A SMALL HISTORY OF AMAL, AGE 7

by Lindsay Joelle

Amal, an imaginative orphan confined to a hospital bed in Mumbai, lives a day of jungle adventures, high-speed train chases, and Bollywood love scenes, befriending the hospital's staff and patients. But when Mumbai's commuter trains are hit by a terrorist attack and the hospital struggles beyond capacity to treat the survivors, Amal gets lost in the shuffle. Now, it’ll take an explorer’s heart and a little...

Amal, an imaginative orphan confined to a hospital bed in Mumbai, lives a day of jungle adventures, high-speed train chases, and Bollywood love scenes, befriending the hospital's staff and patients. But when Mumbai's commuter trains are hit by a terrorist attack and the hospital struggles beyond capacity to treat the survivors, Amal gets lost in the shuffle. Now, it’ll take an explorer’s heart and a little Bollywood magic to defeat the God of Death. Based on Rabindranath Tagore's "The Post Office" and true historical events, this is an ensemble-centered, magical-realism story for all ages that explores the meaning of a life well-lived.

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A SMALL HISTORY OF AMAL, AGE 7

Recommended by

  • Cheryl Bear: A SMALL HISTORY OF AMAL, AGE 7 by Lindsay Joelle
    “

    A powerful and transformative immersive experience of war as experienced by a child. Creative and very well done, excellent work!

    A powerful and transformative immersive experience of war as experienced by a child. Creative and very well done, excellent work!

    ”
  • Gina Femia: A SMALL HISTORY OF AMAL, AGE 7 by Lindsay Joelle
    “

    An imaginative, inventive play about the horrors or war, told through the eyes of a child. I hope this play receives a production soon.

    An imaginative, inventive play about the horrors or war, told through the eyes of a child. I hope this play receives a production soon.

    ”
  • Eugene O'Neill Theater Center: A SMALL HISTORY OF AMAL, AGE 7 by Lindsay Joelle
    “

    It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend Lindsay Joelle and their play A Small History of Amal by Amal Age 7 as a finalist for our 2014 National Playwrights Conference. The play rose through a competitive, anonymous, multileveled selection process that took nearly nine months to execute. As one finalist out of hundreds of submissions, the strength of this play’s writing has allowed this work to prosper in such a competitive selection process.

    It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend Lindsay Joelle and their play A Small History of Amal by Amal Age 7 as a finalist for our 2014 National Playwrights Conference. The play rose through a competitive, anonymous, multileveled selection process that took nearly nine months to execute. As one finalist out of hundreds of submissions, the strength of this play’s writing has allowed this work to prosper in such a competitive selection process.

    ”

Character Information

Cast requires South-East Asian actors.
  • AMAL
    A young patient with the heart of an explorer.
    7
    Indian
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • RISHI
    Amal's friend. A food service worker with dreams of Bollywood.
    20+
    Indian
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • DOCTOR
    Amal's friend. A food service worker with dreams of Bollywood.
    30+
    BIPOC
    Any (but probably Male)
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
  • NURSE
    Amal's ally. Doubles as Amal's Mother.
    25+
    Any
    Female / Female Identifying
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • SUDA
    Confident and street smart. Amal's first crush.
    7
    Indian or Middle Eastern
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • UNCLE
    Amal's guardian. A train conductor who thrives on routine.
    25+
    Indian
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male

Development History

  • Reading, Forward Flux, 2017
  • Reading, ESPA/Primary Stages (dir. Lisa Peterson), 2014
  • Workshop, The New School for Drama, 2013

Production History

  • Professional, Forward Flux & Pratidhwani, Seattle, 2018

Awards

  • Finalist w honorable mention
    Bay Area Playwrights Festival
    Finalist
    2017
  • National Playwrights Conference
    Eugene O'Neill Center
    Finalist
    2014