Omer Abbas Salem headshot

Omer Abbas Salem

Actor & Playwright

Omer Abbas Salem is an actor and playwright. As an actor, he’s worked at The Goodman Theater, About Face Theater, The New Coordinates, Steep Theatre, Jackalope Theatre, Silk Road Rising, Griffin Theatre, The House, Bailiwick Chicago, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Repertory Theater of St. Louis, Roundabout Theater, and The Atlantic Theater. As a playwright, his work has been produced at Steppenwolf Theater Company, The Goodman Theater, About Face Theatre, Jackalope Theater, First Floor Theater, Theater School at DePaul, National Queer Theater, Definition Theatre, and The New Coordinates.

He is the winner of Steppenwolf's SCOUT Development Project (2020/2021), Definition Theatre's Amplify Commission (2020/2021), Goodman Theater's Future Labs Development (2021), The Cunningham Commission at DePaul Theatre School (2021/2022), The Goodman Theater's Playwright's Unit (2021/2022), and First Floor Theater's Blueprint Commission (2021/2022). He was an apprentice of the Actors Theatre of Louisville (2017/2018) and is also a proud ensemble member with Steep Theatre, Jackalope Theatre, First Floor Theater, and The New Coordinates. He is represented by DDO Artist Agency and The Gersh Agency. 

 

Profile caption: Joel Maisonet

Featured Artworks

  •  Three figures with matching platinum blonde wigs and blue dresses, one of them has their hand up in a strong gesture The Secretaries: A Parable (2020) Written by Omer Abbas Salem, Directed by Laura Alcala Baker. Photos by Anna Gelman. Actors: LaKecia Harris, Sarah Price, Emilie Modaff, and Tina Munoz Pandya. First Floor Theatre
  •  Omer Abbas Salem artwork Ahab and the Vegetable Garden Actors Theater of Louisville
  •  Three figures in straw hats, white shirts, and suspenders are assembled in a scene onstage You Across from Me Actors Theater of Louisville
  •  Olive skinned Arab person dressed in a long hair wig and leopard print dress, consoles a leather-jacket figure seated next to them Eddie and Dave The Atlantic Theater
  •  Three figures assembled onstage in a scene where one person is offering the other two an apple in her palm Light Falls Steep Theater
  •  A group of actors wearing matching pale blue student uniforms surround an adult holding a wooden puppet Pinocchio The House Theater Photo by Michael Brosilow