Invasion!
by Jonas Hassen Khemiri, Rachel Willson-Broyles

Name: Invasion!
Brand: Jonas Hassen Khemiri
SKU: 9780573700675
Rating: 3.68 (257 reviews)

Highlights

Small Cast

Female

Male

90 mins Present Day Reduced Casting (Doubling Possible) Bare Stage/Simple Set Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes American

Awards & Recognition

Obie Award

Winner! 2011 Obie for Playwriting A New York Times Critic's Pick!

What readers are saying

Readers appreciate the clever language and multifaceted themes in the play. Many find it engaging and beautifully written, praising its ability to hold attention if performed well. However, some express that parts of the narrative can feel disjointed or not fully captivating.

Clever language and themes Engaging and beautifully written Holds attention well Some parts feel disjointed

Synopsis

Winner!

2011 Obie for Playwriting

A New York Times Critic's Pick!

Invasion!

is a tornado of words images and ideas all centered around a magical name: Abulkasem.

The play assaults our deepest prejudices about identity race and language.

At once hilarious disturbing and poignant this deeply subversive play deconstructs a threatening identity - the Arabic male - and forces us to confront our own cultural identity.

Press Reviews

"A high-energy, often hectic experience, with theatrical and political ideas bouncing off each other like pinballs."
— Backstage

"Ask no more questions. Do not hesitate. This is without a doubt one of the best plays I have seen this entire season – and that includes Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway. It's an extremely intelligent, linguistically complex, politically charged, attention grabbing, rapid-fire tour de force for each of its 75 sharply written, cunningly directed, and superbly acted and deliciously well received minutes."
— New York NearSay

"When you're in the hands of totally confident, committed theatre artists - well, there's nothing like it...The Play Company finds relatively unknown contemporary international playwrights with something to say. This is one of their best finds yet."
— Lighting&Soundamerica

"CRITIC'S PICK! A slyly entertaining comedy with a sharp political edge... expresses confusion with remarkable clarity."
— The New York Times

"If you’ve ever wished somebody would write a razor-sharp play anatomizing lazy paranoia about the Middle East―somebody has."
— The VillageVoice

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
B man, 20-25 years old; plays Arvind, Expert 1, Fanon-Lover	—	20-25	man, 20-25 years old; plays Arvind, Expert 1, Fanon-Lover
C woman, 20-25 years old; plays Actor 2, Lara, Expert 2, Interpreter	female	20-25	woman, 20-25 years old; plays Actor 2, Lara, Expert 2, Interpreter
D man, 20-25 years old; plays Yousef, Alexandra, Eric, Expert 3, Anti-Nuclear Lady, Little Brother	female	20-25	man, 20-25 years old; plays Yousef, Alexandra, Eric, Expert 3, Anti-Nuclear Lady, Little Brother
A man, 40-50 years old; plays Actor 1, Lance, Guide, Journalist, Apple Picker	—	40-50	man, 40-50 years old; plays Actor 1, Lance, Guide, Journalist, Apple Picker