A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Outside People

Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy  /  2w, 2m

A dark, comic look at China/U.S. relations – economic, political, and sexual, Outside People is a play about loneliness, culture shock, language and trying to make connections across borders.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 2m
  • Duration
    Duration
    105 Minutes
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary
A dark, comic look at China/U.S. relations – economic, political, and sexual. In modern-day Beijing, a young American guy falls for a Chinese girl and then struggles to understand where she's coming from. A play about loneliness, culture shock, language and trying to make connections across borders.
History
Outside People premiered off-Broadway at The Vineyard Theatre on January 10, 2012. Presented in association with Naked Angels, the production was directed by Evan Cabnet and featured Matt Dellapina, Nelson Lee, Li Jun Li and Sonequa Martin-Green.
MALCOLM – 20s
XIAO MEI – 20s
DA WEI “DAVID” WANG – 20s
SAMANYA – 20s
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day, New Millennium/21st Century
  • Setting Beijing, People’s Republic of China.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Additional Features No intermission
  • Duration 105 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes
    • Nudity/Partial Nudity

Media

“An engaging and smart comedy of manners... Achingly true.” – The New York Times

“A funny, tightly written dramedy. Speaks clearly about the matters that unite us as well as those that keep us apart.” – Roma Torre, NY1

“An engaging new comedy of cultural misunderstanding… Dohrn deftly establishes the ways that tone – the elusive key for westerners struggling to master Mandarin – can take precedence over meaning… An affecting study of how love is, at heart, the struggle to establish a common language.” – Brendan Lemon, Financial Times

“Dohrn throws bold elbows, parcels out his characters' epiphanies sparingly, and touches down on a satisfyingly grim note.” – Scott Brown, New York Magazine

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $120 per performance

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Authors

Zayd Dohrn

Zayd Dohrn was born and raised in New York City. His full-length plays include Outside People (The Vineyard Theatre/Naked Angels), Reborning (The Public/SPF) and Sick (Kitchen Dog) – all published by Samuel French – as well as Want (Steppenwolf First Look). His work has been ...
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