Red Poppy Art House

Contemporary Tango
2026-03-06 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Advance tickets are available online. You are advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Contemporary Tango
Paris Meets the Bay: A Night of Tango

This concert will feature the Paris based Tango trio: Colombo/Kociolek/Frontini trio in collaboration with our very own Bay Area violinist Basma Edrees. The concert will feature new arrangements and works by the world renowned Argentinian bandoneonist Fabrizio Colombo.
Featuring:
Fabrizio Colombo: Bandoneon
Emilie Aridon-Kociolek: Piano
Basma Edrees: Violin
Lucas Frontini: Bass

Friday, March 6, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25 Students & Seniors – $29 Early Bird – $35 General / (Door) $35

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Colombo/Kociolek/Frontini trio bio:
The CKF is a Paris-based tango trio founded by bandoneonist Fabrizio Colombo, pianist Émilie Aridon-Kociołek, and double bassist Lucas Frontini, united by their passion for the great Argentine tango trios. Inspired especially by Buenos Aires’ 1970s Vanguatrio, their repertoire, arranged by Colombo, blends a strong tango identity with jazz influences and dazzling virtuosity. Through this project, the three musicians fuse their distinctive sounds and energies to explore the magic of the trio format and carve out their own voice within today’s vibrant landscape of contemporary instrumental tango.
Fabrizio Colombo, an acclaimed Argentine bandoneonist, composer, and arranger, was born in Mendoza in 1994 and is now based in Paris. Renowned for his expressive versatility, he bridges tango, jazz, and classical music with equal mastery. Winner of the 2019 Che Bandoneón International Competition, he joined the Quinteto Revolucionario, the official ensemble of the Astor Piazzolla Foundation, for tours across Switzerland and South Korea. Colombo has performed worldwide and shared stages with legends such as Néstor Marconi and Alexis Cárdenas. Continuing his family’s tango legacy, he has released five acclaimed albums, including Siempre Paris (2025) and Celedonio (2022).
Émilie Aridon-Kociolek is a distinguished French pianist and graduate of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse de Paris, where she studied with Michel Béroff and Claire Désert, she has been awarded in numerous national and international competitions. She has performed as a soloist with the Lille and Lyon National Orchestras, and collaborated with bandoneonist William Sabatier on Astor Piazzolla’s Hommage à Liège recording. Winner of two prizes at the 2021 Piazzolla Music Competition, she appears regularly with Quinteto Respiro, and in projects blending classical, jazz, and tango traditions.
Basma Edrees is praised for her expressive artistry and rich, lyrical tone, and as a Juilliard-trained violinist she bridges Western classical, Arabic, and Argentine Tango music. Introduced to Tango through the works of Astor Piazzolla, she discovered a musical space where her classical precision and Arab lyricism converge. She studied Tango violin with renowned violinist Guillermo Rubino of the Orquesta Escuela de Tango Emilio Balcarce and has performed with leading Tango musicians, including Ramiro Boero and Julian Peralta. Beyond Tango, Basma has appeared as soloist internationally, founded the Bay Area’s Egyptian heritage ensemble Music in-Takht, and serves as violin faculty at Santa Clara University.
Argentine double bassist Lucas Eubel-Frontini brings virtuosic energy and stylistic versatility to today’s tango and classical scenes. Born in Argentina, he began on electric bass before immersing himself in double bass studies with renowned bassist Roberto Tormo. He refined his craft in France at the Conservatoire Régional de Toulouse, earning a performance diploma with high honors, and later completed a Bachelor with Honors at Trinity Laban in London. Now based in Paris, Lucas is in high demand as a freelance artist, performing with leading Argentine music ensembles including Quinteto Emedea, Orquesta Silbando, Cuarteto Lunares, TaXXI, and Orquesta Tanguísimo.
https://www.youtube.com/@fabriziocolombo7teto

EVENT DETAILS

Friday, March 6, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25 Students & Seniors – $29 Early Bird – $35 General / (Door) $35

Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Echoes of Solidarity
2026-03-29 19:00 - 20:15
Advance tickets are available online. You are advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Echoes of Solidarity
Coming Together with Music and Movement

In these challenging times, coming together through music, movement, and shared artistic expression is one of the most powerful ways to nurture solidarity and human connection. Across cultures, music and dance have long served as languages of resilience, empathy, and collective strength.
Join us for a journey of music and dance across the diverse cultural landscapes of the Middle East and Central Asia—from Iran to Afghanistan and beyond—featuring some of the Bay Area’s finest folk performers. Through rhythm, melody, and movement, this gathering celebrates the bonds that connect communities and reminds us that even in difficult moments, art can bring people together.

Featuring:

Natalie Nayun – danceSirvan Manhoobi – oudAsaf Ophir – clarinetAmir Etamadzadeh – percussion

Sunday, March 29, 2026
Time: 6:30 pm doors, 7:00 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25 Students & Seniors – $29 Early Bird – $35 General / (Door) $35

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Natalie Nayun is an international teacher and performer, specializing in contemporary and folkloric styles from Central Asia and the Middle East. She holds a degree in modern dance from UC Berkeley and is a certified Franklin Method Teacher and comprehensive Pilates instructor. Natalie is the artistic director of Ballet Afsaneh and founder of Pomegranate Garden Dance, an international online dance school featuring teachers and students from around the world. Her expertise includes Persian, Afghan, Tajik and Uzbek dance, among other styles. She has been dancing for over 20 years and teaching for over 15 years.
www.nayundance.com
Sirvan Manhoobi is a Kurdish Iranian oud and tar player as well as a composer. He was chosen for the Best Soloist award at Iranian music festivals in 2006, 2008 and 2009. After completing his MA in archaeology from Tehran University, Sirvan moved to the United States and continued his musical career. He established the Bamdad Ensemble and collaborated with great artists such as Bijan Kamkar, Aziz Shahrokh, Ardeshir Kamkar and Ismaeel Sabour, as well as the renowned Iranian director Bahram Bezraei in his play Tarabnameh (2016). Sirvan is currently beginning his PhD music studies at the University of California.
www.sirvanmanhoobi.com
Asaf Ophir began his professional career in Israeli musicals, playing in some of the most distinguished theaters in his home country. Having moved to the United States in 2014, Ophir performs throughout the Bay Area in many Jewish, Middle Eastern and Balkan productions, as well as classical and jazz. He has shared the stage with artists such as Avi Kushnir, Emel Mathlauthi, Ustad Mahwash and Barbra Streisand. The San Francisco Chronicle writes: “Asaf Ophir gives the clarinet the timbre of a trumpet, then a violin, then a raspy scream… the instrument’s wail almost becomes too plaintive and beautiful to bear.”
www.asafophir.com
Amir Etemadzadeh is a percussionist and educator, specializing in Persian and Middle Eastern music traditions. With years of experience teaching Tombak, Daf, Darbuka, Tar and other traditional instruments, he has inspired students of all ages worldwide. Amir is the founder of Amir School of Music, and the author of several instructional books on percussion. Beyond teaching, Amir performs and collaborates with diverse artists, exploring the healing power of music in community and therapeutic settings. His passion is to connect cultures and hearts through the universal language of music.
www.amirschoolofmusic.com

EVENT DETAILS

Sunday, March 29, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25 Students & Seniors – $29 Early Bird – $35 General / (Door) $35

Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

April 4th MAPP
2026-04-04 19:00 - 22:00
April 4th MAPP

Saturday, April 4, 2026 | 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Red Poppy Art House
2698 Folsom @23rd
Curator: Dina Zarif
7:15 pm – 7:45 pm: The Genie, live looping Artist
8:00 pm – 8:45 pm: Lau Paiva, Brazilian music
9:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Inti Mystica, Latin Fusion
Exhibition: Andrea Guskin – Fracture Zones (Jewish artist exploring rupture & resilience)
THIS IS A FREE EVENT
MAPP (Mission Arts & Performance Project)
Launched in 2003, the Mission Arts & Performance Project (MAPP) is a homegrown bi-monthly, multidisciplinary, intercultural event that takes place in the Mission District of San Francisco. On the first Saturday of every even month of the year, the MAPP transforms ordinary spaces, such as private garages, gardens, living rooms, studios, street corners, and small businesses into pop-up performance and exhibition sites for a day/night of intimate-scale artistic and cultural exchange among a kaleidoscope of individuals and communities.
RED POPPY MAPP TEAM:
Artistic Director | Managing Director: Dina Zarif
Content manager: Jennie Legary
Sound crew: Andrew Scott
Host: Verda Bursal
ABOUT THE PERFORMING ARTISTS

The Genie
Avant-garde guitar & live-looping innovations
The Genie is an artist, musician, and performer from San Francisco, California. A full-time live performer for the past 20 years he is in a league of his own, becoming known for his avant-garde guitar playing and live-looping innovations.
He has blessed countless stages in the past two decades and has shared the stage with such notable artists as DJ Qbert, Shabazz Palaces, Talvin Singh, Beardy Man, DJ Logic, KJ Sawka, and Kamasi Washington. For the past five years he has opened his immersive music studio to the public on the Airbnb Experiences platform, for which he creates customized musical “g-mix sets” for clients from all over the world who come for an unforgettable musical/visual experience.

Lau Paiva
Brazilian music
Lau Paiva is from Piracicaba, São Paulo. A talented guitarist (violão) and singer, Lau performs a wide range of Brazilian music styles and knows hundreds of songs. She also performs as a solo artist and as part of various small groups in the Bay Area. During thsi performance she will be acompanied by Andrew Scott, red poppy’s dear team member and house sound crew, on percussion. Andrew is born in London, has been an active musician, producer, and audio engineer in the Bay Area for the past 30 years.
Featuring:
Lau Paiva – Guitar, Vocal
Andrew Scott – percussion

​Inti Mystica
Blending ancestral resistance with modern rhythms
INTI MYSTICA is a daring Latin experimental fusion band that defies the limits of indie rock, psychedelic cumbia, and punk, crafting mesmerizing soundscapes that linger in the soul. Known for their electrifying performances at iconic venues like The Independent SF, The Chapel, and KQED Live, they’ve also brought their raw energy to local festivals and community gatherings like Carnaval SF, Encuentro del Canto Popular, and Ghost Festival in Chinatown San Francisco.
Featuring:
Alberto Rodriguez – Cajón
Andreina – Vocals, Cuatro
Lucha Obregon- Vocals
Ilia – Vocals, Barril
Arturo Mendez- Vocals, Guitar
Steffon – Bass
Raphael – Keys
Deeply rooted in the pulse of social justice movements both locally and globally, INTI MYSTICA weaves traditional Latin rhythms with modern electronic beats, hip-hop flow, and rock’s edge. Their innovative compositions and lyrics ignite a visceral passion, connecting audiences through music that transcends cultural boundaries and ignites community spirit. As a proud product of San Francisco’s vibrant arts ecosystem, INTI MYSTICA takes listeners on a thrilling journey that’s as much about collective liberation as it is about sound

Visual Art Exhibition: Fracture Zones

Inspired by the geographical language and imagery of topographic maps, particularly the large scars forming “fracture zones” deep beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, she uses these fissures as a metaphor for the layers of emotional experience related to ancestry, immigration, and lost family narratives.
Andrea Guskin is a San Francisco Bay Area based multidisciplinary artist who was raised amongst the woods and college campuses of Wisconsin and Ohio.
She works across multiple disciplines including photography, sculpture, and painting. She often uses everyday domestic materials and tools for mending–such as thread, foil, spices– to explore ancestry, domesticity and strategies for repair and transformation in our daily lives.
MAPP GENERAL PROGRAM

Join us in MAPP at all other spaces throughout the Mission District.
PREVIEW THE PERFORMANCE
The Genie, live looping Artist

Inti Mystica, Latin Fusion

IN PERSON EVENT DETAILS
Time: April 4th, 2026, 7pm- 10pm (IN-PERSON)
Admission: Free!

DONATE

Season for Iran: Exhibition Opening of BĀZ-TĀB (Reflection)
2026-04-19 18:00 - 20:00
RSVP to the Facebook event:

BĀZ-TĀB
As part of A Season for Iran, we are honored to present BĀZ-TĀB—meaning reflection—an immersive performance and installation rooted in the architectural memory of Iran. Through large scale charcoal hand-drawing, paper sculpture, sound, and spatial performance, the work reconstructs the dreamlike fragments of places remembered: courtyards, domes, wind towers, and the intimate interiors of Iranian homes. Centered around the symbolic courtyard and howz (pool), the audience is invited to gather inside a living memory-space shaped by longing, displacement, and return. BĀZ-TĀB becomes not only an artwork, but a collective act of remembering the spaces, sounds, and emotions that continue to live within us across distance. Throughout the evening, Sima and Nima will serenade us with songs that echo the tenderness, longing, and resilience carried through the spaces of memory.
Sunday, April 19th, 6pm – 8pm
Red Poppy Art House
2698 Folsom Street, San Francisco
RSVP, Donation encouraged

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Sima Shahverdi is an Iranian architect and vocalist based in Brooklyn. She holds a B.Arch from the Art University of Tehran, an M.Arch I from the University of Tehran, and an M.Arch II from UCLA’s Suprastudio program under Greg Lynn, where she collaborated with Boeing, Bot & Dolly, UCLA’s IDEAS Robotics Lab, and Cirque du Soleil. Her professional work spans architectural design, fabrication, and process development at offices including AI SpaceFactory, Why Architecture, Kevin Daly Architects, and Kreysler & Associates.
Alongside her architectural practice, Sima is a self-taught vocalist and co-founder of Koubeh, a Brooklyn-based band drawing from Iranian folk traditions while developing original work. Koubeh’s single “Kook” became a breakout release, and the band has performed across the U.S. at venues including Nublu 151 and Nublu Classic in New York City, completing a sold-out West Coast run in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Scottsdale. Her current work brings these two practices together – architecture and music – into an integrated, multidisciplinary performance rooted in Iranian cultural memory.
Guest artist: Nima Farzaneh

