Theatrius
  • Now Playing
  • All Reviews
  • Writers
  • Reflections
  • Millennial Notes
  • Join Us
  • About Us
  • Search Icon

Theatrius

Theater Reviews—San Francisco and Beyond

“Hotter Than Egypt” Forges Comedy from Marital & Political Revolt—at MTC

“Hotter Than Egypt” Forges Comedy from Marital & Political Revolt—at MTC

April 11, 2022 bdhorwitz

Yussef El Guindi Unveils Rampant Imperialism behind Tourism

by Barry David Horwitz

In a swank hotel in Cairo, a wealthy, anxious older couple from Wisconsin has hired a young Egyptian couple as their tour guides. “Hotter than Egypt” clips along at a witty pace as two couples try to figure each other out. Oh, and there’s a revolution going on outside in Cairo’s main square.

Playwright Yussef El Guindi builds a fascinating parallel between love and rebellion. It’s a double revolution: personal and political.

Designer Carey Wong sets the comic tone with a ridiculously tall and clearly fake palm tree. The vast luxury suite and the tour boat on the Nile make rich fun of tourists in Egypt. When they visit the museum, a giant sphinx head descends as if commenting on the farcical actions below. The sphinx’s stony look fits perfectly with the political timebomb of “Hotter Than Egypt.”

Paul Morgan Stetler (Paul), Jen Taylor (Jean), Ahmad Kamal (Boatman). Photos by Kevin Berne

The reluctant young tour guide Seif (hilarious Wasim No’mani) resents the tourists and is focused on Egypt. A revolutionary at heart, he identifies with the protesters. In Yussef El Guindi’s play, political uprising resonates with the women’s rebellions.

Trapped in the violent uprising, U.S. wife Jean (intriguing Jen Taylor)  insists on finding refuge in Seif’s small room. The play exposes their needs and doubts. It’s not easy being a rich tourist, but it’s harder still for the destitute Egyptian couple to resist the seductive call to riches and escape.

For their 24th anniversary, Paul (probing Paul Morgan Stetler) takes his wife with him on a business trip to Egypt. But Paul has a hidden agenda. He starts by criticizing Jean for wearing skimpy clothes in the hotel. Unconsciously, the American husband gives away his his brittle personality and selfish schemes.

Paul Morgan Stetler (Paul) & Jen Taylor (Jean)

Paul proves that he is both a clueless western tourist and a hopeless misogynist. He’s used to having his way, starting with his wife. He throws his weight around while pretending to be humble. But the younger Egyptian couple MUST guide and PLEASE the tourists, kowtowing to the Americans’ every whim.

As Paul’s wife, Taylor hits precisely the right notes of self-doubt, hysteria, and insight. When Jean finally hears Paul’s inflections, she starts putting the pieces together. Taylor communicates Jean’s shock with bright eyes and terrified looks. Suddenly, Jean understands their marriage.

On the Egyptian side, more practical conflicts arise. Maha (astute Naseem Etemad) questions her fiancé’s ability to support her. She feels trapped by her poverty in Egypt and looks to Paul, the American, who offers a gold ring to escape. Maha throws the offer in her fiancé’s face in an intense and gripping scene.

Naseem Etemad (Maha) & Wasim No’mani (Seif). Photos: Kevin Berne

As her fiancé, reluctant tour guide Seif, No’mani reveals the timing of a master comedian.  Whether he’s placating Maha or manipulating Paul and Jean, No’mani could convince us of anything. Seif will make a master politician if the revolt succeeds. He delivers masterful monologues with wit and charm, seducing us with his charisma.

Who will resist and who will rebel? “Hotter than Egypt” does a great job making comedy out of the inequality that afflicts the elite and the needy. Intertwining the two makes this a comic feast you don’t want to miss.

Jen Taylor (Jean) & Wasim No’mani (Seif)

“Hotter Than Egypt” by Yussef El Guindi, directed by John Langs, dramaturged by Nakissa Etemad, co-production by Marin Theatre Company and A Contemporary Theatre. Info: MarinTheatre.org – to April 24, 2022.

Cast: Paul Morgan Stetler, Wasim No’mani, Naseem Etemad, Jen Taylor, and Ahmad Kamal.

Banner photo: Wasim No’mani (Seif) & Jen Taylor (Jean). Photos by Kevin Berne


comedy, Plays
Capitalism, Civil Rights, Colonialism, comedy, exploitation, feminism, friendship, hope, Identity, Immigrants, Imperialism, justice, love, marriage, patriarchy, politics, poverty, power, race, revolution, Romance, Satire, sex, social class, Wealth, wit, women, Women's Rights, workers

Post navigation

NEXT
“Fefu and Her Friends” Introduces Us to Eight Extraordinary Women—at ACT 
PREVIOUS
“Intimate Apparel” Probes Conflict Between Love & Marriage—at LHT
Comments are closed.

Menu

  • Now Playing
  • All Reviews
  • Writers
  • Reflections
  • Millennial Notes
  • Join Us
  • About Us

BLM

Black Lives Matter

Subscribe for upcoming reviews!
Loading

Current Shows

  • “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Revives Marital Mayhem—at OTP
  • “Yerma” Lays Waste to Idealized Visions of Family Life—at Shotgun
  • “The Tempest” Shines at Revitalized John Hinkel Park—by Inferno
  • “Let the Right One In”: Shocking Story of Vampires in Our Lives—at Berkeley Rep
  • “I’ll Eat You Last” Serves Up Power, Fame, Obsession—at Spindrift 
  • “Chinglish” Mingles Language & Politics in Brilliant Comedy—at SF Playhouse
  • “Exhaustion Arroyo”: A Trip from Pizza Slavery to Redwood Heaven—at Cutting Ball
  • “The N— Lovers” Calls Out White Myths with Great Comedy—at The Magic
  • “shadow/land” Celebrates Joy in the Face of Disaster—at The Public, N.Y.
  • “Where Did We Sit on the Bus?” Rolls to a Stop—at MTC
  • “The Producers” Soars with Spectacular Satire & Song–at Hillbarn
  • “Boeing Boeing” Flies Us into Deception & Folly—at Benicia
  • “Cyrano”: A Beautiful Romance for the Ages—at Aurora
  • “Poor Yella Rednecks” Sprinkles Slang & Spice in Viet Struggle –at ACT
  • “To Master the Art” Blends French Food, U.S. Politics, & Love—at CCCT

About us:

If you want to see the best plays & performances around the San Francisco Bay or beyond, read our reviews. We promise to give you a true report on the best shows.
Bay Area Critics Circle

Barry David Horwitz, Editor of Theatrius, is a Voting Member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle, SFBATCC. Follow us on: facebook.com

© 2023   All Rights Reserved.