Joe Kodeih

Joe Kodeih (born September 3, 1967 in Achrafieh, Beirut) is a writer, actor and director. He was the first writer and director from the Arab world to perform on an Off-Broadway stage at Lamama ETC in 2003 with a play titled The Middle Beast. The play was acclaimed by the audience and rerun at Monnot theater in Beirut in 2008, when the writer received many threats for its content. Joe's plays have been performed all over Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. One of his plays, "Son prénom malgre lui," was published at Lansman editions in Belgium.

Education Kodeih obtained his B.A. in Dramatic Arts in 1995, an M.A. in Directing in 1998, and an M.A. in Drama Theory in 2020, all from the Saint Joseph University in Lebanon.

Body Of Work

2020: "Emm El-Kell," socio-political monologue, written, performed and produced, Beirut 2019: "The Middle Beast," socio-political satire, written, directed and produced, Beirut, Tunis 2018: "Abou el-Ghadab," monologue, written, performed and produced, Beirut 2017: "Btetol," based on "Petits Crimes Conjugaux of Schmidt," adapted, directed and produced, Beirut 2016: "La Peau d’Elisa," written by Carole Frechette, directed and produced, Beirut; "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," written by Choderlos de Laclos, adapted, directed and produced, Beirut 2015: "Daddy," monologue, written, performed and produced, Beirut, Paris 2014: "Rima," tragicomedy monologue, written, directed and produced, Beirut; "Michel wu Samir," political satire, written, directed and produced, Beirut 2013: "Le Jocon," monologue, written, performed and produced, Beirut, Paris 2012: "Film Cinama," monologue, written, performed and produced, Beirut, Paris 2011: "ANA," monologue, written, performed and produced, Beirut, Paris, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Luxembourg 2010: "Bala Mazeh," comedy TV show on LBCI, written and produced, Beirut; "Ashrafieh," monologue, written, performed and produced, Beirut, Paris, Dubai 2009: "Hayet el Jagal Sobeh," monologue, written, performed & produced, Beirut, Dubai, Paris, Luxembourg 2008: "The Middle Beast," socio-political satire, written, directed and produced, Beirut 2006: "El Bagno," drama, written, directed and produced, Beirut, Tunis 2003: "The Middle Beast," socio-political satire, written and directed, first Lebanese work to stage Off- Broadway at Lamama ETC. New York 2002: "Mamooshka," surrealist play, written, staged at Labalsamine Theater in Brussels 2001: "Aal Yamine," post-war play, written, directed and produced, Beirut, Paris 2000: "Son Prénom Malgré Lui," post-war play, written, published by Lansman publishers in Belgium, Staged in Brussels, Geneva, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire; "Al-Takht," satire, written, directed and produced, Beirut 1999: "Europa," experimental play, written and directed, Bologna, Marseille; "Matar Charles De Gaulle," monologue, written and directed, Beirut 1998: "Kiss of the Spider Woman," written by Manuel Puig, adapted and directed, Beirut 1997: "Scènes d’amour," retrospective on theatre history, written and directed, Beirut, Avignon Festival 1996: "Pascal and Descartes," written by Jean Claude Briseville, directed, Beirut 1995: "La Soirée des Proverbes," written by George Schéhadé, directed, Beirut