The Men in White

Anosh Irani

• Publisher: House of Anansi Press
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781487004743
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Canadian Drama
• Index: Literature

A finalist for the Governor General’s Award for Drama, The Men in White explores urgent themes surrounding the complexities of the modern immigrant experience, Islamophobia, and the unifying power of sport — the masterful playwright and novelist Anosh Irani at his finest.

Eighteen-year-old Hasan Siddiqui lives in a bustling Muslim quarter of Bombay. He escapes the drudgery of his work at a chicken slaughterhouse by fostering two fervent dreams — to become a star in cricket, a sport at which he happens to excel, and to win the affections of Haseena, a fiercely intelligent young woman two years his junior.

Half a world away in Vancouver, Hasan’s older brother, Abdul, has been working under the table at an Indian restaurant, attempting to set down roots with the hope of one day reuniting with his brother. For Abdul the immigrant dream shows little sign of materializing, but he finds solace in his amateur cricket team. When he and the team’s captain decide to take action to end their losing streak, they talk of recruiting the talented Hasan for the rest of the season. But bringing Hasan from India to Canada will take much more than just a plane ticket, and rising tensions demonstrate that not all members of the team agree with the high cost.

ACT ONE

1.

Mumbai. Dongri. A tough, predominantly Muslim neighbourhood.

Busy, busy, busy. Lots of street hawkers selling everything from cell phones to cutlery.

The focus of the action is Baba’s Chicken Centre. A large cage with live chickens in it, packed shoulder to shoulder. The top of the cage is at waist level for hasan. He is eighteen years old. He wears an apron covered in blood. Flies are buzzing around his face. The chickens in the cage are surprisingly calm considering that the slaughter is taking place just above their heads.

baba, in his sixties, the owner of the slaughterhouse, is standing next to Hasan, reading an Urdu newspaper.

It is a hot, stuffy summer afternoon in the last week of May, 2014.

HASAN

There’s too many of them. Too many of them.

But Baba’s not interested. The paper is keeping him engrossed.

We need to do something.

BABA

Hah? Too many of what?

HASAN

Flies.

BABA

Not interested, Okay.

HASAN

We need a fan here.

BABA

A fan? Why do you need a fan?

HASAN

For the flies.

BABA

The flies are feeling hot?

HASAN

They keep sticking to my face.

BABA

So what? That’s part of the job.

HASAN

My job is to make a clean cut. That’s my job.

BABA

And my job is to tell you to shut up. You young people complain too much.

HASAN

To himself, Here we go again.

BABA

What did you say? Try not to be cheeky.

HASAN

I’m not being cheeky. These flies are. They sit on my cheek all day. As though they are kissing me.

BABA

Why is everything about kissing with you people? In our days, we did not speak like that. We just did our work, we ate, and we died. Beat. That shut you up, didn’t it?

HASAN

Baba, I need to talk to you.

BABA

Isn’t that what we are doing right now?

HASAN

I need you to pay attention.

BABA

Fine. What is it? The way you bully me, I wonder who the boss is.

HASAN

You are the boss, Baba. You are the boss, no doubt. The king. The Badshah of all chickens.

BABA

What do you want, lunatic?

HASAN

Why do you think I want something?

BABA

A second ago you were whining about flies and now you are calling me an emperor.

HASAN

A Badshah is not an emperor. He is a bit smaller. And I wasn’t whining. I have a complaint.

BABA

Same thing. Badshah and emperor are both kings. Whining and complaints are both the domain of girls. You are a girl, Hasan. Here you are, holding that monster knife in your hand, and you are scared of a few flies.

HASAN

It’s impossible to have a conversation ...