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Rehana Mirza

REHANA MIRZA

  
Nationality:    USA
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Literary Agent:    The Gersh Agency, NY  represented by Leah Hamos

Rehana Lew Mirzas full-length plays include: Soldier X (2015 Ma-Yi production; 2012 NYSCA Commission; Lark Studio Retreat); Lonely Leela (production with LPAC; workshops with Magic Theatre, HERE, New Georges, 2G); Barriers (Desipina and Asian American Theater Company productions; readings at Rasik Arts and Asian Arts Center); and if it's sad i don't want to see it (reading at Queens Theater in the Park, 2G). Awards include: NNPN commission via InterAct Theater, Tofte Lake Emerging Artist residency, E.S.T. Sloan Commission, Lark residency through IAAC, and a TCG Future Leader fellowship with New Georges. She was the co-director of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab from 2011-2013 and is a current member. She is also a member of the Primary Stages Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group. MFA: Playwriting, Columbia University. BFA: Dramatic Writing, NYUs Tisch.

Research:    Member of the Dramatists Guild of America (as at 2015)

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below is a list of Rehana Mirza's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

         167 Tongues         Barriers         Bhangin' It         Bikram & Cheekochio: the Musical         Bombay Screams         Colonialism Project, The         Distant Relation, A         Dose of Reality, A         Everything Gets Dirty In The City         Generation Debt         Good Muslim, The         Hush         If It Is Sad I Don't Want To See It         Just Air         Lonely Leela         Midnight Quickie         Minor Inconvenience, A         Neighbourhood Watch         Particles of Pakistan         Radio Diaries of Hank, Yank and Prank         Showing Skin         Soldier X         Stupid: the Plays         What's in Store

167 Tongues

Synopsis:
167 Tongues explores the emotional geography of Jackson Heights, the most culturally diverse neighborhood in the world. Intermittent street scenes weave together alongside continuous stories in this 37-character play. An Indian sweet shop vendor struggles to keep her store going and her suitors at bay, a Nepali woman and a Mexican man fall in love across a linguistic divide, an Irish ghost befriends an troubled Ecuadorian girl and her Bangladeshi best friend, a Dominican manicurist wonders whether her Jewish Chinese boyfriend will propose before she is deported by the INS, and a Rwandan night nurse attempts to understand the 167 distinct languages spoken in the local Emergency Room. This theatrical experience combines street scenes with continuous narratives, found sounds, and movement in an exploration of Jackson Heights, Queens, the most diverse neighborhood in the world.
- nytheatre.com

Notes:
conceived And directed by Ari Laura Kreith. the piece is written by 11 writers: Jenny Lyn Bader, Meny Beriro, Alvin Eng, Steven Fechter, Jennifer Gibbs, Les Hunter, Anna Kushner, Rehana Mirza, Jeffrey Solomon, Suzanne Sheptock, And Stefanie Zadravec.

1st Produced:
P.S. 69, 77-02 37th Ave, Jackson Heights (Queens), NY    07 May 2010

Organisations:
Jackson Repertory Theatre

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  large cast

Further Reference:
-

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Barriers

Synopsis:
With the homecoming of the only daughter, Sunima, who is returning from NYC to announce her pending engagement, the play quickly unravels as the mixed Muslim family is forced to confront past betrayals and issues and eventually ends up reaching a critical mass point.
- http://www.aatrevue.com

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Desipina & Company

1st Published:
http://www.indietheaternow.com/Play/barriers   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama 80 min

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Bhangin' It

Synopsis:
A full-length musical that takes its inspiration from bhangra, the Punjabi (Sikh) folk dance that has sparked fierce intercollegiate competitions and sick beats sampled by the likes of Jay-Z and Usher. Bhangin' It is about a biracial girl named Mary who gets kicked off her college bhangra team for "not being Indian enough," so she forms a ragtag multicultural dance team of her own.

