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The Who & The What
Ayad Akhtar
Draw the Circle
by Mashuq Mushtaq Deen
Off-Broadway
Highlights
90 mins Present Day Role(s) for Asian Actor(s) Expandable Casting Flexible Cast Size Unit Set/Multiple Settings Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes Comedy
Synopsis
The hilarious and deeply moving story of conservative Muslim mother at her wits’ end, a Muslim father who likes to tell jokes, and a queer American woman trying to make a good impression on her Indian in-laws.
In a story about family and love and the things we do to be together, one immigrant family must come to terms with a child who defies their most basic expectations of what it means to have a daughter.
Within this beautifully-crafted show, one person will redefine the limits of unconditional love.
This unique play compassionately brings to life the often ignored struggle that a family goes through when their child transitions from one gender to another and can be performed with either just one actor or up to 19.
Press Reviews
"The effect of Deen’s storytelling technique and artistry is arresting… A masterful act of writing… If you believe theatre can teach us something important about who we are as gendered beings – or even if you just have a hunch that America cannot be great if driven by hate – Draw the Circle is an epochal inquiry into identity… and some of the most pressing questions of our time."
— DC Metro Theater Arts
"Draw the Circle chronicles, with surprising empathy, not just what it was like to slowly, painfully come to terms with transition, but what it was like for loved ones who shunned everything about it."
— Washington Post
"An insightful work that is noteworthy for the compassion with which the playwright… explores viewpoints different from his own… even the most intolerant of characters are allowed to come across as warmly sympathetic in their own ways."
— TheaterMania
"Essential viewing… Deen’s extreme vulnerability and creativity coalesce to make it a vitally important piece of theater… Draw the Circle is a singular theatrical experience."
— BroadwayWorld
Characters
| Character |
|---|
| MOLLY Deen’s partner, a white cisgender woman |
| FATHER Deen’s father, an Indian cisgender man |
| MOTHER Deen’s mother, an Indian cisgender woman |
| NICK A friend from high school, cisgender |
| RABIA Deen’s six-year-old niece, an Indian-American cisgender girl |
| JEN A friend from high school, cisgender |
| DR. ERIKSON A therapist at the Stockbridge Treatment Center, cisgender |
| LUCIA A Latina cisgender woman, housekeeper |
| ALONSO A man living in Costa Rica, cisgender |
| SAM A classmate from grad school, cisgender |
| KOKILA A trans woman living in India |
| SATYA A trans man living in India |
| JACK A trans man in his fifties |
| MATT Deen’s brother-in-law, a white cisgender man |
| JOSH A young trans man |
| VANESSA Human resources specialist, a cisgender woman |
| STEPHEN A cisgender man in his forties |
| BEVERLY A nurse, cisgender |
| DEEN |
| CASTING REQUIREMENTS There are many possible ways to cast this play. While it was conceived and originally produced as a solo show, it would be possible to cast as many as 19 actors – one actor per character. If more than three actors are cast, it remains utterly necessary that the gender identities and ethnicities of the characters be represented by the actors playing those characters. |
Videos
Draw the Circle – Rattlestick Theater Preview
Publication
Draw the Circle is a comedy play written by Mashuq Mushtaq Deen and published by Dramatists Play Service .
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Performance Rights
Available for Licensing
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