Nima is an architectural designer and researcher in the musical and architectural acoustics domain, working toward a Ph.D. at the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics at Stanford University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture and M.S. in landscape architecture from Iran. In 2010 he moved to the U.S. and studied at Pratt Institute’s post-professional architecture M.S. program focused on computation and design. After practicing architecture in New York City from 2011 to 2019, he went to RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) to specialize in architectural acoustics. His research interest is primarily the study of acoustics in Iran’s historical architectural spaces and its correlation with the region’s aural traditions, rituals, and music. Having an interest in working with new media, he incorporates technologies such as virtual acoustics, VR, and immersive experience for recreating architectural spaces and space-based musical experiences.
Visual Art Exhibition: BĀZ-TĀB
BĀZ-TĀB (meaning reflection) is a body of work rooted in the architectural memory of Iran. Each piece begins as a large-scale hand drawing of a specific Iranian site – a courtyard, a dome, an arched passage – built up gradually in charcoal, documented frame by frame, and brought to life as an animated drawing. Three-dimensional paper sculptures grow out of the drawings, collapsing the boundary between image and object. Sound mirrors the spatial and emotional quality of each place. Together, the drawing, moving image, and sound aim to recreate something closer to how we actually remember a place: not as a photograph, but as a dream – fragmentary, layered, and alive.
The performance proposed for Red Poppy takes this further. Two parallel walls become the interior faces of an Iranian house – one the tabestān-neshin, the summer room, one the zemestān-neshin, the winter room. The audience sits at the center, where the courtyard would be. We are Iranians, scattered across cities, each carrying the last memories of a place we can no longer easily return to. My memories are the architectural spaces I walked through as a student – the hum of people under a dome, a voice carrying across a courtyard, the cool of wind descending through a badgir. In this performance, we gather at the howz. We sit by the water. We look up at the sky. We let ourselves miss Iran – together, out loud, held by sound and image and each other.
This is not documentation. It is not nostalgia. It is the act of remembering as a collective, bodily, present-tense experience. We become part of the house. The house becomes part of us.

[Show thumbnails]

EVENT DETAILS
Sunday, April 19, 2026
Time: 6pm – 8pm
Admission: FREE, Donation encouraged
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Season for Iran - Kamân duo: Mazdak Alipour, Nariman Assadi
2026-04-25 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. You are advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Season for Iran – Kamân duo: Mazdak Alipour, Nariman Assadi
Voices of Resilience: Music from Lorestan

Presented as part of Season for Iran.
From the mountains of Lorestan, melodies rise carrying memory, endurance, and voices that continue across generations.
Performed on kamancheh and Iranian percussion, this program draws from a living tradition, one that persists, adapts, and is shared, even in difficult times.
As part of Season for Iran, this gathering offers a space to listen, reflect, and come together through music across distances, across communities.

Featuring:

Mazdak Alipour – Kamancheh and Vocal
Nariman Assadi – Percussion

Saturday, April 25, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $29 Students & Seniors – $35 Early Bird – $40 General / (Door) $40

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Mazdak Alipour: International Kamancheh Virtuoso & Award-Winning Composer
With a distinguished career spanning over 30 years, Mazdak (Moslem) Alipour is a visionary Kamancheh player, vocalist, and composer. Born into a musical lineage in Khorramabad, Iran, he began his journey under the tutelage of his father, the legendary maestro Faraj Alipour.
Global Recognition & Awards Mazdak is a celebrated artist on the global stage, earning prestigious recognition for his innovation in Persian music:
Global Music Awards: Multi-award winner, holding both Silver and Bronze Medals (2020 & 2021).
Silk Road Project: Featured soloist conducted by the Academy Award-winning Tan Dun.
UNESCO: Distinguished performer at “Mozart Day” in France.
UCLA Collaboration: Currently collaborating with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), contributing to its prestigious musical programs and showcasing his expertise through specialized performances and cultural initiatives.
Musical Vision & Innovation Currently based in Los Angeles, Mazdak is renowned for his mastery of musical fusion, blending ancient Persian heritage with contemporary global genres. With over 20 albums and the publication of “Taal” (a seminal book on Lori music), he continues to influence the world music scene through film scoring, international tours, and advanced music education.
Nariman Assadi is an Iranian musician. Raised in Tehran, he always felt drawn to percussion instruments, and at the age of thirteen, he began studying Tombak under Master Amir Mogharab Samadi. From 2008 to 2013, Nariman performed at Vahdat Hall as a soloist and with the Persian Percussion Ensemble at Pars Academy, the premier music academy for children. After mastering Tombak, he then began learning Daf under the great Master Bijan Kamkar, and with a strong understanding of the Daf and Tombak, Nariman started learning Barbat (Oud) under Master Mohammad Firouzi. In 2015, Narimanimmigrated to the United States, where he immediately began his professional music career by performing and attending festivals. Along with being a member of various ensembles, Nariman is a certified-Orff teacher and teaches Daf, Tombak, and Music for children.
In 2022, he toured all over the United States with Afra Ensemble, led by Master Hossein Behrouzina, and additionally, Narimanrelaeasd his first album Larzanah, Improvisation of Iranian Folk Music, with Master Faraj Alipour on vocals and Kamancheh. Currently, he teaches Iranian Music at Farsi Schools in Sacramento and the Bay Area. He also teaches music at more than seven elemantary schools in Sacramento.

Artist Links
Mazdak Alipour: mazdakalipour.comNariman Assadi: narimanpercussion.com
Instagram:Nariman Assadi (@nariman.percussion)Mazdak Alipour (@moslemalipour)
Facebook:Moslem AlipoorNariman Assadi
EVENT DETAILS

Saturday, April 25, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $29 Students & Seniors – $35 Early Bird – $40 General / (Door) $40

Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Warango Trio
2026-05-09 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. You are advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Warango Trio
The Soul of the Cajon
Warango is a musical project that bridges Afro-Peruvian rhythms with jazz. In their upcoming concert, Afro-Peruvian Jazz Grooves: The Soul of the Cajon, the Warango Trio performs this fusion by reimagining jazz standards through the roots of the Cajon. Experience an evening at the intersection of ancestral heritage and modern jazz. Secure your tickets now for an unforgettable musical journey!
Featuring:
Pierr Padilla, Cajon
Kyla Danysh, Violin
Javier Trujillo, Guitar
Saturday, May 9th, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25 Students & Seniors – $29 Early Bird – $35 General / (Door) $35
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Warango is an Oakland-based Afro-Peruvian project that draws inspiration from the “huarango”, a tree known for its legendary resilience and deep roots. Since 2019, the ensemble has cultivated a unique musical ecosystem where ancestral rhythms meet modern jazz exploration. By honoring tradition while challenging creative boundaries, Warango delivers a powerful, captivating experience designed for both those familiar with the genre and those discovering the soul of Afro-Peruvian music for the first time.
Artist Links
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@warangomusic
Instagram: www.instagram.com/warangomusic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/warangomusic

EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, May 9th, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25 Students & Seniors – $29 Early Bird – $35 General / (Door) $35
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Garotas da Lua
2026-05-15 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. You are advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Garotas da Lua
Brazilian Vocal Harmony Ensemble
“Garotas da Lua” is an exciting new three voice harmony group, singing MPB, Samba and Bossa Nova. The group honor the great tradition of Brazilian Vocal groups from the last half of the 20th century through present day(Quarteto Em Cy, MPB4, Boca Livre and more), singing fresh arrangements of classics and gems by composers such as Chico Buarque, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Ary Barroso, Dori Caymmi.
Featuring:
Sandy Cressman, Catia Lund and Lillian Yee, Vocals
Ricardo Peixoto, 7 string guitar
Ami Molinelli, percussion
Friday, May 15th, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25 Students & Seniors – $29 Early Bird – $35 General / (Door) $35
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Garotas da Lua honor the great tradition of Brazilian Vocal groups from the last half of the 20th century through present day, singing fresh arrangements of classics and gems by composers such as Chico Buarque, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Ary Barroso, Dori Caymmi and more.
The voices of “Garotas da Lua” are:
Sandy Cressman: known for her group “Homenagem Brasileira”, with whom she has recorded 3 critically acclaimed CDs, and played venues and major festivals in the U.S. and Brazil.
Catia Lund: Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Catia is the lead vocalist for Oakland Samba Revue, for Bébé(Brazil East Bay Ensemble), Samba 415 and more.
Lillian Yee: Vocalist of The Brazilian Project, and collaborator within the wider Bay Area Brazilian Music community. She is co-founder of the Women Composers Collective and of Garotas da Lua, where she also serves as one of the group’s arrangers.
The vocalists are accompanied by Ricardo Peixoto, the well-known 7 string guitarist and percussionist Ami Molinelli.
Artist Links
Websitewww.cressmanmusic.comwww.ricardopeixoto.com
FacebookSandy Cressman Music Facebook GroupSandy Cressman Music on Facebook
Instagram@garotasdalua.musica

EVENT DETAILS
Friday, May 15th, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25 Students & Seniors – $29 Early Bird – $35 General / (Door) $35
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Rebecca Kleinmann Quintet
2026-05-22 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. You are advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Rebecca Kleinmann Quintet
Venezuela to Brazil
The Red Poppy presents the Rebecca Kleinmann Quintet featuring East Coast based flutist and vocalist Rebecca Kleinmann in collaboration world class Venezuelan musicians cuatro player/percussionist Jackeline Rago and guitarist Carlos Caminos, wonderful Bay Area/ Mexican born percussionist Marlon Aldana, and outstanding Bay Area bassist Bil Hager. Gracefully flowing between Venezuelan music, Brazilian folkloric rhythms and flamenco inspired originals, this dynamic quintet brings a special spin and vibrant life to every composition they arrange.
Featuring:
Rebecca Kleinmann, flutes and vocals
Carlos Caminos, guitar
Jackeline Rago, cuatro and percussion
Bil Hager, bass
Marlon Aldana, percussion
Friday, May 22nd, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25 Students & Seniors – $29 Early Bird – $35 General / (Door) $35
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Flutist and vocalist Rebecca Kleinmann returns to California from North Carolina where she leads several bands, directs UNC Chapel Hill’s Charanga Carolina and teaches in the UNCG Jazz department while pursuing her masters in classical flute. A Grammy awarded artist for her contribution to Taylor Eigsti’s “Plot Armor” (2023), she is an acclaimed for her performances worldwide. Pianist Benny Green made note of her unique artistry saying “Rebecca is masterful and selfless in her ability and inclination of melding her sound with her environment.” This Quintet iteration celebrates music from Venezuela to Brazil with some of Rebecca’s most treasured collaborators.
Artist Links
Website: www.rebeccakleinmann.com; www.jackelinerago.com; www.caminosmusic.com; www.marlonaldana.com
Instagram: @rebeccakleinmannmusic
Facebook: @rebeccakleinmannmusic
Preview the Performance

EVENT DETAILS
Friday, May 22nd, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25 Students & Seniors – $29 Early Bird – $35 General / (Door) $35
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Cuerdas Tropicales
2026-06-05 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. You are advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Cuerdas Tropicales
PuertoRican Trova and Latin-american classics meet Brazilian choro, samba and Brazilian standards
Featuring:
Ricardo Peixoto, brazilian guitar
Brian Rice, pandeiro and drumset
Madeleine Zayas, voice and hand percussion
Special Guest:
Daniel Zamalloa, Peruvian mandolin and flute player
Friday, June 5th, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25 Students & Seniors – $29 Early Bird – $35 General / (Door) $35
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Guitarist, composer and arranger Ricardo Peixoto is among the top representatives of Brazilian guitar in the US, with a fluid melodic style and a keen compositional sense. His music is grounded both in jazz and Brazil’s diverse traditions; but always ventures well beyond their borders. He has recorded, performed, and collaborated with, among others, Claudia Villela, Flora Purim and Airto, saxophonist Bud Shank, Dom Um Romão, Claudio Roditi, Paul McCandless Fabiana Cozza, Spok, Sivuca, Arturo Sandoval, Toots Thielemans, Dori Caymmi and Guinga. His recordings include the CDs Scary Beautiful, and Inverse Universe (with Claudia Villela). He has performed throughout the US, Europe, Canada, Japan and Brazil. Additionally Ricardo has taught Brazilian Guitar and Choro music at the California Jazz Conservatory for over 10 years. ricardopeixoto.com
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Madeleine Zayas is a Latin American singer/interpreter, choreographer and architect based in Oakland. At age 15 she tasted professional singing with internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Wilkins in her native Puerto Rico. She has performed in theaters and television in Puerto Rico, California and Nevada since 1985. She was co-founder of Buena Trova Social Club with Brandon Vance in 2012 and soon after as the lead singer and co-artistic director of Madelina y Los Carpinteros and Duo Made y Feña since 2014. She is the co-founder with Marcos Silva and lead singer of Sudamericanto, a bay area musical ensemble performing original compositions and innovative arrangements of carefully selected classics from the Brazilian Jazz, Latin American/Caribbean songbook. Madeleine has shared stage with Cheo Feliciano, Inti Illimani, John Santos, Tohnino Horta and Holly Near. Her love of folk music is rooted in the jibaro traditions of the Puertorican countryside, where her paternal family is from, and her eclectic repertoire is inspired by the Nueva Canción/Nueva Trova tradition of entertaining and educating about latin-american culture and pressing social issues. https://www.facebook.com/madeleine.zayasmart.3
Oakland based percussionist, Brian Rice specializes in both Brazilian and Afro Cuban percussion but can be heard playing a wide variety of music from Mexican son jarocho to the Grateful Dead songbook blended with Celtic music. Brian is a founding member of the Berkeley Choro Ensemble and is frequently called upon for his expertise on the pandeiro (Brazilian tambourine). In 2023 Brian premiered Danzas #4 for pandeiro and orchestra with the Diablo Symphony by Felipe Senna.
In addition to appearing in over a hundred recordings, Brian has worked with Mike Marshall, Jovino Santos Neto, Spok, Claudia Villela, Trio Brasileiro, Alessandro Penezzi, Jorge Alabe, Almir Côrtes, and Rogerio Souza among others. Brian performed at the Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, the Savannah Music Festival and NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert with the Danilo Brito Quintet. In July 2019 Brian celebrated the release of his first self-produced choro CD, Três Baías with Almir Côrtes and Nando Duarte. Brian is the co-founder and artistic director of the Berkeley Festival of Choro and teaches Samba School, and the Afro-Cuban Ensembles at UC Davis. brian-rice.com
Daniel Zamalloa is a guitarist, mandolinist, fiddler, and composer whose work is rooted in the musical traditions of Perú. His landmark recording “Folk Violin From Perú” features village music from 16 different regions.

