Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) will present Middle Eastern MixFest, a series of free readings co-curated by playwrights Mona Mansour and Heather Raffo that will run Wed Aug 8 through Thurs Aug 16th at Atlantic Stage 2 (330 W 16th St). This summer, Atlantic will be hosting readings of full-length plays by Abdullah Alkafri translated by Hassan Abdulrazzak, Kareem Fahmy, Hannah Khalil, Mona Mansour & Tala Manassah, and Stav Palti-Negev. In addition to the full-length readings at Middle Eastern MixFest, Atlantic Theater Company will commission Melis Aker, Younis Ali, Sevan K. Greene, and Sanaz Toossi to create short one-acts and present them as readings alongside a short play by Heather Raffo. The lineup is  SALIM SALIM by Stav Palti-Negev, directed by Kareem Fahmy on Thurs Aug 9 at 3 PM.  When Palestinian Salim Tarek is released from an Israeli prison, the Israeli authorities mistakenly bring him to the Gaza border crossing while his family awaits his return on the other side of the country, in the West Bank. Salim knows that if he enters Gaza, he might never see them again. Stranded on the border, Salim has to find a solution before the Israeli soldiers make a choice for him. SCENES FROM 70 YEARS by Hannah Khalil directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh on Fri Aug 10 at 3:00 PM. "Scenes from 70 Years" is a selection of intertwined vignettes telling the story of ordinary Palestinians at a very human level, with mischievous humor. It offers snapshots of the routine of life in the shadow of occupation: we look into an Israeli household with a rebellious pro-Palestinian teenager, join a tediously long queue at an Israeli check point, and get swept into an absurd act of civil disobedience by Palestinian civilians in a desperate attempt to get worldwide media attention; ONE ACTS by Melis Aker, Younis Ali, Sevan K. Greene, Heather Raffo and Sanaz Toossi directed by Sivan Battat and Tracy Cameron Francis on Mon Aug 15 at 7:00 PM. Readings of four commissioned one-acts and a short play by Heather Raffo; THE YACOUBIAN BUILDING by Kareem Fahmy based on the novel by Alaa Al Aswany on Tues Aug 14 at 2:00 PM. Based on the novel that became an international sensation, "The Yacoubian Building" is set in Cairo, chronicling the lives of Egyptians of different religions, sexual orientations, and class backgrounds. The titular apartment block becomes a microcosm of an Egypt infested with corruption, discrimination, and despair. A love letter to the Middle East, the play conjures an Egypt before the Arab Spring, still on the brink of change, deeply divided but full of hope;  FALLING DOWN THE STAIRS by Mona Mansour and Tala Manassah, directed by Omar Metwally on Wed Aug 15 at 7:00 PM. Baghdad, 1975. Invited to teach in a city steeped in the history of great scientific discoveries, hotshot physicist Kamal leaves the Ivy League and finds himself in a surreal landscape colored by revolution, intrigue, deception, and of course, great potential. Caught between the desire to contribute to a burgeoning scientific community and a firm commitment to science as a tool of non-violent liberation, he is entangled between the world as it is, and the world as he wishes it to be & MRS. GHADA’S PAIN THRESHOLD by Abdullah Alkafri translated by Hassan Abdulrazzak on Thurs Aug 16 at 7:00 PM Inspired by the author’s admiration for the Damascene women who “push against the edges of all that constrains them – societal norms, religious propriety, family expectations – in subtle and personally significant ways,” "Mrs. Ghada’s Pain Threshold" focuses on one such woman who, facing middle age and life as a recently widowed, single woman, unexpectedly meets a man who offers the possibility of a new start. A subtle – almost mysterious – and moving play about coping with the past and trying to find new love. Admission is free. Reservations are required. Please visit http://atlantictheater.org/middleeasternnMixFest2018 to RSVP. Press contact; Boneau/Bryan-Brown (212/575-3030)...