Familiar

A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Familiar

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  5f, 3m

Danai Gurira

CRITIC'S 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

Image: 2016 Playwrights Horizons Production (Joan Marcus)

Familiar

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5f, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Not Applicable
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary
Marvelous and Donald, Zimbabwean emigrants in Minnesota, are preparing for the marriage of their eldest daughter, Tendi. They had gracefully blended Zimbabwean culture alongside their American culture, but the house is turned upside down when Marvelous' sister comes from Zimbabwe to perform a very traditional wedding ceremony where 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

Familiar premiered at Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven, CT in January 2015 under the direction of Rebecca Taichman.

Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups

MARVELOUS CHINYARAMWIRA (MAI TENDI) - an African woman in her mid sixties, matriarch
MARGARET MUNYEWA (MAI TONGAI) - an African woman in her fifties, Marvelous’ youngest sister.
DONALD CHINYARAMWIRA (BABA TENDI) - an African man in his mid sixties, Marvelous’ husband.
NYASHA - American-Zimbabwean young woman, late 20s, Marvelous and Donald’s youngest daughter.
TENDIKAYI - Marvelous and Donald’s oldest daughter.
ANNE (MAI CARROL) - an African woman in her late sixties, Marvelous’ eldest sister.
CHRIS - a Caucasian American man, Tendikayi’s fiancé, mid thirties.
BRAD - a Caucasian American man, Chris’ brother, mid thirties.

  • Time Period New Millennium/21st Century
  • Setting Marvelous and Donald’s house, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Late 2011
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

REVIEWS 

CRITIC'S 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 NY, 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." - TheatreMania, Read More 

ON BREAKING CHARACTER

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Videos

  • Familiar Playwrights Horizons Trailer

  • Danai Gurira and Rebecca Taichman discuss Familiar

  • Playwrights Horizons cast discuss Familiar

  • Audiences react to Familiar

Photos

  • Familiar

    Image: 2015 Yale Repertory Theatre Production (Joan Marcus)

  • Familiar

    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.

Scripts

Available Formats:
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Authors

Danai Gurira

Danai Gurira
Danai Gurira is an award-winning playwright and actress. As a playwright, her works include In the Continuum (OBIE Award, Outer Critics Award, Helen Hayes Award), Eclipsed (Tony Award Nomination: Best Play; NAACP Award; Helen Hayes Award: Best New Play; Connecticut Critics Ci ...
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