Play title: Paradise

Author (s):  Laura Maria Censabella

Agent: Elaine Devlin, Elaine Devlin LIterary, Inc elaine@edevlinlit.com

Funder: Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

https://sloan.org/programs/public-understanding/theater

Genre: Drama/Comedy

Primary Discipline: Neuroscience

Secondary Discipline: Biology

Character Breakdown:

Yasmeen al-Hamadi:

Looks 17, Arab American, Muslim, Female Slight Bronx Accent
Age: Teens, 20s 

Race/Ethnicity: Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American 

Gender: Female

Dr. Guy Royston: 

40s, White, African American, Male Rural Virginian accent
Age: 40s, 50s

Race/Ethnicity: Black, African, Caribbean, or African American, White 

Gender: Male

(Character Breakdown provided by New Play Exchange)

Setting: A Public High School in the Bronx

Time Period: Current

Synopsis of Play: Yasmeen Al-Hamadi is a Muslim, Yemeni-American senior at a struggling inner-city Bronx high school. Dr. Guy Royston is her disaffected science teacher, a former Evangelical with a mysterious past. An unlikely research team, together they embark on a neurological study, leading to stormy conflicts over love, faith and culture.

(Synopsis provided by New Play Exchange)

First Performance Date: April 6th, 2017

First Producer: Underground Railroad/Central Square Theatre with Catalyst Collaborative@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Production 

Performance History: Premiering at the Underground Railroad/Central Square Theatre, Paradise was received with outstanding reviews. Going on to be produced by the Passage Theatre, Luna Stage, and even The Odyssey Theatre with producers Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, and John Capetta. Paradise most recently won the 2018 IRNE Award for Best New Play.

Links:

http://theotherfiftypercent.com/blog/lauramariacensabella

http://ladramacriticscircle.com/tag/laura-maria-censabella/

https://www.wamtheatre.com/paradise-playwright-laura-maria-censabella-in-conversation-with-director-talya-kingston/

https://newplayexchange.org/plays/79823/paradise

Entered by: Anna Galanides

Photo/Visual Research with citations