The Brothers Play
Performance
New York Theatre Workshop

The Brothers Play

a work-in-progress reading
August 09, 2025

A family reunion that begins as celebration ends in something closer to reckoning.

Written by Arya Shahi
Directed by Knud Adams

They grew up in Tucson, Arizona. But that was a long time ago. Nowadays, big brother is a poet in NYC and little brother is a venture capitalist in Los Angeles. Dad moved back to Iran—he insists life is better there. Mom is free from her marriage—she's drinking a little too much. So when little brother buys a ranch in Tucson, big brother flies home to lend a hand. It's not long before they realize the other brother has changed. Diverging values, career trajectories and childhood memories soon fray a once steadfast fraternal love. 

A conversation with the artists follows the performance.

Generously supported by the Howard Gilman 1944 Directorship at the Hopkins Center for the Arts Fund.

Arya Shahi is a multidisciplinary artist. He is a co-founder of PigPen Theatre Co. and the author of An Impossible Thing To Say, which garnered "Best Books of The Year" recognition from The Horn Book, CALIBA and the New York Public Library, amongst others. He co-wrote and directed all of PigPen's genre-bending devised works, including The Old Man and The Old Moon and The Tale of Despereaux. He directed English, Sanaz Toossi's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, at The Old Globe and assistant directed the Broadway production, which received five Tony Award nominations including Best Play. He co-wrote music and lyrics for Water For Elephants on Broadway, which received seven Tony Award nominations including Best Musical.

Knud Adams is a Tony-nominated, Obie-winning director of new plays. He recently directed the acclaimed Broadway debut of Sanaz Toossi's English, which Variety hailed as "one of the best plays of the decade." He premiered the consecutive Pulitzer Prize winners English and Primary Trust. His work has been celebrated on "Best of the Year" lists by The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, New York Magazine, The New Yorker and The Washington Post.

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