Jihad Jones and the Kalashnikov Babes April 10, 2009

InterAct Theatre Company present the East Coast premier of Yussef El-Guindi's sparkling comedy. In JIHAD JONES & THE KALASHNIKOV BABES, Ashraf is an actor who has just received rave reviews for his performance of Hamlet at a struggling theatre in Los Angeles. But he's only earning $200 a week and he's having trouble paying the bills. He needs his big break. A starring role in a Hollywood blockbuster. And that's just what his smarmy agent is offering: a feature film, big money, working for his favorite director, and playing opposite his favorite Tinsel Town starlet. All Ashraf has to do is play the most stereotypically evil, fanatical Islamic terrorist ever to grace the silver screen. JIHAD JONES… follows Ahraf as he battles the infamous slippery slope, while hilariously balancing his personal ethics and cultural pride against his professional ambition.

San Francisco Bay Guardian critic Kat Renz cheered, “JIHAD JONES fulfills its mission of presenting Middle Eastern perspectives - in this case, that of an Arab American actor offered a career-breaking role as an insane, hostage-holding, raping-and-pillaging terrorist. … the audience suffers (with lots of laughter) [the lead character’s] futile attempts to convince himself that the ‘dream role’ is truly satire and not a gross denigration of his entire culture.” The San Francisco Chronicle’s Robert Hurwitt applauded, “Various movie stereotypes emerge, clash and collapse in upon themselves… JIHAD is a remarkably fresh and entertaining new take on the much-overworked theme of Tinseltown corruption.

Runs through May 10th. Call 215.568.8079 for reservations, or visit www.interacttheatre.org