ArtsWest

Don't wait to get tickets to this gorgeous production of Sanaz Toossi's WISH YOU WERE HERE.

The ensemble delivers a one-two punch of laugh out loud comedy and touching drama to create an experience that will make you wanna hold your friends a little closer.

Tickets on sale now at ArtsWest.org

WISH YOU WERE HERE
by Sanaz Toossi
Directed by Naghmeh Samini

June 11 - July 5

With tenderness, ferocity, and wit, five best friends lean on each other in the face of uncertainty.  Spanning 13 years of friendship, a tight-knit group of women have their bonds tested as political unrest spreads through Iran. With humor and urgency, the play captures the fierce resilience of connection when everything else is slipping away. 

“It’s a script of harrowing beauty. A triumphant mosaic of friendship and loss framed by the heart-wrenching effects of political upheaval.” – Broadway World UK 

“A love letter to friendship.” – The Guardian

WISH YOU WERE HERE opens Thursday, June 11. Opening night is sold out, but you can still experience the excitement of opening weekend by joining us Friday, Saturday or Sunday!

Tickets at ArtsWest.org

Theater for kids in West Seattle! Jet City presents StoryQuest at ArtsWest. In the classic style of storybook theater, a fearless band of storytellers make up a fairytale that has never been told before where the kids get to choose what happens next!

Directed by Mario Orallo-Molinero - the same director as An Improvised Musical

Saturday, June 27 from 11:00-11:45am

Tickets at ArtsWest.org

WISH YOU WERE HERE opens Thursday, June 11th! Opening Night is sold out but there are many opportunities to join us for Opening weekend!

Don't miss this sweeping story about the power of friendship.

Tickets on sale now at ArtsWest.org

WISH YOU WERE HERE
by Sanaz Toossi

Directed by Naghmeh Samini

June 11 - July 5

With tenderness, ferocity, and wit, five best friends lean on each other in the face of uncertainty.  Spanning 13 years of friendship, a tight-knit group of women have their bonds tested as political unrest spreads through Iran. With humor and urgency, the play captures the fierce resilience of connection when everything else is slipping away. 

“It’s a script of harrowing beauty. A triumphant mosaic of friendship and loss framed by the heart-wrenching effects of political upheaval.” – Broadway World UK 

“A love letter to friendship.” – The Guardian

Join us for Persian Community Day on June 14!

Get tickets for the Sunday matinee at 3:00pm and stay for Persian sweets and a talkback with the director and cast!

Tickets at ArtsWest.org

Shereen Khatibloo plays Zari in WISH YOU WERE HERE. We are thrilled to have Shereen back at ArtsWest after her turn as Elham in our 2024 co-production with Seda Iranian Theatre Ensemble of ENGLISH by Sanaz Toossi.

Shereen Khatibloo has performed in A Christmas Carol at ACT Theatre, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The 5th Avenue Theatre, and A Going Away Party Play at Boston Court Pasadena. Her film credits include Margins (2011), Played (2023), and All I’ve Got and Then Some (2024). Shereen received her BFA in Musical Theatre from University of Miami.

You don't want to miss this incredible ensemble!

WISH YOU WERE HERE runs June 11 - July 3 at ArtsWest.

Tickets at ArtsWest.org

Announcing our 2026-2027 Season | A VISIBLE EXISTENCE

“Art is a way to make your life matter, to make your existence visible.” – Kara Walker    

In a moment when so much of our world feels uncertain and disconnected, A Visible Existence asks a simple but urgent question: how can art reveal the hidden worlds we carry inside? 

This season brings together bold stories, unforgettable personalities, and thrilling theatrical experiences – from intimate storytelling to high-energy musical celebration, from sharp comedy to gripping psychological suspense.  Across these plays, artists, dreamers, outsiders, and communities struggle to connect, to create, and to understand themselves and one another through art, memory, music, and  imagination. 

From the quiet act of reclaiming a hidden history, to the joyful chaos of collaboration, to the desperate ways we hold onto one another in the face of loss and change, each of these stories explores the messy, funny, vulnerable, and deeply human desire to matter – and to be truly known. 

The Chinese Lady by Lloyd Suh

Snowed In by Corinne Park-Buffelen and Mathew Wright, music by Alma David Taylor

Red by John Logan

anthropology by Lauren Gunderson

PYG or the mis-edumacation of Dorian Belle by Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm

Learn more at ArtsWest.org

Parmida Ziaei takes the stage as Rana in WISH YOU WERE HERE.

She is also the production's scenic designer, costume consultant, and co-founder of our co-producing company Seda Iranian Theatre Ensemble - and she balances it all with expertise, kindness and grace.

Parmida Ziaei is an award-winning multidisciplinary performer and designer born and raised in Iran. She is excited to return to the stage after years of primarily working as a scenic and production designer for leading theatres, including ArtsWest, The 5th Ave Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Village Theatre, Union Arts Center, and Seattle Children’s Theatre. Previously, Parmida wrote and performed her solo play, Dancing Beyond the Veil, and has continued performing and choreographing as a movement artist. She has also contributed as a consultant and curator for organizations such as Oregon Shakespeare Festival, On the Boards, Base Art Space, and ArtsWA. Parmida is the co-founder of Seda Iranian Theatre Ensemble in Seattle, producing work by and for MENA communities in Seattle and beyond. parmidaziaei.com |

WISH YOU WERE HERE runs June 11 - July 5 at ArtsWest.

Tickets at ArtsWest.org

Read the full article in the Seattle Times through the link in ArtsWest's bio.

2026-2027 Season Announcement is coming your way this Wednesday, June 3rd. Get ready.