omer abbas salem (he/him)

Omer Abbas Salem is a Chicago actor and playwright. He's an ensemble member of The New Colony and was an Acting Apprentice at the Actors Theatre of Louisville 17/18. As a playwright, he is relatively new, having his one man show "ElAgAb FaB" premiere at the Actors Theatre of Louisville and open the Chicago Theatre Marathon in 2018. His play "An Incubator" was part of Jackalope Theatre's Living Newspaper Festival in 2019. As an actor, he's worked at The Atlantic Theater (Eddie and Dave), Actors Theatre of Louisville (Angels in America I & II, A Christmas Carol, and You Across From Me), Steep Theatre (Earthquakes in London and Linda), The New Colony (Even Longer and Further Away and Merge), Silk Road Rising (INVASION!), Bailiwick Chicago (Princess Mary), Griffin Theatre (In to America), and The House Theatre (Pinocchio). More at www.omerabbassalem.com

Mosque4Mosque
A play by
Omer Abbas Salem
Excerpt for Theatre Viscera

[Ibrahim’s office. Ibrahim is at his desk and James is on his feet.]

JAMES
That was way bigger than I expected. 

IBRAHIM 
I’m sorry. 

JAMES
It really hasn’t been that long. 

IBRAHIM 
I know. I’m sorry. 

JAMES
I don’t mean to overreact. Give me a second. You really fucking surprised me. 

IBRAHIM
I’m sorry. It was stupid. 

JAMES
Ok. So then you also think it’s too soon? 

IBRAHIM
No. I meant it. But I get this reaction. I do. 

JAMES
You want to live with me? 

IBRAHIM
Yeah. Very much. I want something real. I want... I want to feel like this is all mine. 

JAMES
Why am I so surprised by this? 

IBRAHIM
I want to see you every day. I want to make us dinner every night. But I can wait too. I will wait until whenever you want. 

JAMES 
I don’t want to be your revenge. 

IBRAHIM
Whose revenge? 

JAMES 
I am not going to risk myself so that you can prove something to your mom. 

IBRAHIM
I’m not... I- I really love you. 

JAMES 
You don’t like me, though.

IBRAHIM 
James-

JAMES 
It’s true. That’s why I’m having so much trouble believing you. All you do is make fun of me. 

IBRAHIM 
I’m sorry. Wait, what- 

JAMES 
You never want to do things. We NEVER do anything. 

IBRAHIM 
That’s not fair. 

JAMES 
It is. We either have sex or eat food in bed. We don’t do anything else. 

IBRAHIM 
You’ve never complained before. If you want to do things, we can.

JAMES 
“If I want to do things?” Of course I fucking want to do things. I’m a human. I like doing things. 

IBRAHIM 
We do things! What about the wedding? 

JAMES
You are not using Ariel’s wedding as a defense. You were such an asshole. 

IBRAHIM 
I wasn’t. James, that’s so unfair. I was in a bad- 

JAMES 
Yes, I know. You were fighting with your mom but that doesn’t mean you treat my family like shit. If you know you were a shit, why bring it up? And I’m the bad lawyer? 

IBRAHIM 
I don’t think I treated them like shit. 

JAMES 
You didn’t treat them well. You didn’t say a word at dinner. You didn’t dance with my mom when she asked. You didn’t line dance. You got too drunk and chain smoked outside all night. And then you rushed us out the next morning at breakfast. I never get to see my family, especially all together. I’m sorry you’re over it but that doesn’t mean you get to make your shit mine. I still like my family. 

IBRAHIM 
We were going to miss the train. 

JAMES 
We could have taken a later train! We could have asked for a ride. We could have rented a car. We could have taken the bus. We could have fucking walked. We could have done a lot of things but when things aren’t how you want them, they’re absolutely wrong. SAY SOMETHING.

IBRAHIM
I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting this. I think my brain just exploded. Give me a second, I’m sorry. 

JAMES 
Stop saying “sorry”. You don’t sound real. 

IBRAHIM 
I really want to live with you. 

JAMES 
Do you? 

IBRAHIM 
Yes! 

JAMES
Why? 

IBRAHIM 
I want to be with you. And you’re right, I didn’t handle it well but I’m out. I feel like Amy Smart and I escaped my kidnapper, I can finally live and brush my hair again. I’ve been coming home before 10:00 every night, sneaking my alcohol, smoking out my window, and taking off my goddamn shoes every time I entered the house since forever. And I’m never going back. I don’t mind sleeping on a futon. I stopped drinking, for fuck’s sake. And I’m. Fuck. I’m tired of experiencing everything important alone. It’s like, if I’m by myself when all of these things are happening to me, they just get lost. I want to anchor my life to someone else. I want you to be who I share my things with. Isn’t that reason enough? 

JAMES 
You never say things like that to me. Why do you make me ask? It makes me feel so fucking small. 

IBRAHIM 
Look. I don’t say “I love you” to anyone other than my mom and my sister. I hardly say it, even with them because I’m a freak. I feel it all the time but I don’t say it. I’ll practice. Watch: I love you. I don’t want to make you feel small. I never want that. I’m going to do better because I love you. Okay? 

JAMES 
Gross. It feels weird now. 

IBRAHIM 
God damnit, James. What do you want me to do?

JAMES 
I want you to want you to want to say it. I want you to want to make me feel special. I want you to want to say things that make me feel good. It feels like you’re saying it to make me feel better. 

IBRAHIM 
That’s because, in this very moment, I am. But that’s because I love you. 

JAMES 
STOP IT. 

IBRAHIM 
I am trying. I am trying hard but I am really bad at this. I’ve never had a relationship like this before and I want you and I don’t want anything else. I mean it. 

JAMES 
What do you mean, “like this before?” 

IBRAHIM 
I mean a relationship I really cared about. It was only ever fucking and I don’t know how to do this.

JAMES 
I don’t want to be practice for you either. 

IBRAHIM 
Aren’t we all practice for one another until we’re not? 

JAMES 
That is not fucking reassuring. 

IBRAHIM 
How do you know this isn’t it? 

JAMES 
Do you think it is?

 IBRAHIM 
Yes. Do you? 

JAMES 
I don’t know. 

IBRAHIM 
Ok. 

JAMES 
Ok. 
​
[End Excerpt]