Kenyan theater director Saheem Ali was 15 years old when his father, an airline pilot for Kenya Airways, took him on a trip to London. There, he saw a stage adaptation of the coming-of-age musical Grease . From the moment the curtains opened and audiences were introduced to its mid-century, Americana dreamscape backdrop, Ali was hooked. And he’s been hooked ever since. In the decades that have passed since seeing Grease in London, Ali has become an innovative voice in New York’s robust theater scene. He’s directed several successful Shakespeare adaptations, including Romeo and Juliet , Henry V , and Twelfth Night , integrating diversity into those productions. He staged an award-winning production of Fat Ham , written by James Ijames (who won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for penning the Hamlet -inspired play), which marked the first time a Kenyan has directed a play on Broadway (not to mention a 2023 Tony nomination for Best Direction of a Play). Now, Ali is gearing up to bring Goddess ,...
