Helen T. Mariam and cast rehearse Queenfisher. Photo by Kirk Hostetter.
Helen’s directorial work has been seen on stage at Seattle Public Theater, Macha Theatre Works, The Shattered Glass Project, Radial Theater Project, and General Gabler’s Theatre.
Hedda Gabler: An all woman and non-binary production
Written by Henrik Ibsen | Translated by Eva Le Gallienne | Directed by Helen T. Mariam | Produced by General Gabler’s Theatre | Performed at West of Lenin in 2023
Staff pick at The Seattle Times
“General Gabler’s Theatre’s ‘Hedda Gabler’ is a chameleon: its meaning, though slightly different for everyone, is consistently stunning.”
“General Gabler’s Theatre boldly breaks boundaries.”
Photos by Joe Iano
Queenfisher
Written by Natalie Schmidt | Directed by Helen T. Mariam | Produced by The Shattered Glass Project | Performed at 18th & Union in 2021
In this queer reimagining of the myth of Ceyx and Alcyone, everything's coming up Iris--she has power over the winds, a plum messenger gig, and a devoted best friend, Alcyone. That is, until an ill omen ruins Alcyone's honeymoon, sending her new wife Ceyx in pursuit of an oracle and leaving Iris to help Alcyone contend with sea-drenched ghosts and unsettling dreams.
Queenfisher is now available to stream on demand on The Shattered Glass Project website. Excerpts from the production can be viewed in the following video.
Staged Readings
Possessed
Written by Gloria Majule | Directed by Helen T. Mariam | Produced by Seattle Public Theater | Performed 2024
When Furaha returns home to Tanzania on a medical leave, her brother Angaza is waiting at the airport to pick her up. Unfortunately for her, he believes her mental illness is in fact a demon possession, and swiftly concocts a plan to sort it out. As the siblings road trip from Dar Es Salaam to Singida, they encounter a variety of colorful characters and testing challenges along the way. They also seize the opportunity to air out their differing opinions…which turn out to be on pretty much everything, from religion, to money, to America. Possessed is a fast-paced dramedy that explores the toll it takes to leave home, and the toll it takes to be back.
Tickets available on the Seattle Public Theater website.
ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence
Directed by Helen T. Mariam | Produced by Seattle Public Theater | Performed in 2023
This one-night performance was part of a nationwide reading against gun violence. On November 6th, one year before the 2024 US presidential elections, six short plays written by young adult playwrights were presented in an evening of readings staged simultaneously by theaters, schools, and community groups across the country.
Gumiho
Written by Nina Ki | Directed by Helen T. Mariam | Produced by Macha Theatre Works | Performed in 2023
Kam, a queer Korean adoptee and former reality TV star, has just been broken up with by her longtime girlfriend. She quickly re-immerses herself in the alcohol- and lust-fueled world of the Los Angeles queer scene, where she uses and is used by women, and has sex without the burden of intimacy. Through a series of casual hookups, Kam moves from enjoying these casual hookups to questioning her value as a person — and finally reaches rock bottom in the form of a moment of intimacy with the one person who has always loved and believed in her: her best friend, Hyun-Joo.
My Body No Choice: Chance
Written by Mary Hall Surface | Directed by Helen T. Mariam | Produced by Radial Theater Project | Performed in 2022
In June 2022, reproductive rights took a giant leap backwards when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In the United States, we can drive when we turn 16, and vote when we turn 18. But we no longer have the bodily autonomy to make the choices that will impact us the most. In My Body No Choice, eight of America’s most exciting female playwrights share what choice means to them, through the telling of fiction and non-fiction stories rooted in personal experience, theirs or a friend’s. Because this is a time when women need to tell their stories.
Fire Country
Written by Jessica Chisum | Directed by Helen T. Mariam | Produced by The Shattered Glass Project | Performed in 2022
During the largest forest fire in the history of Washington state, a tech giant’s best-laid schemes come to a screeching halt. A CEO is missing in the wilderness, and the man who saw him last speaks only in riddles. As the fires loom on the horizon, a young biologist tracks a lone wolf searching for answers. Inspired by the legend of Remus and Romulus and the founding of Rome, Fire Country explores the fantastical elements of the myth in a realistic setting.
Assistant Directed
Flight Before Xmas
Written by Maggie Lee | Directed by Lia Sima Fakhouri | Assistant Directed by Helen T. Mariam | Produced by Macha Theatre Works | Performed in 2022
With all the stress of the holidays, spending Christmas Eve stranded in an airport with a bunch of strangers is the last thing anyone needs! With endless delays, kids shuttling between stepfamilies, a rogue cat on the loose, an important business deal at stake, and missing your grandson’s first Christmas morning, the holiday spirit can disappear quicker than your lost luggage. But sometimes, all you need is to be a little late in order to truly appreciate what you’re rushing toward.
“A wonderful and heartfelt diversion from the usual holiday fare.”
Photos by Joe Iano
La Tofana’s Poison Emporium
Written by Joy McCullough | Directed by Amy Poisson | Assistant Directed by Helen T. Mariam | Produced by Macha Theatre Works | Performed in 2022
Set in 17th century Rome, La Tofana’s Apothecary dutifully serves those who have nowhere else to turn. Three generations of women earn their keep by mixing potions to treat every ailment, from itchy rashes to tempestuous husbands. But when a deadly scandal threatens their very existence, each must decide her own fate as the authorities close in around them. Joy McCullough’s bold new play reveals how in times of darkness, perhaps love, trust, and solidarity—mixed with a dash of lawbreaking—is just what the apothecary ordered.
“A killer world premiere.”
“This play excellently explores themes of community.”
NW Theatre’s “Best Loved Shows of 2022”
Broadway World’s “Seattle Critics Choice Awards 2022”
Photos by Joe Iano