Notes:
by Mike Lew and Rehana Lew Mirza and composer Samuel Willmott

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
musical

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Bikram & Cheekochio: the Musical

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
Part of the fifth Annual presentation of Seven.11 Convenience theatre from Desipina & Company, which is A program of seven eleven-minute plays created by South Asian/East Asian American Artists. book And lyrics by Michael Lew And Rehana Mirza, music by Samrat Chakrabarti

1st Produced:
Henry Street Settlement    2007

Organisations:
Desipina & Company

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
eleven minute play One Act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Bombay Screams

Synopsis:
An unemployed actor from Broadway's Bombay Dreams toils at the 7-11. . . . . until an up-and-coming female playwright comes in and sweeps him off his feet. Is it true love or just a messy Slushee?
nytheatre.com

Notes:
Composed by Samrat Chakrabarti

1st Produced:
Kraine Theatre    2006

Organisations:
Desipina & Company

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
one act musical

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Colonialism Project, The

Synopsis:
A time-spanning trilogy about British Colonialism and its aftermath. Written in tandem with Rehana Lew Mirza, The Colonialism Project features three distinct plays that together comprise an epic evening of theater. These plays traces the scar of colonialism across nations and centuries, from British Raj in India, to plantation labor in the Caribbean, to the ripple effects of colonialism in America today.

Notes:
by Mike Lew and Rehana Lew Mirza

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
historical play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Distant Relation, A

Synopsis:
Bi-racial, lesbian, bio-geneticist Heather Ramos firmly believes that the Y chromosome is unnecessary. Until she discovers that she has a long-lost brother. With her on and off girlfriend Martha, Heather embarks on a trip to find this brother and put her world back in order again. But when she finds him, will she be able to handle what's hidden in her family tree?

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Lesbian, full length dark comedy 90 min

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Dose of Reality, A

Synopsis:
Gemna is tired of watching reality TV. So she's decided to make everyone else watch her. Find out what happens when you stop being yourself, and start being real.
- press release

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Milagro Theater, NY    2008

Organisations:
Second Generation

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
10 min play

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Everything Gets Dirty In The City

Synopsis:
A wife stuck in a 'perfect' relationship finds her way out.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
10 min play

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Generation Debt

Synopsis:
A young woman finds herself incapable of pretty much anything after obtaining her MFA. With a little bit of creativity, she finds herself outrunning the creditors.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
The Flea, as part of Stupid: The Plays    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
10 min play

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Good Muslim, The

Synopsis:
When an unlikely friendship that blossoms between Nora, a 28-year old, club-hopping atheist, and Farzana, a sheltered 19-year old Muslim girl, will it be like Felix and Oscar, or Bush and Osama?
- http://www.aatrevue.com

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Ma-Yi    2006

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
http://www.indietheaternow.com/Plays   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
drama 90 min

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Hush

Synopsis:
A woman shares a lullabye, as she herself remains trapped between child and adult, daydream and reality.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Sundaram Arts Gallery    2000

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Alexander Street Press   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
short monologue

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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If It Is Sad I Don't Want To See It

Synopsis:
In a newly formed boutique water company, an odd assortment of individuals come together. As the global economy becomes increasingly smaller, each individual comes to face what they are willing to give up in the pursuit for happiness.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
2G    2009

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
dark comedy 100 min

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Just Air

Synopsis:
A homeless, hasbeen child pop star who has taken up residence in an airport and falls in love with the security guard. But when the security guard takes under his wing the extremely sheltered only child of a Bollywood superstar couple, a love triangle turns into international headlines.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
drama 90 min

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Lonely Leela

Synopsis:
Leelas boyfriend has disappeared. So she goes into the Internet to find him. An Alice in Wonderland type adventure where malicious codes and white knight bloggers meet in a shifting world of everythings at your fingertips but you cant quite find what youre looking for

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
University, LaGuardia Performing Arts Center    2014

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
dark comedy 90 min

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Midnight Quickie

Synopsis:
A midnight craving by a pregnant wife sends a husband out of the house and into the convenience store. With the help of a young clerk, will he be able to find what he really needs?

