Review: Round House Theatre Ends its Season Strong with THE WHO & THE WHAT

The comparisons between Ayad Akhtar's latest play, THE WHO &THE WHAT, and his Pulitzer Prize-winning play DISGRACED are probably inevitable. Both received runs at Lincoln Center, and more or less explore what it's like to be a young Muslim of Pakistani descent in America born to immigrant parents. DISGRACED, which recently wrapped up a successful run at Arena Stage, tackles the interconnected themes of religion, tradition, and relationships (both familial and romantic) in a much more dramatic in-your-face kind of way. Akhtar adds gender much more into the mix with THE WHO & THE WHAT, and explores those hefty and complex themes of Islam and Eastern traditions - and their impact on family dynamics, roles, and responsibilities - in a lighter, more comedic way.

However, this is not to say there are not any weighty, serious moments in the compelling script and, in the current Round House Theatre production in Bethesda, Director Eleanor Holdridge treats those with as much care and attention as she does the comedic ones. A four-person cast executes this balancing act quite well, and provides the audience with a wholly believable evening of theatre.

When we first meet Mahwish (Olivia Khoshatefeh) and Zarina (Anu Yadav), it becomes fairly obvious that although they are sisters, their personalities, outlooks on life, and priorities don't exactly match (Kendra Rai's costumes highlight their differences in a clear way). They're discussing men, relationships, and their life plans much like any 20 or early 30-somethings would do. Mahwish is studying to be a nurse and is in a serious long-term relationship with a guy she's known since childhood, although she has a crush on her GRE tutor. Zarina is a Harvard graduate and an aspiring novelist. She's unattached and is still getting over a break-up with a guy named Ryan (who is now married with kids, according to Mahwish who checked his Facebook page). During this typical conversation, the sisters' hard-working father Afzal (Tony Mirrcandani, reprising the role he played at Kansas City Rep) contacts Mahwish via a text filled with a whole host of emoticons (he recently discovered them). He's waiting to meet a prospective suitor for the older daughter, Zarina, unbeknownst to her.

At the surface, Eli (Brandon McCoy) - a Caucasian convert to Islam and imam at a local mosque - seems to be the perfect match for Zarina, Afzal's serious daughter. As Afzal grills the young man, it becomes clear that even though Afzal is impressed by his commitment to the religion (and, perhaps even more so, the fact that he converted to it), their ideas about the role of religious institutions in society don't always exactly mesh. Eli is keen on using the mosque as a means of conducting outreach into the community rather than encouraging conversation. He even runs a soup kitchen. Still, the well-intentioned father is eager to let Zarina know about Eli. This meeting will come as a surprise because the dating profile that Eli found on MuslimLove.Com is not one that Zarina created for herself. Her father, who recently discovered social media, created it and has met with several prospective suitors he found online. Still, to appease her father, Zarina goes out on a date with Eli.

During that first date, Eli encourages Zarina to talk about the novel she is writing, but she is reluctant to do so. Her novel, entitled THE WHO & THE WHAT, is intended to shed light on who the Prophet Mohammad really was - his flaws and all - and what he did. A central focus is the story of the veil, which lends itself to explore gender within the context of Islam. When sharp-minded Zarina opens up briefly about the focus of her writing effort, the discussion between her and Eli gets serious - not about their relationship, but about notions of equality in Islam, and the role of the Prophet's stories in shaping what Muslims believe and the traditions they practice today.

Fast forward a few years and both daughters are married. Afzal is as meddlesome as ever and still wants to provide for Zarina monetarily. Zarina has also finished her book. Concerns about the book's contents put a strain on Zarina's relationship with her father, and lead to a no-holds-barred conversation that also involves Mahwish (struggling in her own marriage) and Eli. Secrets are revealed, viewpoints are shared, leaving into question whether the family can ever be whole again.

While Akhtar's play can - much more than DISGRACED - tread into familiar soap opera territory at times, and take on shades of "your average story about an overbearing father coming to terms with his daughter's life and relationship choices," there is enough in the script that sets the play apart from a myriad of other similar plays. Who the Prophet was, and what he did - and its resulting impact on how women are treated within the context of Islam - receives enough meaningful focus that what could be a typical family dramedy becomes something much more interesting and broader in scope. Akhtar's tightly-written script melds both elements beautifully with each informing the other. At Round House, Yadav and McCoy are particularly adept at giving us Zarina and Eli's story while also treating the gender and religion debate with some honesty and intelligence, which enhances the believability.

Mirrcandani proves adept at portraying the father who means well and whose actions and beliefs are informed by how he was raised and where he comes from. Using a sing-song voice and broad physical expressions at key moments, Mirrcandani shows us his knack for comedy, but in a particularly weighty moment at the end of the play (which will not be spoiled here), he demonstrates that he's much more than a character actor. While I personally struggled a lot with his mush-mouth diction on the night I attended - not as a result of the accent employed, but because he often let the ends of his words drop, especially if they contained consonants - there's no denying his commitment to his performance.

As always Round House's production elements - namely Matthew M. Nielson's fitting and intricate sound design and compositions, and Luciana Stecconi's Islamic art-inspired rotating set - are first-rate, and enhance the production.

Overall, THE WHO & THE WHAT is a strong way for Round House to end its season.

Running Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes, including an intermission.

THE WHO & THE WHAT plays through June 19, 2016 at Round House Theatre (4545 East-West Highway in Bethesda, Maryland). For tickets, call the box office at 240-644-1100 or purchase them online.

Photo Caption: Tony Mirrcandani, Olivia Khoshatefeh, Anu Yadav, and Brandon McCoy in Round House Theatre's current production of THE WHO & THE WHAT. Photo by Cheyenne Michaels.