A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

A Second Birth

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  4w, 3m

Ariel Mitchell

The daughter of poor Afghani parents, Nasima has been raised as a boy to improve the family’s social and economic standing. Now, as she prepares to marry, Nasima must abandon her employment and education, confront her past and discover who she truly is.

A Second Birth

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    105 Minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Not Applicable
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for all audiences, Adult, Teen (Age 14 - 18)
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! 2013 Harold and Mimi Steinberg National Student Playwriting Award. Third place winner for the David Mark Cohen Award.

Details

Summary

Born as the daughter of poor Afghani parents, Nasima's position in society is already compromised. So she has been raised as a boy since the age of five to improve the family’s social and economic standing in the community. When Nasima is forced to abandon her employment and education in order to (re)learn how to be a girl so she can marry, she must confront her past relationships and future traditions to discover who she truly is.

History

A Second Birth received its world premiere at Bringham Young University's Department of Theatre and Media Arts in September 2012. 

Keywords
Performing Groups

NASIM/NASIMA (Nah-seem/Nah-seem-meh) – 17, a bright young girl who has been raised as a boy since the age of 5
YASIR (Yahs-air) – 18, an athletic, fun loving teenage boy, Nasim's best friend
LAILA (Lie-la) – 16, Yasir's sister and Nasima's friend since childhood
AZADEH (Az-ah-day) – 15, Nasima's sister
HODA (Hoe-dah) – Nasima's Mother
ZEMAN (Zeh-mon) – Nasima's Father
MR. RAFAAT (Mr. Rah-fah-aht) – A shopkeeper and family friend

The original production at Brigham Young University was cast with an ethnicity-blind cast.

  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Setting

    Somewhere in the Afghanistan. Modern day.

  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Physical Comedy, Play w/ Music
  • Duration 105 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

“I applaud Mitchell for taking on such difficult subject matter; she was able to create a specific story dealing with the religious and cultural traditions of the Middle East with themes that spoke to...a theater in Utah... [Mitchell raises] questions about gender, equal opportunities and marriage that should be asked in every culture.” – Utah Theatre Bloggers

Videos

  • A Second Birth - World Premiere youtube thumbnail

    A Second Birth - World Premiere

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

Available Formats:
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Authors

Ariel Mitchell

Ariel Mitchell

Ariel Mitchell hails from a small island in the Chesapeake Bay. She began her writing career in her sophomore year of high school with Mask Club (book, lyrics, and some music), a musical about high school students choosing and changing their identities like masks. She earned ...

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