A Garden in Yaffa by Hanna Eady

Explore the Palestinian Right of Return with our new play and talkback!

March 28 & 29, 2026, 7:00 pm: A GARDEN IN YAFFA Written & directed by Hanna Eady
Free admission | Cherry Street Village, 720 25th Ave, Seattle 98122

At age 85, Umm Salaah makes the long trek from a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon to her beloved family home in Yaffa–which she hasn’t seen since age 5, when her family was forced to flee. On returning, Umm Salaah finds “a beautiful white woman the same age as me” who has been living in the house for decades. This woman, Sara, invites Umm Salaah into the garden, and a conversation begins.

This play, presented as a performance reading with gifted Seattle actors Annette Toutonghi and Meg Savlov, explores the premise of Palestinians returning to their homes and how this might play out. The two actors are joined by a chorus that sometimes speaks in English, sometimes in Arabic. The chorus offers both witness and commentary, from vivid everyday details (“In Tulkarm, we have manaeesh za’atar”) to deeper truths (“We do not die; the repetition of our tragedy makes death as normal as life”).

A GARDEN IN YAFFA runs 35 minutes. After the performance, the audience will be invited to a conversation about Palestinian Right of Return and what this might mean in philosophical, practical, and human terms. Edward Mast, cofounder of Dunya Productions and dramaturg for the performance, will moderate the discussion. Playwright Hanna Eady will also be present.

Note: Due to the lead actors’ membership in Actors’ Equity Association, we’re following AEA guidelines for publicity–no press release, website, or social media; invitation by non-public communications only. We encourage you to help spread the word by inviting friends via personal email, text message, Messenger, or WhatsApp. Thank you!

We look forward to seeing you there! The Dunya Productions Team