The Betrothed (Guha)
by Dipika Guha

The Betrothed (Guha) Book Cover — The Betrothed (Guha) Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

90 mins Present Day Unit Set/Multiple Settings Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes Comedy

Synopsis

Simon leaves America for the first time to fly to the Old Country to marry the woman he’s been betrothed to from birth.

On arrival, he finds that she is ancient.

She insists that she is his betrothed – his only love – and that she aged overnight due to the stress of his anticipated arrival.

Horrified by her age and her abundant sexual interest in him, Simon kills her.

Derailed by old crones, morally ambiguous clergymen, deceitful babies and barnyard animals, Simon must navigate a world where murder, ghostly possession and rampant cuckoldry wreak havoc with his sense of reality.

The Betrothed is an existential comedy with a fairy tale heart.

Press Reviews

"There's a lot of magic realism in it. It isn't bound by what we typically think of as reality so, it makes it magical. I think it is an alive, funny, and deep play."
— Byam Stevens, Artistic Director of Chester Theater Company

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Anna Cecilia Rasheeda Silosa Hangi Maria As old as possible for a woman on stage, arises from a dark, mythical East European country, has never seen a movie but has lived the life of several	female	—	As old as possible for a woman on stage, arises from a dark, mythical East European country, has never seen a movie but has lived the life of several
Rasheeda Anna Cecilia Silosa Hangi Maria Mid 30s (although insists she is in her early twenties), daughter to ANNA CECILIA stunning, a model (played by the same actor as ANNA CECILIA), does not like movies	female	30s	Mid 30s (although insists she is in her early twenties), daughter to ANNA CECILIA stunning, a model (played by the same actor as ANNA CECILIA), does not like movies
Solomon Late 50s, handsome, dirt underneath his fingernails, speaks with an accent of a man from a mythical East European country who has spent his life watching American movies like Die Hard and The Godfather	male	50s	Late 50s, handsome, dirt underneath his fingernails, speaks with an accent of a man from a mythical East European country who has spent his life watching American movies like Die Hard and The Godfather
The Son Early teens, SIMON’s son (played by the same actor who plays SOLOMON) wants to be in the movies someday	—	—	Early teens, SIMON’s son (played by the same actor who plays SOLOMON) wants to be in the movies someday
Gonan Late 50s, SOLOMON’s best friend and worst enemy, a fan of silent comedies	—	50s	Late 50s, SOLOMON’s best friend and worst enemy, a fan of silent comedies
The Priest Late 40s, the local priest, has recently got into watching American teen shows like 90210 and The Hills (played by the same actor as GONAN)	—	40s	Late 40s, the local priest, has recently got into watching American teen shows like 90210 and The Hills (played by the same actor as GONAN)
Simon Mid 30s, an American man, a virgin, existentially anxious, his favorite movie is When Harry Met Sally	male	30s	Mid 30s, an American man, a virgin, existentially anxious, his favorite movie is When Harry Met Sally