Off-White; Or the Arab House Party Play by Alyssa Haddad-Chin

Taking place in the early 2000s, Off-White; Or the Arab House Party Play follows Leila, a half white, half Arab-American teen who never felt like an outsider until she's absent from school on 9/11. As her classmates' suspicions of her grow, Leila grapples with the erratic fluctuation of the perception of her identity, so she does what any reasonable high schooler would do to resurrect their reputation...
Taking place in the early 2000s, Off-White; Or the Arab House Party Play follows Leila, a half white, half Arab-American teen who never felt like an outsider until she's absent from school on 9/11. As her classmates' suspicions of her grow, Leila grapples with the erratic fluctuation of the perception of her identity, so she does what any reasonable high schooler would do to resurrect their reputation - throw the house party of the century.
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Off-White; Or the Arab House Party Play

Recommended by

  • Allyson Dwyer:
    16 Nov. 2023
    “ I had the honor of experiencing a reading of this play, and it is perfection, a real treasure for actors and audiences alike. A lean, razor-sharp, hyper-focused tale that had the room filled with laughter, groans, moans, and more. Set within a single location, a single evening and a singular moment in American history, the setting of early 2000s/post-9/11 America is brilliantly conveyed to unearth the darkness of what lie under the nostalgia of a time we still have yet to reckon with as a country. Moving & vital. ”
  • Morey Norkin:
    13 Mar. 2023
    “ Alyssa Haddad-Chin presents an entertaining, often humorous, and certainly thought-provoking look at post-9/11 America through the eyes of an Arab-American teen who just wants to fit in with her white friends. As she and her girlfriends host a sparsely attended house party, derogatory remarks from her peers come across as maybe just drunken nonsense or poor attempts at humor. But eventually true feelings of suspicion, however unwarranted, are revealed. We have a dark history of using a particular event to condemn entire nationalities and suddenly casting suspicion on neighbors and friends. This play shines an important light. ”
  • Playwrights Foundation:
    25 Mar. 2022
    “ The community of national and local readers for the 44th annual Bay Area Playwrights Festival in 2021, enthusiastically recommends OFF-WHITE; OR THE ARAB HOUSE PARTY PLAY as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We were deeply moved by the story of a teenager trying to fit in with white peers and the racism that occurred to the MENA community post-9/11. We were compelled by the play's promise with natural dialogue and wit, dramatizing a time where one's identity and self-worth widely vacillates. We hope this play is widely read, finds dedicated collaborators, and moves swiftly towards production. #BAPF2021 ”
View all 12 recommendations

3F, 3M

Development History

Production History

  • Workshop
    ,
    Breaking and Entering Theatre Collective
    ,
    2021

Awards

Honorable Mention
,
Epiphanies New Works Festival
,
Wild Imaginings
,
2022