On the Evolutionary Function of Shame

by D.A. Mindell

Adam is a transgender man, expecting a baby with his partner. After complications with their first pregnancy, his formerly identical twin sister Eve volunteers her services as a neonatal geneticist to provide his prenatal care. This arrangement, and their relationship as a whole, is sent into turmoil when Adam discovers the nefarious nature of her research - the isolation and elimination of the genetic cause of...

Adam is a transgender man, expecting a baby with his partner. After complications with their first pregnancy, his formerly identical twin sister Eve volunteers her services as a neonatal geneticist to provide his prenatal care. This arrangement, and their relationship as a whole, is sent into turmoil when Adam discovers the nefarious nature of her research - the isolation and elimination of the genetic cause of gender dysphoria.

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On the Evolutionary Function of Shame

Recommended by

  • Melissa Moschitto: On the Evolutionary Function of Shame by D.A. Mindell
    “

    Engrossing, starkly funny, inventive and beautifully rendered. I saw a production of this provocative play at Columbia. Mindell nimbly keeps turning challenging questions around and around again, spiraling closer to truth. All of the characters were rendered fully dimensional and complex. I also really appreciated the centering of a pregnant trans man. Beautiful work.

    Engrossing, starkly funny, inventive and beautifully rendered. I saw a production of this provocative play at Columbia. Mindell nimbly keeps turning challenging questions around and around again, spiraling closer to truth. All of the characters were rendered fully dimensional and complex. I also really appreciated the centering of a pregnant trans man. Beautiful work.

    ”
  • Leah Plante-Wiener: On the Evolutionary Function of Shame by D.A. Mindell
    “

    A dryly funny but ultimately heartbreaking plunge into the rabbit hole of a head-spinning "what if". Mindell is a sharp, smart writer who writes from deep in the gut, and I am forever grateful that he is. Shoutout to Margot for being such an icon.

    A dryly funny but ultimately heartbreaking plunge into the rabbit hole of a head-spinning "what if". Mindell is a sharp, smart writer who writes from deep in the gut, and I am forever grateful that he is. Shoutout to Margot for being such an icon.

    ”

Development History

  • Workshop, Columbia University, 2024
  • Reading, Second Stage, 2024