The Orange Grove
Aziz, a young Arab actor in New York City, wrestles with the haunting echoes of his past while serving as an understudy in a production of the Greek tragedy Hecuba. Days before the premiere, he is thrust into the spotlight, and rehearsals become a fragile dance between memory and reality. Shadows of his childhood in a war-torn homeland resurface—memories of a lost twin brother, Ahmad, and an orange grove torn apart by conflict. As Aziz delves deeper into his role, his own anguish bleeds into the performance. The play’s director sees a rare, unguarded truth in Aziz’s portrayal, unaware of the profound personal wounds that lie beneath it. On opening night, Aziz’s grief and guilt transform his performance into a raw, cathartic journey. Through the act of storytelling, he confronts the fractured pieces of his identity, merging the past with the present and finding a bittersweet peace in honoring his brother’s memory.