Written & performed by Mashuq Mushtaq Deen | Directed by Chay Yew
About
Gender transition can be a test for any household—but when Mashuq Mushtaq Deen comes out to his conservative Muslim family, traditional values and Western ideals collide in an hilarious and moving immigration journey unlike any other. Told entirely from the point of view of family and friends, yet performed by Deen himself, Draw the Circle is a moving story about survival, transition, and unconditional love. Part of the series "Transformational Journeys: Inspired Singular Explorations.”
Generously underwritten by Deborah Carliner & Robert Remes, with additional support from Michael Singer.
Community Sponsor:
Nando’s
December 1–December 24, 2017
Creative Team
Press
"Trans playwrights are still emerging, which puts Deen’s show in the vanguard here (and let’s credit Mosaic Theater for boldly expanding its repertoire all the time). The story’s framework is simple yet striking, and more than a novelty: it’s an apt, big-hearted way to puzzle together many pieces of Deen’s journey. “Draw the Circle” does not sugarcoat his despair or incidents of violence, yet it rather amazingly reaches back to retrieve people who easily could have been cut out for life."
"Deen's portrayal of various individuals is remarkable, not only because of his careful craft, but also because of his great empathy. His play is more powerful than a first-person account. Rather than focusing on reaching members of a certain group, he makes sure to include a range of characters participating in a common story with universal emotions. The phrase "draw the circle" is itself meant to evoke inclusivity."
"In order to follow his story, we necessarily become conscious and empathic witnesses, seeking to understand him, not being told how to, completing his story of seeking to be seen. The way as writer/performer Deen lets us know him through his transformation only through everyone else’s point of view is a masterful act of writing and performance that transforms us."
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