A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE
Familiar
Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5w, 3m
It’s winter in Minnesota, and a Zimbabwean family is preparing for the wedding of their eldest daughter, a first-generation American. But when the bride insists on observing a traditional African custom, it opens a deep rift in the household. Rowdy and affectionate, Familiar pitches tradition against assimilation, drawing a loving portrait of a family: the customs they keep, and the secrets they bury.
Image: 2016 Playwrights Horizons Production (Joan Marcus)
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Cast Size
5w, 3m -
Duration
120 minutes (2 hours) -
Subgenre
Not Applicable -
Target Audience
Adult
Details
Summary
Marvelous and Donald, Zimbabwean emigrants in Minnesota, are preparing for the marriage of their eldest daughter, Tendi. They have gracefully blended Zimbabwean culture alongside their American culture, but their house is turned upside down when Marvelous’ sister comes from Zimbabwe to perform a very traditional wedding ceremony in which the groom barters for the bride. Tensions flare and identities clash as the family’s fabric slowly unweaves and they are forced to take a hard look at who they truly are.
History
After premiering at Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven, CT in January 2015, Familiar opened off-Broadway at Playwright's Horizons on 3 March 2016. Directed by Rebecca Taichman, the production featured Ito Aghayere, Joby Earle, Melanie Nicholls-King, Roslyn Ruff, Harold J. Surratt, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Joe Tippett and Tamara Tunie.
Cast Attributes
Performing Groups
- Time Period New Millennium/21st Century
- Setting
Marvelous and Donald’s house, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Late 2011.
- Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
- Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
- Cautions
- Strong Language
Media
“A fiercely funny new play... drawn with sympathy.” – The New York Times
Critics’ Pick! “A fiercely funny new play... Ms. Gurira weaves issues of cultural identity and displacement, generational frictions and other meaty matters into dialogue that flows utterly naturally. Her engaging characters are drawn with sympathy.” – The New York Times, Read More
“Familiar is a vigorous, fresh comedy-drama that ricochets from raw pathos to bawdy laughs, excavating deep cultural anxieties along the way. Gurira may not reinvent the family-secrets genre, but she makes it speak in musical new accents.” – Time Out New York, Read More
“A good old-fashioned comedy... Gurira has a gift not only for capturing the rhythm of a boisterous family gathering, but making the individual participants distinct, unique, and wholly human.” – TheaterMania, Read More
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Videos
Familiar Playwrights Horizons Trailer
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Danai Gurira and Rebecca Taichman discuss Familiar
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Playwrights Horizons cast discuss Familiar
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Audiences react to Familiar
Photos
Image: 2015 Yale Repertory Theatre Production (Joan Marcus)
Image: 2016 Playwrights Horizons Production (Joan Marcus)
Licensing & Materials
- Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.
Performance rights for this title are currently withdrawn in the UK. To be informed as soon as it becomes available in the future, please submit a license application. - Mandatory Music/Media Fee: $25 per performance
Authors