With trio Chaskinakuy, he has performed and recorded music from Perú, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Argentina. He also recorded with Lichi Fuentes, Inkuyo, Patricio Morales quintet, and EstudiANDINA quartet. He has been musical director of De Rompe y Raja and has worked with Afro-Peruvian percussionists Mangué Vásquez, Lalo Izquierdo and Miguel Ballumbrosio, among others; singers Marina Lavalle, Rosa Los Santos, Mochi Parra, and Rafael Manríquez.

He has collaborated with San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Del Sol Quartet, Kairos Youth Choir, New York’s Pachamama Peruvian Arts, Seattle’s De Cajón Project, World Repertory Ensemble, Coro Hispano, and various dance troupes.
Artist Links
Websites: www.brian-rice.com; www.ricardopeixoto.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/madeleine.zayasmart.3; www.facebook.com/myloscarpinteros

EVENT DETAILS
Friday, June 5th, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25 Students & Seniors – $29 Early Bird – $35 General / (Door) $35
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

June 6th MAPP
2026-06-06 19:00 - 22:00
June 6th MAPP

THIS IS A FREE EVENT
Saturday, June 6, 2026 | 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Red Poppy Art House
MAPP (Mission Art Performance Project)
2698 Folsom @23rd
Curator: Dina Zarif
7:15 PM – 7:45 PM
Soundscapes (A Soulful Melodic Journey)
Eliot Valz – Solo guitar
8:00 PM – 8:45 PM
Esotérica Tropical (Puerto Rican Medicinal Songs)
María José Montijo – Harp & vocals
9:00 PM – 9:45 PM
Melodies of the Hindustani Tradition (Expressive Ragas)
Kamal Ahmad – Sitar
Nilan Chaudhuri – Tabla
Exhibition:
BĀZ-TĀB (Reflection) by Sima Shahverdi, a large-scale installation featuring charcoal drawings and paper sculpture, presented as part of A Season for Iran.
MAPP (Mission Arts & Performance Project)
Launched in 2003, the Mission Arts & Performance Project (MAPP) is a homegrown bi-monthly, multidisciplinary, intercultural event that takes place in the Mission District of San Francisco. On the first Saturday of every even month of the year, the MAPP transforms ordinary spaces, such as private garages, gardens, living rooms, studios, street corners, and small businesses into pop-up performance and exhibition sites for a day/night of intimate-scale artistic and cultural exchange among a kaleidoscope of individuals and communities.
RED POPPY MAPP TEAM:
Artistic Director | Managing Director: Dina Zarif
Content manager: Jennie Legary
Sound crew: Andrew Scott
Host: Verda Bursal
ABOUT THE PERFORMING ARTISTS

The Genie Soundscapes
A Soulful Melodic Journey
Featuring:
Eliot Valz – Solo guitar
Eliot Valz is a rising 11th -grade musician and performer at the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts in San Francisco. He performs with Marcus Shelby’s Teen Jazz Band at CMC, Old Skool Cafe, and his rock band, Thorn. Thorn just released their new EP on Spotify, and they will be heading to the Treefort Music Festival in Boise, Idaho in March. Eliot’s musical development has been shaped through mentorship with artists including Marcus Shelby, Kyle Blaze, and Javi Madrigal. Eliot is eager to continue growing as a musician through collaboration with diverse artists in professional and creative music spaces.

Esotérica Tropical
Medicinal Songs from Puerto Rico
Featuring:
María José Montijo – Harp & vocals
Esotérica Tropical transcends musical boundaries with her commanding voice, harp, and fusion of Bomba rhythms with electronic production. Her self-titled debut album was named Best Bay Area Music of 2024 by KQED, KALW, and White Crate. Her work boldly challenges colonial mentality, advocating for sovereignty and surrealism. A chance encounter with a Celtic harp on a Puerto Rican beach in 2009 transformed her from an acupuncturist into a genre-defying musical magician. Drawing on 20 years as a traditional medicine practitioner, Esotérica’s ritualistic performances have captivated audiences at major venues and festivals worldwide including Brava Theater, The Chapel, MACLA, Oakland Museum of California, SOMArts, Teatro Municipal de Cusco, Festival Color Caribe, Teatro el Supremo, and el Fiestón Cultural del Instituto de Cultura de PR.

Melodies of the Hindustani Tradition
Expressive raags through improvisation & tradition
Featuring:
Kamal Ahmad – Sitar
Nilan Chaudhuri – Tabla
Kamal Ahmad’s path to music wasn’t conventional, and that’s exactly what makes him a better teacher. His journey began with tabla before his elder sister introduced him to the sitar, sparking a devotion that would reshape his life. He sought formal training under sarod maestro Arnab Chakrabarty, who introduced him to sitar virtuoso Vinayak Chittar and scholar-vocalist Pandit Arijit Mahalanabis, a lineage of mentorship rooted in the deepest traditions of Indian classical music. Trained as a neuroscientist, Kamal started his serious musical study later than most. Rather than a setback, this became his advantage. His scientific mind drove him to find the most efficient, intentional methods of practice, the same methods he now teaches his students. He didn’t just learn raga music. He studied how people learn, and built his teaching around it.
Nilan Chaudhuri is a Bay Area based percussionist, educator, and performer. Initiated into the tradition of Indian Classical Music at the age of five by his father, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Nilan has been performing as a tabla soloist and accompanist for nearly two decades. Prior to beginning his formal training with his father in 2000, Nilan studied tabla with Brad Van Cleve, Tim Witter, and Uttam Chakraborty, all of whom are senior disciples of his father.
Drawing inspiration from his father’s innovative approach to classical tabla solo, Nilan was determined from a young age to be a soloist. He presented his first public tabla recital at the age of eleven, at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, in the presence of Maestro Ali Akbar Khansahib. It was during these formative years that Nilan was introduced to the world of Tabla accompaniment by Maestro Ali Akbar Khan, providing rhythmic support for his vocal and instrumental classes at the college.

Visual Art Exhibition: BĀZ-TĀB (Reflection)

BĀZ-TĀB (Reflection) by Sima Shahverdi, a large-scale installation featuring charcoal drawings and paper sculpture, presented as part of A Season for Iran.
BĀZ-TĀB (meaning reflection) is a body of work rooted in the architectural memory of Iran. Each piece begins as a large-scale hand drawing of a specific Iranian site—a courtyard, a dome, an arched passage—built gradually in charcoal, documented frame by frame, and brought to life through animation. Three-dimensional paper sculptures emerge from the drawings, collapsing the boundary between image and object. Together, these elements seek to recreate something closer to how we actually remember a place: not as a photograph, but as a dream—fragmentary, layered, and alive.
At Red Poppy Art House, the two parallel walls become the interior faces of an Iranian house—one the tabestān-neshin (summer room), the other the zemestān-neshin (winter room). The audience sits at the center, where the courtyard would be.
We are Iranians scattered across cities, each carrying memories of a place we can no longer easily return to. My own memories are of the architectural spaces I walked through as a student—the hum of voices beneath a dome, a voice carrying across a courtyard, the cool wind descending through a badgir. I invite the audience to gather at the howz, sit by the water, and look up at the sky.
This is not documentation. It is not nostalgia. It is the act of remembering as a collective, embodied, present-tense experience. We become part of the house. The house becomes part of us.
MAPP GENERAL PROGRAM
Join us in MAPP at all other spaces throughout the Mission District.

