Through the Eye of a Needle

by Jami Brandli

Through the Eye of a Needle received is world premiere with The Road Theatre in Los Angeles, 2018.

Through the Eye of a Needle (formerly known as A Merry Little Christmas)
Workshop with Launch Pad at UC Santa Barbara, July 2017;
Finalist for ID Theater, Seven Devils Conference, 2017;
Finalist for LOCAL Theater's LOCAL Lab, 2017;
Semi-finalist for O'Neill Playwrights Conference, 2017;
Semi-finalist for Bay Area...

Through the Eye of a Needle received is world premiere with The Road Theatre in Los Angeles, 2018.

Through the Eye of a Needle (formerly known as A Merry Little Christmas)
Workshop with Launch Pad at UC Santa Barbara, July 2017;
Finalist for ID Theater, Seven Devils Conference, 2017;
Finalist for LOCAL Theater's LOCAL Lab, 2017;
Semi-finalist for O'Neill Playwrights Conference, 2017;
Semi-finalist for Bay Area Playwrights Festival, 2017;
Selected for The Road Theatre's Seventh Annual Summer Playwrights Festival, 2016, Los Angeles

Through the Eye of a Needle is a working middle-class family dramedy about the Keen family dealing with the death of their daughter, Dana, a navy corpsman who recently died in the Iraq War. Larry copes with a tumbler of scotch or five, Barbara stubbornly sets an extra plate setting, while their straight-edge teenage daughter, Samantha, secretly uses Twitter to create a protest on the George Washington Bridge. Much to Larry’s annoyance, the self-righteous Pastor Bill Towers and his fragile wife, Shirley, invite themselves over for Christmas Eve dinner, and then Nasser, an Iraqi refugee, arrives at their door unannounced. They quickly learn he was Dana’s trusted military interpreter and that Dana has given Nasser as a “Christmas gift.” As they fight over to keep Nasser or not, tempers fly and secrets are revealed. Will the Keens be pulled further apart or will they find grace and redemption in this unexpected gift?

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Through the Eye of a Needle

Recommended by

  • Cheryl Bear: Through the Eye of a Needle by Jami Brandli
    “

    A powerful story of coping with loss and the dynamics at play when an unexpected gift comes to their door. Powerful and well done.

    A powerful story of coping with loss and the dynamics at play when an unexpected gift comes to their door. Powerful and well done.

    ”
  • Sarah Tuft: Through the Eye of a Needle by Jami Brandli
    “

    THROUGH THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE is the Christmas story that rings true every day of the year. But don’t let its farcical moments and holiday spirit fool you. While being a perfect time capsule of a post-9/11 world-the Iraq War, 2008 recession and Occupy Wall Street-the play avoids the era’s politics and instead looks at faith and how we manage loss. Ultimately, the play encourages us to face our grief and through it, find each other. THROUGH THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE offers a perfect storm that provides its characters with an opportunity to do just that.

    THROUGH THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE is the Christmas story that rings true every day of the year. But don’t let its farcical moments and holiday spirit fool you. While being a perfect time capsule of a post-9/11 world-the Iraq War, 2008 recession and Occupy Wall Street-the play avoids the era’s politics and instead looks at faith and how we manage loss. Ultimately, the play encourages us to face our grief and through it, find each other. THROUGH THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE offers a perfect storm that provides its characters with an opportunity to do just that.

    ”
  • Alex Goldberg: Through the Eye of a Needle by Jami Brandli
    “

    Charming, heartwarming and gritty. A wealth of family foibles where details and twists are released in unexpected and satisfying ways. A fresh look at our current Middle Eastern crisis.

    Charming, heartwarming and gritty. A wealth of family foibles where details and twists are released in unexpected and satisfying ways. A fresh look at our current Middle Eastern crisis.

    ”
View all 5 recommendations
Character Breakdown: A total of seven actors are needed.
Larry Keen: Early to mid 50s. Drinker of scotch. Supervisor for the New Jersey Department of Transportation. He won't say the name of his dead daughter, Dana, a Navy Corpsman who was killed in the Iraq War. He has a secret. Husband of Barbara. Father of Samantha.
Barbara Keen: Early to mid 50s. First grade teacher. Doing her very best to cope with the death of her daughter...and she's on the edge. Wife of Larry. Mother of Samantha.
Samantha Keen: 17. Goes by the name “S.” Is secretly planning a Christmas Day war protest to honor her sister, Dana. Very intense and very breakable. Daughter of Larry and Barbara.
Nasser Nouri: Early 20s. Iraqi. An Oud player (Middle Eastern guitar) and was the interpreter for Dana's unit in the Iraq War. Due to death threats from Iraqi insurgents, Nasser fled from Iraq and is now a refugee. Has a secret.
Pastor Bill Towers: Early to mid 40s. The pastor of the Evangelical Church the Keens attend. His mission is to help the Keens “heal” from the Dana's death. Although not malicious, he is self-involved and unaware that his helping might be destructive. Husband of Shirley. Very touchy-feely.
Shirley Towers: Late 30's to early 40s. Taker of pills. Big heart. Cries on the spot. Has a secret. Wife of Bill.
Dana Keen: 25. Hospital Corpsman in the Iraq War. Saver of lives. Daughter of Barbara and Larry. Sister of Samantha. Was very close to Nasser. A ghost.

Production History