An elderly wildlife carer returns home from the Australian Outback to the American Midwest to set her affairs in order—only to become embroiled in a family tragedy that could cost her the remainder of her life.

The Nashes, upwardly mobile conservatives from Ohio, doggedly pursue the American dream. As moral standards blur around them and acts of betrayal and brutality shake their lives, the certainties that have been the bedrock of their collective identity give way. When an enigmatic great-aunt comes to visit, long buried resentments surface, and with them questions. Does true altruism exist? Are humans, at once, the most altruistic and most cruel species?

Altruism, a story of quiet heroism and struggle amid privilege told through the eyes of Imani Nash, a clear-sighted teen of biracial heritage, reminds us that it is the small acts that confer immortality.

View a video teaser: https://youtu.be/DjA2o-H5ZzM
—
A Note From the Playwright: Years ago, I sojourned in Australia as a correspondent to write a series of articles on Aboriginal life. While visiting a nature reserve, a mother kangaroo hopped up to me, gently nestled her head against my stomach, and clung to me with her sinewy arms. The joey leapt from her pouch and capered in circles at my feet. Of all my memories of Australia, this is the most compelling. What was that innocent, trusting creature trying to tell me? Altruism, the play, is my best guess.