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
part of Seven.11 Convenience Theatre    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Alexander Street Press   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
10 min play

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Minor Inconvenience, A

Synopsis:
Utilizing the same inventive format with new writers and new stories, this year's production boasts stories that feature: a personified Slurpee machine and a small-town girl dreaming of moving to the big city of Cincinnati, a convenience store owner and two of NYPD's finest who give advice to a love-struck loser, a sister and her run-away brother dealing with their parents' disappointment, a back room confessional Guru who yearns for his ex, a duo who host the hit reality show 'Convenience Store Makeover', a tribute to the working men, and an underage college student on a quest for his elixir of love-alcohol
- press release

Notes:
part of sixth Annual edition of Seven.11 Convenience theatre from Desipina & Co.; book by Rehana Mirza, lyrics by Matt Schatz, music by Naomi Lee

1st Produced:
Richmond Shepard Theatre, NY    2008

Organisations:
Desipina & Co

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
11 min play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Neighbourhood Watch

Synopsis:
A suburban family man, Paul, becomes so convinced that his new neighbor is a terrorist that in his pursuit to uncover the truth, he terrorizes his daughter and neighborhood.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
The Adrienne, Philadelphia, Pa    2014

Organisations:
InterAct Theatre

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
comedy

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Particles of Pakistan

Synopsis:
When 16-year-old Haroon gets suspended from his Michigan high school, his mother ships him off to Pakistan until he shapes up. But then he meets Mehreen, a young woman whose idol is a Physicist named Abdus Salam, whose research in the 50s, 60s, and 70s has led to the current-day discovery of the God particle, a historical figure's past shapes his future.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
drama 100 min

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Radio Diaries of Hank, Yank and Prank

Synopsis:
An early morning radio show famous for pulling pranks on its listeners gets a new intern who is sent in to reform the programme

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Comedy 100 min

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Showing Skin

Synopsis:
An indie-grunge singer performs self-torture before the show, by attempting to connect with her slacker boyfriend.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
DR2 Lounge, "Best of Sticky" series    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
New York Theatre Review as part of "Best of Sticky"   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
15 min play

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Soldier X

Synopsis:
Monica, a uniformed social worker, is falling for Jay, a recently returned veteran. But Jay is in love with Amani, the sister of his deceased Muslim comrade. When war comes creeping into everyday life, a love triangle collapses under the weight of race, religion, and military trauma. "Soldier X" takes us to the heart of the longest war in U.S. history and its price on our youth.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Ma-Yi Theater, New York, NY 11215    24 Mar 2015

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
drama 60 min

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Stupid: the Plays

Synopsis:
This is a program of nine "smart plays about stupidity." It's presented by Columbia's School of the Arts Playwriting Class of '07. the playwrights are Rehana Mirza, Elizabeth Emmons, Jeremy Basescu, Alex Beech, Daria Polatin, Jon Kern, Julian Camilo Pozzi, Christine Chambers, and Reuben Jackson. the directors are Ali Ayala, Michael Lew, and Shira Milikowsky. the plays are about "white kids analyzing hip-hop culture, a woman suing herself, a starship captain fending off space pirates, global politics rewritten as a bad breakup, artists incurring mass debt to earn an MFA, botched blind dates, sensitive robbers, teenage angst, and failed actors turned failed psychics."
nytheatre.com

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Magnet, NY    2007

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
One Act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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What's in Store

Synopsis:
A run-in at the convenience store leaves its manager with the keys to closing up.
- press release

Notes:
part of the seventh (and final) edition of Desipina & Co.'s Annual short play festival

1st Produced:
Center Stage, NY    2009

Organisations:
Desipina & Co

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
10 min play

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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