid Karadsheh: “Part of the joy of this show is bringing the world of Egypt in 2011 to the stage every night. I normally like to curate my station with little trinkets that remind me of who my character is and what he carries with him into the space every night. Because the backstage is so intimate, I’ve actually had the opportunity to find activation through the small things that my castmates place at their stations as well. While we are creating six unique characters, we are also creating a family and a whole world together that is so deeply interconnected. I can visit my fellow castmates’ stations and remind myself of the joy, and the pain, and the struggle that we all hold, and honor that as we embody this story together.”

John El-Jor: “There’s something so intimate and sacred about showing up to a scruffy dressing room that’s divided by a curtain held together by magnets. I love that we refuse to keep that curtain closed—it’s a testament to the space that we’ve created with the six of us. I imagine this is how it felt when RENT first came about at NYTW: defiant, lived in, scruffy yet glamorous, and most of all it feels like home. May our dressing room rituals never die. May all the incredible crew continue to be gleefully annoyed by our warmups and loud noises, may We Live in Cairo go down as the greatest dressing room and community to ever grace New York City.” 

We Live in Cairo has been extended at New York Theatre Workshop. It will now play until November 27. NYTW has also launched a new ticketing initiative, 10 Bucks X 10 Blocks. Local residents who live in a 10-block radius of NYTW can register to purchase $10 tickets in the front row for any Saturday or Sunday performance.

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Photos: Exclusive Look Backstage at We Live in Cairo

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