THE SURROGATE Run Extended at Crow's Theatre

The world premiere of The Surrogate has been extended through March 29 at the Studio Theatre at Streetcar Crowsnest in response to audience demand.

Presented by Here For Now Theatre in association with Crow's Theatre, House + Body, and b current Performing Arts, the new drama marks the stage debut of author Mohsin Zaidi.

Directed by Crow’s Theatre Associate Artistic Director Christopher Manousos, the production stars Fuad Ahmed, Thom Nyhuus, Sarena Parmar, Antonette Rudder, and Siddharth Sharma.

Set over the course of a single sleepless night in a hospital, the play follows Jake and Sameer, a successful couple awaiting the birth of their first child through surrogacy. When complications arise with their surrogate, Marya, legal, ethical, and emotional conflicts emerge that force the characters to confront questions about family, responsibility, and power.

“While heartfelt and often comedic, this play is fundamentally about a group of people doing their best in a high-pressure situation, forced to make immediate decisions that will shape the rest of their lives,” said Manousos. “What Mohsin does brilliantly in this play is present the debate from every angle… My hope is that audiences will leave thoroughly entertained—and completely unsure whose side to take.”

Crow’s Theatre Artistic Director Chris Abraham added, “What I love about this play is that it isn't a Twitter fight – all the characters are very real, with embodied values that are inherently at odds with each other.”

Zaidi is an award-winning author, lawyer, and LGBTQ+ rights advocate. His memoir A Dutiful Boy received the American Lambda Literary Award and the Polari First Book Prize and was named a Book of the Year by several publications.

The creative team for The Surrogate includes set designer Scott Penner, lighting designer Chris Malkowski, sound designer Maddie Bautista, Costume Designer Andrew Broderick, stage manager Nazerah Carlisle, intimacy director Cara Rebecca, and dialect coach Chloë Dirksen.