IN PERSON EVENT DETAILS
Time: June 6th, 2026, 7pm- 10pm (IN-PERSON)
Admission: Free!

DONATE

ShadowLight Productions
2026-06-14 13:00 - 16:00
RSVP to the Facebook event:

ShadowLight Productions
Earth Paper Cut: Shadow Performance & Puppet Workshop
Created and performed by ShadowLight’s Jess Nguyen, Earth Paper Cut is a youth-scripted, surreal story translated into a shadow show: Earth Paper Cut follows two children navigating the moral quandaries around staying or leaving their planet behind at the end of the world as we know it.
This performance will be followed by a guided exploration of transforming a story into a shadow play and a puppet building workshop.
This event is part of Red Poppy’s Family Art Program (Arte entre Familia).
Featuring:
Jess Nguyen, Puppeteer and Teaching Artist
Sunday, June 14th, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm – 4: 00 pm
Admission: FREE
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Jessica Nguyễn specializes in movement and visual arts disciplines ranging from dance, puppetry, and circus to science illustration and sculpture. As a core member, performer, and frequent collaborator with Shadowlight Productions Jess specializes as a shadow puppeteer and designer, but is also versed in other forms of puppetry. She has performed and collaborated with Facing West Shadows, OddSavvy, Driveway Follies, SF Youth Theatre, and the SF Opera. Jess is always up to shenanigans with the youth, and is a multi-disciplinary educator across the Bay. You can often catch her, unsurprisingly, mulling over fun facts to share with you.
Artist Links
Jess Nguyen
FB: https://www.facebook.com/phantomcardium/
IG: @phantomcardium
Website: www.ghosthearted.com
ShadowLight
Instagram: @shadowlightproductions
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ShadowLightProductions/
Website: shadowlight.org
EVENT DETAILS
Sunday, June 14th, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm – 4: 00 pm
Admission: FREE
Note: RSVP guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

ICU (I See You) : A One-Woman Play
2026-06-19 19:30 - 21:00
ICU (I See You)
A one-woman staged reading inspired by Iran’s “Women, Life, Freedom” movement
Presented by
Red Poppy Art House and Golden Thread Productions present a special theatrical reading of ICU (I See You) by Leyla Modirzadeh and Domenique Lozano, a one-woman play performed by Bridgette Loriaux.
Dates
Friday, June 19
Doors: 7:00 PM | Performance: 7:30–9:00 PM
Saturday, June 20
Doors: 7:00 PM | Performance: 7:30–9:00 PM
Sunday, June 21
Doors: 1:30 PM | Performance: 2:00–3:30 PM
Venue
Red Poppy Art House
2698 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
Please Note

Seating is limited.
Doors open 30 minutes before the performance.
Late seating may not be accommodated.
Please allow extra time for parking.

Advance tickets are available online. You are required to purchase advance tickets for this event.
*Due to the theatrical nature of this performance, the show begins promptly and late seating may not be permitted.
RSVP on Facebook & buy tickets:

GET TICKETS

ABOUT THE PLAY
Red Poppy Art House and Golden Thread Productions proudly presents ICU (I See You), a one-woman theatrical reading written by Leyla Modirzadeh and Domenique Lozano, and performed by Bridgette Loriaux.
Inspired by Iran’s 2022–2023 “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, ICU illuminates the events and human experiences of the uprising through the intersecting lives of five Iranian women.
The movement began after the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Iran’s morality police, sparking nationwide protests led by women and girls demanding dignity, freedom, and basic human rights. What followed was one of the most significant protest movements in modern Iranian history and a brutal crackdown by the regime.
ICU is a full-length play currently in development as part of Golden Thread’s New Threads Staged Reading Series. New Threads is Golden Thread’s annual staged reading series that engages its audience in the process of playmaking and allows writers of Middle Eastern and non-Middle Eastern descent an authentic and supportive space to develop work about the Middle East.
Because the events that inspired the work continue to resonate so deeply, the artists wanted to share the story with audiences now rather than wait for the play’s final production. Portions of the performance will be presented with scripts in hand as part of the play’s ongoing development process.
The title ICU operates on several levels. It references the intensive care units where injured protesters sought treatment. It declares “I see you”—the fundamental demand to be witnessed, recognized, and remembered. It also evokes the eye itself and the power of sight, which became a powerful symbol throughout the movement.
The play begins on a hopeful morning in the midst of the Women, Life, Freedom protests. From there, it follows the aftermath of a single day and night, tracing the lives of women whose futures are forever altered by the choices they make and the events they endure.
Through humor, resilience, grief, friendship, and extraordinary courage, ICU explores what it costs to demand your humanity—and what it takes to keep fighting for it. With some laughs.
Written by: Leyla Modirzadeh & Domenique Lozano
Performed by: Bridgette Loriaux
Presented by Red Poppy Art House and Golden Thread Productions.
About Golden Thread Productions
Golden Thread Productions is a San Francisco-based theatre company dedicated to exploring Middle Eastern cultures, diverse perspectives, and global immigrant experiences. Founded in 1996, it is the first American theatre company devoted to the Middle East and its diaspora. Through new play development, education programs, and its signature ReOrient Festival, Golden Thread champions underrepresented voices and creates powerful opportunities for cultural exchange, dialogue, and artistic innovation.
ARTISTS
Bridgette Loriaux is an award-winning actor, writer, director, choreographer, and movement artist known for her highly physical and visually inventive approach to storytelling. Her work includes the off-Broadway dance-theatre piece 2½ Breaths, award-winning productions for Marin Shakespeare Company, and movement direction for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at San Francisco Playhouse. Internationally, she has toured throughout Europe, South America, and Egypt, performed at the Beijing Olympic Games, and continues to develop innovative work as both a theatre artist and movement educator.

Domenique Lozano is a director, actress, vocal coach, and educator based on the West Coast. She has served as a Resident Artist with American Conservatory Theater and an Associate Artist with California Shakespeare Theater. Her directing credits include productions with Marin Shakespeare Company, ACT, UC Berkeley, TheatreFirst, and Southern Oregon University. As an actor, she has performed with Cal Shakes, ACT, Berkeley Rep, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and numerous regional theatres across the country.

Leyla Modirzadeh (co-writer) is an Iranian-American artist, actress, and director. She has performed in theaters across the country including Cincinnati Playhouse, A Contemporary Theatre, The Group Theatre, Wisdom Bridge Theatre in Chicago, Speakeasy Stage in Boston, The Kennedy Center in DC, La Mama ETC and New York Theatre Workshop in New York. She was seen most recently at Indiana Repertory Theatre as Roya in English. In addition to her professional stage work, Leyla is known for her collaborations with renowned theatre artist Ping Chong. She has a BA in Humanities from UC Berkeley, MFA in acting from University of Washington.

