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Breakdown
NOTE: This is an ensemble piece. All actors need to be able to play multiple roles and have good transformational skills.
Actor 1 - Jeanine/ Jihane
Female, Middle Eastern, or any ethnicity that can convincingly play Middle Eastern, mid 20’s-mid 30’s. Smart, focused and warm. Leading Character
- JEANINE: Simon’s twin sister, Nawal’s daughter. She teaches math I assume at college level... Graph Theory. Very smart, warm, focused and devoted. .
- JIHANE - Nawal’s mother, a woman facing harsh realities in poverty stricken environments. She forces Nawal to give her baby up or she’ll be expelled from the house. Her toughness does not deny her love.
Actor 2 - Nawal
Female, Middle Eastern, or any ethnicity that can convincingly play Middle Eastern, early 30’s-early 40’s, must be able to play 14-40s. She sings. Leading character. We meet her first in love in a village in the middle east... she is forced to give up her child, pursues education, journalism and gets swept by war choosing to kill a famous leader, gets brutally punished through many years of imprisonment. At her core she carries the deep belief that love and kindness can overcome even the most brutal of circumstances. A remarkably brave woman. Loved or admired by everyone who came in contact with her... except for her children and their complicated relationship.
Actor 3 - Nawal 2 / Nazira / Abdessamad
Female, Middle Eastern, or any ethnicity that can convincingly play Middle Eastern, 50’s and up. Strong, eloquent, courageous
- NAWAL 2 in her older days she testifies in a War Tribunal. Strong, eloquent, courageous... deeply wounded.
- NAZIRA - Nawal’s grandmother... We witness her dying moments. A woman of great wisdom, nobility and love for her granddaughter. Suggests to her to get out of her life and study to overcome circumstances.
- ABDESSAMAD - a village Elder at Nawal’s birth place. A kind character, a storyteller...
Actor 4 - Sawda / Elhame
Female, Middle Eastern, or any ethnicity that can convincingly play Middle Eastern, or African American, late 20’s- early 40’s, must be able to play 18-40s. A good singer
- SAWDA - Nawal’s best friend. They travel, learn and sing together. She loses much when caught in the war. She grew up as a refugee. A completely loyal girlfriend, warm hearted. She comes from different lands than Nawal, her family escaped from wars in other countries
- ELHAME - A midwife, has authority and wisdom. Can handle crisis with a sense of calm.
Actor 5 - Simon /Guide
Male, Middle Eastern, or any ethnicity that can convincingly play Middle Eastern, mid 20’s - mid 30’s. In good physical shape.
- SIMON - An aspiring boxer, athletic and strong. He carries deep pain, anger, feelings of abandonment. He tries to run away from issues related to a mother who was not very present in his life. Like his mother and sister she has great capacity for depth and courage. Jeanine’s twin brother, Nawal’s son
- GUIDE - An effective and polite communicator. A good, positive, and thriving individual, profiting from the tourist industry.
Actor 6 - Alphonse Lebel / Doctor
Male, Caucasian or African American, 50’s.- early 60’s. Smart, compassionate, and a bit idiosyncratic. Leading character.
- ALPHONSE - A Lawyer... Very smart, a good and loyal friend. He is guided by his personal rather than professional ambitions. He is a talker with idiosyncratic rhythms and speech patterns that can make even serious matters possess a sense of humor. He can seem awkward at times, maybe disheveled… He is a benign and compassionate character, although not sentimental or touchy feely... His clothes are probably not neat... a bit of a Columbo... Needs range and complexity.
- DOCTOR- The doctor in an orphanage. Has seen much pain during war times. A humanitarian.
Actor 7 - Ralph / Malak / Chamseddine
Male, 50s and above, Middle Eastern or African American. Authoritative, wise, and grounded. Good transformational skills.
- RALPH - Boxing trainer, an authority figure, tough, strong and wise as good trainers are.
- MALAK - 100 years old - he says. An old wonderful man, he saved the twins as babies and took care of them. He has wisdom, great tact, principles and communication skills.
- CHAMSEDDINE - 40s-60s - A retired war leader. Smart, grounded, a strong sense of authority, strategy and justice.
Actor 8 - Wahab / Nihad
Male, Middle Eastern, or any ethnicity that can convincingly play Middle Eastern, early 20’s- early 30’s - must be able play 15 to 40s. Should be able to carry a tune.
- Wahab - Nawal’s lover. He could have different origins than Nawal’s as the families do not allow their union. Young, in love, hopeful, pure.
- Nihad - Nawal’s lost son. Nawal’s torturer. We meet him first as a vicious sniper. He is a misfit, unloved in his childhood. Proud and ruthless. An unwanted child who started life in an orphanage or foster care. Very smart and articulate. Killing is second nature to him. A great marksman. Does not allow remorse...He can sing.
Actor 9 - Antoine / Militiaman/ Janitor
Male, early 40s, African American. Physically strong. Good transformational skills.
- ANTOINE - We first meet him as Nawal’s ex-nurse. We later meet him working as a technician at a theater... Eager to help, sensitive man, a good worker, a collaborator, creative...
- MILLITIAMAN - a physically strong man, with the daily capacity to kill or torture others.
- THE JANITOR -A man who has had a hard life. First a prison guard at Kfar Rayat. We meet him in his next chapter as a school janitor. He is suspicious but cooperative.
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