Author: Fahmy, Kareem
Year: 2023
Geography: Americas > Northern America > United States of America
Synopsis: Kareem Fahmy’s A Distinct Society is set in the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, a real building that straddles the border between Vermont and Quebec. Inspired by true events, the play follows an Iranian father and daughter separated by the Trump-era U.S. travel ban, commonly known as the ‘Muslim ban,’ who use the Haskell Free Library as a rare meeting place across the U.S.–Canada border. With a focus on family separation and travel bans, family and art, the quiet public building becomes a holding space where families reunite and friends meet. Following five characters, including a French-Canadian librarian, a U.S. border patrol agent and local community members, each has different investments in the border. The play shows how state policy can turn ordinary family reunion into a restricted and risky act.
Publication: Fahmy, Kareem. A Distinct Society. Dramatists Play Service, 2025. Concord Theatricals, https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/99610/a-distinct-society.