“Never in Studio’s history has politics prevented us from sharing the work of an artist we believe in.”
—Artistic Director David Muse.
In a letter to supporters on Friday, Studio Theatre Artistic Director David Muse outlined the circumstances that led to Studio’s cancellation of its planned production of Palestinian playwright Alaa Shehada’s The Horse of Jenin.
The solo show was scheduled to run at Studio in late February 2026 as an addition to Studio’s previously announced 2025/26 season. Studio was producing the show in partnership with Georgetown University’s Laboratory for Global Politics and Performance. The DC stop was the first in a four-stop American tour of the play.
According to Muse’s letter, in November 2025, Shehada was “detained on his way into the US, held for over 24 hours, denied entry, and sent back to his residence in Amsterdam.” Since then, the United States has banned entry to anyone holding a Palestinian passport, forcing Studio to cancel plans to produce the show, which Shehada wrote and performs.
Studio and The Lab now plan to host three screenings of a filmed version of The Horse of Jenin April 7, 8, and 9. Details on the screenings can be found here.
The Horse of Jenin is a coming-of-age story told by Palestinian comedian Alaa Shehada through a mix of stand-up, storytelling, and mask work. The show was a sold-out hit at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Here is David Muse’s full statement on the cancellation and subsequent screening:
“International programming has been a defining feature of my tenure at Studio. Roughly a third of the productions we’ve produced during my time here were written by international writers. During these 16 years, Studio has brought in 10 full productions from abroad, and has hosted artists from the UK, Norway, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Brazil, New Zealand, and Iran.
“Washington, DC is a dynamic hub of international exchange — a daily meeting point for representatives from nearly every country in the world, and a city whose neighborhoods reflect waves of immigration and global influence. I feel strongly that Studio’s work should reflect our city’s global character. The personal stories told on our stages deepen cross-border ties and remind us that we are more alike than different.
“Earlier this season, we put plans in place to host our next international production. A hit at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where I saw it, The Horse of Jenin is Palestinian actor and comedian Alaa Shehada’s story of growing up and finding the theatre in a refugee camp in the West Bank. It’s funny. It’s moving. And it’s powerfully human. Studio was set to be the first stop on its North American tour. Dates were reserved, contracts were negotiated, and the Laboratory for Global Politics and Performance was set to co-present.
“But in November, despite having a valid O-1B visa granted to individuals recognized for their extraordinary ability in the arts, Alaa was detained on his way into the US, held for over 24 hours, denied entry, and sent back to his residence in Amsterdam. Since then, the United States has banned entry for any individual traveling with Palestinian Authority documentation, shutting down any remaining hope that we could host Alaa’s production. Never in Studio’s history has politics prevented us from sharing the work of an artist we believe in.
“While we can’t host the live production for a full run, we have just announced that we will screen a filmed version of the show. (It was originally a one-night only affair, but we just added a second night — April 9 — after the first sold out almost immediately.) It’s a small but meaningful gesture, a way of sharing Alaa’s story and refusing to take no for an answer.
“We couldn’t do any of this — scout productions from around the world, host international artists, share global perspectives with local audiences — without the support of people like you. Thank you for believing in us and helping us use theatre to bring the world a little bit closer together.”
Screenings of playwright Alaa Shehada’s The Horse of Jenin will take place on April 7, 8, and 9, 2026, in partnership with Georgetown University’s Laboratory for Global Politics and Performance. Tickets to the screening at Studio Theatre on April 7 are sold out, but tickets to the April 9 screening can be purchased here. Tickets for The Lab screening (April 8) can be purchased here. (Tickets: $15.)