[Show thumbnails]

ICU (I See You) : A One-Woman Play
2026-06-20 19:30 - 21:00
ICU (I See You)
A one-woman staged reading inspired by Iran’s “Women, Life, Freedom” movement
Presented by
Red Poppy Art House and Golden Thread Productions present a special theatrical reading of ICU (I See You) by Leyla Modirzadeh and Domenique Lozano, a one-woman play performed by Bridgette Loriaux.
Presented by heading aside — paste continues below.
Dates
Friday, June 19
Doors: 7:00 PM | Performance: 7:30–9:00 PM
Saturday, June 20
Doors: 7:00 PM | Performance: 7:30–9:00 PM
Sunday, June 21
Doors: 1:30 PM | Performance: 2:00–3:30 PM
Venue
Red Poppy Art House
2698 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
Please Note

Seating is limited.
Doors open 30 minutes before the performance.
Late seating may not be accommodated.
Please allow extra time for parking.

Advance tickets are available online. You are required to purchase advance tickets for this event.
*Due to the theatrical nature of this performance, the show begins promptly and late seating may not be permitted.
RSVP on Facebook & buy tickets:

GET TICKETS

ABOUT THE PLAY
Red Poppy Art House and Golden Thread Productions proudly presents ICU (I See You), a one-woman theatrical reading written by Leyla Modirzadeh and Domenique Lozano, and performed by Bridgette Loriaux.
Inspired by Iran’s 2022–2023 “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, ICU illuminates the events and human experiences of the uprising through the intersecting lives of five Iranian women.
The movement began after the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Iran’s morality police, sparking nationwide protests led by women and girls demanding dignity, freedom, and basic human rights. What followed was one of the most significant protest movements in modern Iranian history and a brutal crackdown by the regime.
ICU is a full-length play currently in development as part of Golden Thread’s New Threads Staged Reading Series. New Threads is Golden Thread’s annual staged reading series that engages its audience in the process of playmaking and allows writers of Middle Eastern and non-Middle Eastern descent an authentic and supportive space to develop work about the Middle East.
Because the events that inspired the work continue to resonate so deeply, the artists wanted to share the story with audiences now rather than wait for the play’s final production. Portions of the performance will be presented with scripts in hand as part of the play’s ongoing development process.
The title ICU operates on several levels. It references the intensive care units where injured protesters sought treatment. It declares “I see you”—the fundamental demand to be witnessed, recognized, and remembered. It also evokes the eye itself and the power of sight, which became a powerful symbol throughout the movement.
The play begins on a hopeful morning in the midst of the Women, Life, Freedom protests. From there, it follows the aftermath of a single day and night, tracing the lives of women whose futures are forever altered by the choices they make and the events they endure.
Through humor, resilience, grief, friendship, and extraordinary courage, ICU explores what it costs to demand your humanity—and what it takes to keep fighting for it. With some laughs.
Written by: Leyla Modirzadeh & Domenique Lozano
Performed by: Bridgette Loriaux
Presented by Red Poppy Art House and Golden Thread Productions.
About Golden Thread Productions
Golden Thread Productions is a San Francisco-based theatre company dedicated to exploring Middle Eastern cultures, diverse perspectives, and global immigrant experiences. Founded in 1996, it is the first American theatre company devoted to the Middle East and its diaspora. Through new play development, education programs, and its signature ReOrient Festival, Golden Thread champions underrepresented voices and creates powerful opportunities for cultural exchange, dialogue, and artistic innovation.
ARTISTS
Bridgette Loriaux is an award-winning actor, writer, director, choreographer, and movement artist known for her highly physical and visually inventive approach to storytelling. Her work includes the off-Broadway dance-theatre piece 2½ Breaths, award-winning productions for Marin Shakespeare Company, and movement direction for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at San Francisco Playhouse. Internationally, she has toured throughout Europe, South America, and Egypt, performed at the Beijing Olympic Games, and continues to develop innovative work as both a theatre artist and movement educator.

Domenique Lozano is a director, actress, vocal coach, and educator based on the West Coast. She has served as a Resident Artist with American Conservatory Theater and an Associate Artist with California Shakespeare Theater. Her directing credits include productions with Marin Shakespeare Company, ACT, UC Berkeley, TheatreFirst, and Southern Oregon University. As an actor, she has performed with Cal Shakes, ACT, Berkeley Rep, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and numerous regional theatres across the country.

Leyla Modirzadeh (co-writer) is an Iranian-American artist, actress, and director. She has performed in theaters across the country including Cincinnati Playhouse, A Contemporary Theatre, The Group Theatre, Wisdom Bridge Theatre in Chicago, Speakeasy Stage in Boston, The Kennedy Center in DC, La Mama ETC and New York Theatre Workshop in New York. She was seen most recently at Indiana Repertory Theatre as Roya in English. In addition to her professional stage work, Leyla is known for her collaborations with renowned theatre artist Ping Chong. She has a BA in Humanities from UC Berkeley, MFA in acting from University of Washington.

[Show thumbnails]

ICU (I See You) : A One-Woman Play
2026-06-21 14:00 - 15:30
ICU (I See You)
A one-woman staged reading inspired by Iran’s “Women, Life, Freedom” movement
Presented by
Red Poppy Art House and Golden Thread Productions present a special theatrical reading of ICU (I See You) by Leyla Modirzadeh and Domenique Lozano, a one-woman play performed by Bridgette Loriaux.
Dates
Friday, June 19
Doors: 7:00 PM | Performance: 7:30–9:00 PM
Saturday, June 20
Doors: 7:00 PM | Performance: 7:30–9:00 PM
Sunday, June 21
Doors: 1:30 PM | Performance: 2:00–3:30 PM
Venue
Red Poppy Art House
2698 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
Please Note

Seating is limited.
Doors open 30 minutes before the performance.
Late seating may not be accommodated.
Please allow extra time for parking.

Advance tickets are available online. You are required to purchase advance tickets for this event.
*Due to the theatrical nature of this performance, the show begins promptly and late seating may not be permitted.
RSVP on Facebook & buy tickets:

GET TICKETS

ABOUT THE PLAY
Red Poppy Art House and Golden Thread Productions proudly presents ICU (I See You), a one-woman theatrical reading written by Leyla Modirzadeh and Domenique Lozano, and performed by Bridgette Loriaux.
Inspired by Iran’s 2022–2023 “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, ICU illuminates the events and human experiences of the uprising through the intersecting lives of five Iranian women.
The movement began after the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Iran’s morality police, sparking nationwide protests led by women and girls demanding dignity, freedom, and basic human rights. What followed was one of the most significant protest movements in modern Iranian history and a brutal crackdown by the regime.
ICU is a full-length play currently in development as part of Golden Thread’s New Threads Staged Reading Series. New Threads is Golden Thread’s annual staged reading series that engages its audience in the process of playmaking and allows writers of Middle Eastern and non-Middle Eastern descent an authentic and supportive space to develop work about the Middle East.
Because the events that inspired the work continue to resonate so deeply, the artists wanted to share the story with audiences now rather than wait for the play’s final production. Portions of the performance will be presented with scripts in hand as part of the play’s ongoing development process.
The title ICU operates on several levels. It references the intensive care units where injured protesters sought treatment. It declares “I see you”—the fundamental demand to be witnessed, recognized, and remembered. It also evokes the eye itself and the power of sight, which became a powerful symbol throughout the movement.
The play begins on a hopeful morning in the midst of the Women, Life, Freedom protests. From there, it follows the aftermath of a single day and night, tracing the lives of women whose futures are forever altered by the choices they make and the events they endure.
Through humor, resilience, grief, friendship, and extraordinary courage, ICU explores what it costs to demand your humanity—and what it takes to keep fighting for it. With some laughs.
Written by: Leyla Modirzadeh & Domenique Lozano
Performed by: Bridgette Loriaux
Presented by Red Poppy Art House and Golden Thread Productions.
About Golden Thread Productions
Golden Thread Productions is a San Francisco-based theatre company dedicated to exploring Middle Eastern cultures, diverse perspectives, and global immigrant experiences. Founded in 1996, it is the first American theatre company devoted to the Middle East and its diaspora. Through new play development, education programs, and its signature ReOrient Festival, Golden Thread champions underrepresented voices and creates powerful opportunities for cultural exchange, dialogue, and artistic innovation.
ARTISTS
Bridgette Loriaux is an award-winning actor, writer, director, choreographer, and movement artist known for her highly physical and visually inventive approach to storytelling. Her work includes the off-Broadway dance-theatre piece 2½ Breaths, award-winning productions for Marin Shakespeare Company, and movement direction for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at San Francisco Playhouse. Internationally, she has toured throughout Europe, South America, and Egypt, performed at the Beijing Olympic Games, and continues to develop innovative work as both a theatre artist and movement educator.

