About the Project
Natural Born Citizen is a heartfelt and humorous solo show about identity, belonging, and the unexpected power of owning who you are. Set in post-9/11 America, it follows my freshman year as a South Asian, Muslim, first-generation American navigating a new high school, where I’m constantly asked, “Where are you from?”—a question I’ve always dodged with small lies to blend in. But when I impulsively decide to run for class vice president against the popular girl and the lovable jock, I begin embracing my identity instead of hiding it.
As my world at school shifts, so does my home life. Family secrets unravel, leading to an Election Day that forces me to confront who I truly am and where I come from.
Through storytelling, character monologues, and one very ironic campaign slogan, Natural Born Citizen explores the complexities of being a child of immigrants, the weight of cultural expectations, and the realization that the answer to “Where are you from?” is more complicated—and more powerful—than one can imagine.
Production Team
