Nope. That’s Just My First Name

Born in Mississippi to Egyptian-Muslim parents, Suehyla El-Attar Young grew up learning how to read a room—and how much of herself to adjust to make everyone else comfortable.

Nope. That’s Just My First Name. turns that calculation into a solo performance about self-compromise and the decision to stop making it. Moving from kindergarten roll call to a Mississippi traffic stop, Suehyla traces the moments when her name, religion, politics and identity became things to soften, explain or negotiate.

But the path through the story isn’t entirely hers to choose. The audience decides which stories are told and in what order, creating an evening that can unfold differently each time.

In collaboration with Horizon Theatre Company