Barry M. Putt, Jr. is a playwright and screenwriter whose work centers on identity, resilience, and human connection. His plays and scripts, produced both nationally and internationally, often amplify marginalized voices and explore urgent social themes. Joining the conversation are director Robert Liebowitz, who has helmed more than 100 productions over the course of his career, and cultural consultant Asal Abasian, an Iran-born writer, journalist, and queer feminist activist whose work focuses on exile, gender, and resistance.

Omeed’s Tapestries follows an Iranian shopkeeper and his partner as they prepare to flee their homeland in hopes of living openly as a same-sex couple. When a devout neighbor uncovers their secret, their future is suddenly threatened. Inspired by extensive firsthand accounts and research, the play examines love, fear, and survival under oppression, while highlighting the universal human desire for freedom and dignity.