Pera Palas: (A Play)

Three related stories, anchored in one room of Istanbul’s famous Pera Palas hotel, weave through three timelines that span the 20th century. In 1920, an English writer arrives at “ The Queen of Cities,” and becomes a guest at a royal harem. In 1950, a young American teacher falls in love with an idealistic and charming Turk. In 1995, a gay expatriate comes home to introduce his American lover to his troubled family. A gateway between east and west, Islam and Christianity, past and present, the hotel stands as a bridge between cultures. "Hugely ambitious, PERA PALAS engages the mind and grips the emotions... Its three intertwined stories embrace no less than the destiny of a nation, the liberation of women and the fate of lovers... PERA PALAS pulses with passion and questing intelligence.” — The New York Times

Sinan Ünel's plays have been produced at: The Huntington Theatre Company, The Long Wharf Theater, The Arcola Theatre (London), Boston Playwrights' Theatre, The Lark Theatre Company (New York), The Gate Theatre (London), Provincetown Theatre Company, Provincetown Theatreworks, Landes-theater (Germany), Theater Kosmos (Austria), Theatre at Boston Court (Pasadena, CA). Sinan has been awarded The John Gassner Memorial Award, The Daryl Roth Creative Spirit Award, and a Calderwood Fellowship from the Huntington Theatre Company. His script Race Point is the winner of the 2001 New Century Writer Award for best screenplay.. Sinan divides his time between New York and Cape Cod, and teaches at Lesley University. www.sinanunel.com