Photo Flash: Ayad Akhtar's THE WHO AND THE WHAT Comes to MIlwaukee Rep
The Who & The What stars Rep newcomers Brian Abraham (Broadway's Harry Potter and the Cursed Child opening Spring 2018) as Afzal,Soraya Broukhim (Petrol Station at BAM) as Zarina, Ben Kahre (MTC The Commons of Pensacola) as Eli, and Nikita Tewani (ACT's A Thousand Splendid Suns) as Mahwish.
The Who & The What is directed by Associate Artistic Director May Adrales (The Mountaintop), with scenic design by Andrew Boyce (An Iliad), costume design by Izumi Inaba (Goodman Theatre's King of the Yees), lighting design by Noele Stollmack (McGuire), sound design byAndre Pluess (Broadway's I Am My Own Wife) and dialect coach Eva Breneman (The Foreigner).
The Who & The What is a thrillingly fierce and funny new play about identity, religion, and the contradictions that make us who we are. Growing up Muslim with her close-knit family in Atlanta, Zarina is writing about women and Islam when she meets Eli, a young convert who bridges the gap between her modern life and traditional heritage. When her conservative father and sister discover her controversial manuscript, they all must confront the beliefs that define them. Called "a play not to be missed" by the Chicago Tribune, The Who & The What is a passionate and searing look at a family divided by faith, bonded by love, and searching for truth in contemporary America.
The Who & The What runs September 27 and runs through November 5 in the Stiemke Studio. Opening night is set for Friday, September 29 at 8 pm. Tickets to this powerful show are now on sale and can be purchased online at www.MilwaukeeRep.com, by phone at 414-224-9490 or in person at the Ticket Office (108 E. Wells Street).
The Stiemke Studio Season is sponsored by Ed Seaberg and PatRick Smith. Executive Producers for The Who & The What are Joel and Caran Quadracci. The Rep is sponsored in part by The United Performing Arts Fund.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents The Who & The What in the Stiemke Studio from September 27 to November 5, 2017. Left to Right: Ben Kahre and Brian Abraham. Photo by Tony Duvall.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents The Who & The What in the Stiemke Studio from September 27 to November 5, 2017. Left to Right: Brian Abraham and Soraya Broukhim. Photo by Tony Duvall.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents The Who & The What in the Stiemke Studio from September 27 to November 5, 2017. Left to Right: Brian Abraham and Soraya Broukhim. Photo by Tony Duvall.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents The Who & The What in the Stiemke Studio from September 27 to November 5, 2017. Left to Right: Brian Abraham and Soraya Broukhim. Photo by Tony Duvall.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents The Who & The What in the Stiemke Studio from September 27 to November 5, 2017 featuring Brian Abraham and Nikita Tewani. Photo by Tony Duvall.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents The Who & The What in the Stiemke Studio from September 27 to November 5, 2017. Left to Right: Nikita Tewani and Soraya Broukhim. Photo by Tony Duvall.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents The Who & The What in the Stiemke Studio from September 27 to November 5, 2017. Left to Right: Soraya Broukhim, Ben Kahre, Brian Abraham and Nikita Tewani. Photo by Tony Duvall.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents The Who & The What in the Stiemke Studio from September 27 to November 5, 2017. Left to Right: Soraya Broukhim and Brian Abraham. Photo by Tony Duvall.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents The Who & The What in the Stiemke Studio from September 27 to November 5, 2017 featuring Brian Abraham. Photo by Tony Duvall.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents The Who & The What in the Stiemke Studio from September 27 to November 5, 2017. Left to Right: Soraya Broukhim, Brian Abraham and Ben Kahre. Photo by Tony Duvall.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents The Who & The What in the Stiemke Studio from September 27 to November 5, 2017 featuring Brian Abraham. Photo by Tony Duvall.