By Arun Kumar
Washington, March 14 (IANS): "Soldier X", a South Asian dramatist's play on the emotional scars inflicted on young American soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan will have its world premiere in New York on March 31.
The play by Rehana Lew Mirza, will also mark 2014-15 season's opening of the award-winning Ma-Yi Theatre Company, one of America's leading producers of new works for the stage by Asian-American writers.
Preview performances are set to begin March 24 prior to an official opening night on March 31 at HERE, a curated rental programme which provides artists with subsidised space and equipment as well as technical support. "Soldier X" will run through April 19.
Directed by Lucie Tiberghien, "Soldier X" follows a young biracial social worker, Monica, who falls for a returning veteran, Jay, and the subsequent love triangle that ensues when he decides he is in love with his fallen buddy's Muslim sister.
Tallying the emotional scars of American soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, the play explores how exactly one rejoins a society that remains as conflicted about its wars as it is with issues of race and gender.
Rehana Lew Mirza first made her mark as the artistic director and co-founder of Desipina and Company, an award-winning South Asian theatre company that produced seven consecutive seasons of the hit production, "Seven.11 Convenience Theatre."
Also through Desipina, they produced Mirza's play "Barriers", which took a look at the backlash towards South Asians and Muslims following 9/11.
"Barriers" went on to be presented by the Asian American Theatre Company in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Her other plays include "Lonely Leela" at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center; "A Distant Relation"; "Particles Of Pakistan" for Ensemble Studio Theatre's Sloan Commission; and "If It's Sad I Don't Want To See It at Queens Theatre" in the Park.
She is also the writer/director of "Hiding Divya," a feature film starring Madhur Jaffrey and Pooja Kumar. She is a member of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab, having served as its co-director for two years.
Featured in the cast of "Soldier X" are Kaliswa Brewster, Cleo Gray, Jared McNeil, Turna Mete and Carolyn Michelle Smith.
Set design is by Daniel Conway; costume design is by Beth Goldenberg; lighting design is by Peter West; and sound design is by Broken Chord.