Biography
Profile:Sami Ismat is a Research-Practitioner in Performance & Theatre from Damascus, Syria, currently, he is an Assistant Professor at Columbia College Chicago. His interdisciplinary artistic practice integrates performance art, devised theatre, documentary techniques, ethnographic research, filmmaking, and choreography. Across cultural institutions in the U.S. and U.K., Sami has contributed as writer, director, creator, performer, collaborator, and consultant on diverse projects spanning major theatres and museums to street performances and unconventional spaces. Additionally, Sami is a semi-professional soccer coach and administrator working nationally across the US at the adult and youth levels, currently serving with Edgewater Castle FC as a coach, assisting in operations & is a member of the club board. Sami is passionate about developing talent and creating cultural belonging through the beautiful game globally known as football. Artistic Highlights:Lemon & Oil (Pivot Arts Festival), and Every Time I Step Towards Freedom (Dfbrl8r Art Gallery/Zhou B Art Center). As a performer, I have collaborated on acclaimed works such as New Normal by Jonas Becker at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and Atlas Unlimited by Karthik Pandian and Andros Zins-Browne, presented at Logan Center Exhibitions and the Graham Foundation.
My work also includes the immersive performance Veni, Vedi, Vici as part of The Future of Our Plans at SAIC, a street performance activism with Sitting in Our Lap & Plucking Our Beards in Chicago's Loop, and By a Shore Rests a Body at New Blood Festival/Links Hall. On screen, my film Transfixed premiered at Collaboraction's Peacebook Online.
As a theatre director, I have staged compelling productions such as Muzzled by Reza Shirmarz (Chopin Theatre/Gwyndion Theatre), Was Dinner Good, Dear Sister? (Steppenwolf LookOut), Mihbaj by Riad Ismat at Stratford East, London, Picnic Summit with Collaboraction, and Ghosts of Freedom at Trellis Residency/Greenhouse. New play development and stage readings include Pureland (Silk Road Rising/Goethe-Institut Chicago) and OFF WHITE or the Arab House Party (Backstitch Story Arts), which reflect my commitment to amplifying diverse voices and stories. Through my practice, I seek to connect testimony, place, and embodied performance to inspire dialogue, reflection, and social change.
Teaching Philosophy:My teaching philosophy is rooted in creating a classroom environment that prioritizes community, care, and collaboration. I strive to dismantle traditional hierarchies by fostering a space where learning is a shared and dynamic process. Through practices such as un-grading, process-based learning, and constructive feedback models, I encourage students to approach their work with curiosity, self-awareness, and a commitment to growth.My pedagogy emphasizes intercultural and polycultural perspectives, inviting students to draw from their own experiences while engaging critically with diverse global narratives. By centering embodied and intellectual practices, I encourage students to explore ideas holistically, connecting their physical, emotional, and cognitive responses to their creative and academic work.To reduce barriers and create an inclusive learning environment, I integrate flexible and multimodal approaches, including accessible course materials, collaborative projects, and hybrid teaching methods. This adaptability allows students to engage meaningfully, regardless of their circumstances, and supports their success in becoming intercultural collaborators and producers.Ultimately, my goal is to empower students by fostering a learning environment that values their voices, encourages critical engagement, and provides the resources and support they need to thrive as creative and thoughtful contributors to a global community.
Research Focus:My research explores Syrian identity, diaspora, and Arab representations in performance, including investigations of Islamic art and ritual. Through performance, he examines the dynamics of presentation and representation, particularly concerning war-torn landscapes, trauma, loss, grief, memory, and collective cultural consciousness.
My academic writing include several theatrical production reviews in Arab Stages journal, "Deconstructing Myths via Performance Strategies" in Deconstructing the Myths of Islamic Art, and a forthcoming book chapter, "Postcolonial Dramaturgies and Dialogic Practices: Embodied Approaches to Contemporary Theatre Dramaturgy" in Decolonizing Dramaturgy in Global Contexts.
Academic Writings:Ismat, Sami. “Visualizing Unutterable Realities: Al-Bukai and Abdelke adapt various forms to express Syria’s Crisis”. Arab Art and the Geography of Post-Imperialism, edited by Sultan Al Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi & Patrick M. Kane, Barjeel Art, Sharjah (expected summer 2026)
Ismat, Sami. “Embodied & Socially Engaged Dramaturgical Forms Inspired by Contemporary Ethnography & Cultural Studies”. Decolonizing Dramaturgy in Global Context, edited by Dr. Jimmy Noriega: Bloomsbury, London (expected 2026)
Ismat, Sami. "Beyond Ruins: Exploring Architectural Nostalgia in Syrian Diaspora Art and the Resilience of Utopian Imaginings." Mizna (expected summer 2025), edited by George Abraham. Originally presented at the Midwest Art History Society, panel on Islamic Art & Architecture, April 5, 2024
Ismat, Sami. The Cave by Sadieh Rifai, Arab Stages, (expected fall 2025)
Ismat, Sami. Little Syria by Omar Offendum, Ronnie Malley, Thanks Joey, Arab Stages, volume 14, 26 November, 2023.
Ismat, Sami. Layalina written by Martin Yousif Zebari, directed by Sivan Battat. Arab Stages, Volume 14, 17 March 2023.
Ismat, Sami, “Deconstructing Myths via Performance Strategies: Experiences of a Contemporary Practitioner.” Deconstructing the Myths of Islamic Art, London, edited by Onur Öztürk, Xenia Gazi, Sam Bowker: Routledge, March 21, 2022 pp. 199-212
Academic Background:My academic journey includes earning an MFA in Performance Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MFA in Theatre Directing from East 15 Acting School in the UK, where I was honored as a Said Foundation Scholar.
Instructional Areas
Directing, Performance Art, Devised Theatre, Participatory and Immersive Theatre, Site-Specific and Eco-Performance, Embodied Research and Writing, Intercultural and Polycultural Performance, Puppetry, Performance as Activism and Applied Theatre, Verbatim and Documentary Practices, Hybrid Performance and Media Storytelling, Migration and Identity in Performance, Contemporary Challenges in Performance (Conflict, Trauma, Resilience), and Sustainable Approaches to Theatre Production.
Creative Practice and Research Interests
Postcolonial, Decolonial, and Postmigratory Practices in Performance, SWANA region theatre, Ethical Practices in Contemporary Theatre and Representation, Arab and Islamic Theatre and Performance Traditions, Performance as Testimony (Diaspora, Trauma, and Memory), Representation of Race, Gender, and Refugee Narratives in Art and Media, Performance and the Anthropocene, Critical Performance Studies (Power, Identity, and Culture), Interdisciplinary Innovations in Media and Technology, Immersive and Virtual Performance, Ethnographic and Documentary Approaches in Artistic and Scholarly Practices.
Degrees
B.A., Mass Communication American University of Sharjah 2013
M.F.A., Theatre Directing University of Essex 2016
M.F.A., Performance Art School of The Art Institute of Chicago 2020