Since 1904, the Haskell Free Library and Opera House has stood as a symbol of international collaboration and cross-cultural appreciation of literature and the arts. The building was placed purposefully over the international border separating Derby Line, Vermont, and Stanstead, Quebec, and equal access was guaranteed to patrons entering the building from either side of the line. Its governing body includes members from both countries. Despite the institution’s legacy as a shared space, the United States’ increasingly restrictive immigration policies have complicated its long-standing norms—especially since 2017, when separated families began to use the library as a meeting space in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s 2017 executive order banning individuals from many Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.
These ambiguities—both legal and social—are the subject of Kareem Fahmy’s play, A Distinct Society, making its Virginia premiere this month at Firehouse Theatre. Fahmy focuses on the human cost of the policy, exploring the professional and personal impact on individuals who work in and around the library as well as offering a wrenching depiction of family separation. Though filled with dramatic incidents, the play still manages to communicate how there are also forms of injustice and dehumanization that have been rendered typical and unremarkable to impacted people because they happen so often. Through the experiences of its two Iranian characters, Peyman and Shirin, it depicts the layers of danger and uncertainty immigrant families face on top of the ordinary challenges of life. It’s also packed with funny jokes and performances, underscoring the strange relationship between the lightheartedness of everyday life and the precarity of the characters’ circumstances.
Small Setting, Big Themes
A Distinct Society is set exclusively in the Haskell Free Library and features only five characters. The narrow scope allows the script and performers to dive deep into a rich collection of themes. The play explores how people operate as individuals and as part of larger political and social systems. Through the characters of Bruce, a border patrol agent, and Manon, the librarian, we see the mechanisms that pressure people into compliance. At different times, they demonstrate the ways individuals make moral choices and justify their behavior within a discriminatory system.
Declan, an Anglophone high school student struggling to fit in on the Canadian side of the border, rounds out the group. I appreciated the way Quebec’s history was incorporated into Fahmy’s work, ensuring his border story was not completely dominated by the American context. Manon and Declan’s differing perspectives on cultural protectionism in Quebec provide more interest and nuance to the play’s broader consideration of themes like migration, belonging, and how we understand one another. The script achieves its ambitious goals with mixed success, sometimes veering into cliché, but its premise is engaging, and it features an undeniably emotional and powerful portrait of familial love.
Performances Grounded in Characters’ Humanity
In a talkback during opening weekend, the actors described the process of working with Fahmy as both the playwright and director of the production. It was clear from the conversation and performances that the cast took the responsibility of telling this story very seriously. In Firehouse Theatre’s production, each character does feel like a fully developed individual shaped by prior experiences. JD Lawrence is charming and chilling as Bruce, snapping abruptly between warmth and professional detachment as he interacts with different figures. Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, the day-to-day interactions of the characters are often very funny, and Grey Garrett is particularly great at bringing those comedic moments to life.
Maboud Ebrahimzadeh stands out as Peymon, an Iranian father and doctor who hopes to use the library to visit his U.S. resident daughter. Peymon is not only a sympathetic figure—a loving father dedicated to seeing his daughter but facing roadblocks because of racist and discriminatory immigration policy—but he’s also an audience surrogate. He reacts with wry politeness to others’ absurd or silly behavior. Ebrahimzadeh plays him as reserved, yet perceptive. You get a sense that he is typically calm and authoritative, but that he has also been deeply impacted by experiences with intense stress and danger. He’s kind and polite. Ebrahimzadeh’s moving performance shows care for his character, underscoring the ban’s cruelty and unfairness and Peymon’s individuality and humanity.
A Home Away from Home
For each character in A Distinct Society, the library is a refuge from some kind of displacement or alienation. The scenic design and prop design by James Ogden and Tim Moehring, respectively, bring dimension to the space and make it feel inviting. Some touches feel regionally specific, like the English and French signage and wildlife motifs. Others are more familiar and visually comforting: white labels on the spines of every book, a children’s section with stuffed animals. I was especially charmed by the stickers plastered on the metal legs and top of the round table in the children’s section, a level of detail that made the space feel well-loved and real. From a production perspective, these separate and distinct sections of the library also made it possible for several characters to inhabit the static setting at once without it feeling crowded or stuffy.
A Distinct Society is a story of interlocking relationships and the ways in which we see the best and worst in others. It challenges its characters and audience to empathize—or at least engage deeply with—perspectives we may believe are misguided or morally wrong. It’s filled with comedy and warmth. Despite the specificity of its focus on 2017 and the aftermath of President Trump’s “Muslim ban,” it remains extremely timely in its depiction of the harms of the American immigration enforcement system. Though not every scene worked for me, I deeply appreciate this play’s approach to telling its political story with such an intimate lens and admire Firehouse Theatre’s dedication to staging relevant, vibrant, meaningful works in conversation with our broader social landscape.
A Distinct Society runs until November 30 at Firehouse Theatre. It’s recommended for older teens and adults, and includes depictions of gun violence. The show runs for 90 minutes without an intermission. You can find more information and tickets here.
