Close to Home by Sharifa Yasmin

Three southerners explore whether the second chances they are desperately seeking might be found with one another. Witty and resilient teenage trans femme Zara, rough-edged builder Colt, and protective Muslim immigrant Kaysar are each on their own journeys through landscapes of hope, survival, trauma, and the persistent call of joy. When their paths intertwine, new possibilities emerge for what the trio might...
Three southerners explore whether the second chances they are desperately seeking might be found with one another. Witty and resilient teenage trans femme Zara, rough-edged builder Colt, and protective Muslim immigrant Kaysar are each on their own journeys through landscapes of hope, survival, trauma, and the persistent call of joy. When their paths intertwine, new possibilities emerge for what the trio might mean to each other in this fresh, deeply felt comedic drama about belonging.
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Close to Home

Recommended by

  • Quinn Gilchrist:
    2 Mar. 2023
    “ A beautiful piece about found family and building a home (both figuratively and literally) with compelling characters and witty dialogue. I read this as part of the literary council for Bay Area Playwrights Festival 45 and can’t wait to see where it goes next! ”
  • Nikki Brake-Silla:
    8 Aug. 2022
    “ WHAT A GEM! This hit all my buttons. It's such a lovely and tender story about the family you choose. How important that family is to shape, love, and hold us. Bravo. Gave me all the feels in a great way, and I would LOVE to see this on stage. ”
  • Maximillian Gill:
    27 Jun. 2022
    “ If this play had just a couple of moments of striking tenderness, warmth, and astonishing human connection I would've called it a success, but Yasmin somehow fills the piece with such moments. The author's assured handling of the material is simply breathtaking at times. A key scene involves a "sex talk" that in a less confident voice could seem overly descriptive, but the author uses it to bring characters together in a natural and open way. The author's notes state "Bring truth to their story," I'm floored by how much truth this story holds. ”
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ZARA - She/Her. Trans AMAB. Of Middle Eastern, North African or South Asian descent. Late teens. Raised Muslim. Zara, a high school junior, is independent, strong-willed, and fiercely intelligent. Her quick wit and sharp tongue mask the vulnerability and hurt she feels after being disowned by her family because of her gender identity.
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COLT - He/Him. White. Thirties. Born and raised in rural South Carolina, Colt is a rugged and solitary construction worker with a predilection for dark liquor. He's a firm believer in self-reliance, but beneath his rough exterior, Colt has a profound empathy for Zara and her situation that surprises even him.
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KAYSAR - He/Him. Arab. Thirties. Muslim. An Egyptian immigrant who now works as a chef, Kaysar is warm, kind and loyal. He doesn’t trust people blindly, but when he loves someone, he does so deeply and fiercely. But that caring can become overbearing and judgemental, and his desire to help others often creates more chaos than resolution.

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