Domenique Lozano is a director, actress, vocal coach, and educator based on the West Coast. She has served as a Resident Artist with American Conservatory Theater and an Associate Artist with California Shakespeare Theater. Her directing credits include productions with Marin Shakespeare Company, ACT, UC Berkeley, TheatreFirst, and Southern Oregon University. As an actor, she has performed with Cal Shakes, ACT, Berkeley Rep, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and numerous regional theatres across the country.

Leyla Modirzadeh (co-writer) is an Iranian-American artist, actress, and director. She has performed in theaters across the country including Cincinnati Playhouse, A Contemporary Theatre, The Group Theatre, Wisdom Bridge Theatre in Chicago, Speakeasy Stage in Boston, The Kennedy Center in DC, La Mama ETC and New York Theatre Workshop in New York. She was seen most recently at Indiana Repertory Theatre as Roya in English. In addition to her professional stage work, Leyla is known for her collaborations with renowned theatre artist Ping Chong. She has a BA in Humanities from UC Berkeley, MFA in acting from University of Washington.

ICU (I See You) : A One-Woman Play

Reuse, Repurpose, Reimagine: Interactive Mending Workshop
2026-06-27 13:00 - 16:00
Join us to learn about mending clothes, bags, and fabric items, and even work on your project with guidance and materials from Verda Bursal. You can bring your own item(s) in need of mending and/or work with scrap pieces from Verda’s stash.
Thread and tools will be provided, including a sewing machine if you’re feeling brave!
The workshop will be entirely donation-based. No tickets, no need to RSVP, pay what you can for your alteration and/or lesson.

Verda Bursal is the creator of Waste to Hip, a project dedicated to mending and upcycling fabric goods as well as teaching others how to do the same. She is proud to carry on the millennia-old tradition of turning plant and animal fibers into useful three-dimensional objects, and firmly believes that most fabric items have more life they can live.
Read more about her project: https://www.wastetohip.com/

Waste to Hip by Verda Bursal

Image 1 of 3

August 1st MAPP
2026-08-01 19:00 - 22:00
August 1st MAPP: Songs Across the World

THIS IS A FREE EVENT
Saturday, August 1st, 2026 | 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Join us for an evening that celebrates the richness of our global musical landscape. Songs Across the World brings together four distinct performances that span continents, traditions, and contemporary expressions, offering a journey from intimate storytelling to joyful celebration.
Red Poppy Art House
MAPP (Mission Arts & Performance Project)
2698 23rd @ Folsom
Curator: Dina Zarif
7:00 pm- 7:35 pm
Libres (songs for the heart)
Mónica María (Jarana and voice)
7:50 pm – 8:40 pm
Kaimera (Balkan, Greek, Turkish)
Ryan Feldthouse (oud, bouzouki and violin)
Jesse Torre (flamenco guitar)
9:00 PM – 10:00 PM
LA GENTE SF (Cumbia, Salsa, Reggaeton)
Rafa Sarria Bustamante (vocals, guitar)
Diana Rivera (vocals, percussion)
Jesse Weber (percussion, Vocals)
Monica Maria (bass, vocals)
MAPP (Mission Arts & Performance Project)
Launched in 2003, the Mission Arts & Performance Project (MAPP) is a homegrown bi-monthly, multidisciplinary, intercultural event that takes place in the Mission District of San Francisco. On the first Saturday of every even month of the year, the MAPP transforms ordinary spaces, such as private garages, gardens, living rooms, studios, street corners, and small businesses into pop-up performance and exhibition sites for a day/night of intimate-scale artistic and cultural exchange among a kaleidoscope of individuals and communities.
RED POPPY MAPP TEAM:
Artistic Director | Managing Director: Dina Zarif
Content manager: Jennie Legary
Host: Verda Bursal
ABOUT THE PERFORMING ARTISTS

Libres
Songs for the Heart
Mónica María – Jarana and voice
Monica María’s music reflects her Californian roots mixed with traditional and contemporary sounds of Latin America. Her songs are innovative and expressive of a world where cultures coexist, where fear is transformed by compassion, where we learn to truly love ourselves, and where we view the world from an empathetic and holistic state of mind. A vocalist, multi instrumentalist and composer, she’s a graduate of San Francisco State University who has spent more than half her life songwriting and performing various genres such as Son Jarocho, Son Cubano, Salsa, Folk and Jazz.

Kaimera
Contemporary World Fusion
Ryan Feldthouse – oud, bouzouki and violin
Jesse Torre – lamenco guitar
Kaimera is a thoughtfully crafted ensemble, led by Ryan Feldthouse on oud, bouzouki and violin, and Jesse Torre on flamenco guitar. Their music is a fusion of Balkan, Flamenco, Greek, and Turkish influences, creating a layered and beautiful soundscape. With a balance of precision and spontaneity, Kaimera offers an immersive musical experience – perfect for special events, where their performance invites the audience to listen closely and connect.

LA GENTE SF
Cumbia, Salsa, Reggaeton
Rafa Sarria Bustamante – vocals, guitar
Diana Rivera – vocals, percussion
Jesse Weber – percussion, Vocals
Monica Maria – bass, vocals
LA GENTE SF was born in the Mission District of San Francisco, California. The group is led by Rafa Sarria Bustamante: singer-songwriter and voting member of the Recording Academy/Grammy’s. LA GENTE SF has created their own unique blend of Cumbia, Salsa, and Reggaeton. Their music and live shows fuse together rhythms, dances and cultural influences from all over Latino America and the Caribbean with a distinct San Francisco flavor, to create an infectious, high energy dance party. LA GENTE SF have just released “Llama Cumbia”, their second single and music video from their 5th studio album “Entre 2 Mundos.” The Band is currently on their 2026 World Tour with dates in the USA, Colombia, Mexico & more.

Preview the Artists
Mónica María

LA GENTE SF

MAPP GENERAL PROGRAM
Join us in MAPP at all other spaces throughout the Mission District.

IN PERSON EVENT DETAILS
Time: August 1st, 2026, 7pm- 10pm (IN-PERSON)
Admission: Free!

BECOME A PATRON
