Faith, family, winning: 'American Fast' brings them together in sports drama about basketball, making choices
A darkly funny sports drama about a 21-year-old college basketball star attempting to lead her team to the NCAA Championship is coming to Constellation Stage & Screen, March 23-April 8 at the Ted Jones Playhouse. Naturally, there's a conundrum.
In Kareem Fahmy's "American Fast" March Madness coincides with Ramadan this fictional year, and Khady Salama's mother is expecting her to fast. The fasting, athletic Khady becomes a role model for young Muslim women. One problem — she’s lying about her fast.
"Being a South Asian American on the junior varsity badminton team in high school (yes, we had a very competitive badminton team), I always battled with fitting in," said director Renee Dutt.
Dutt's parents immigrated to the U.S. in the 1960s and suggested she integrate into Arizona's South Asian community. Lacking common interests with her South Asian peers, she didn’t fit in.
"The older I get, the more I realize that may have created a sense of loss for my parents."
Reading "American Fast" enabled Dutt to understand the younger generation’s perspective. Loaded with confidence, Khady protects her sense of identity and struggles with what and who her family wants her to be.
"It’s a battle so many children of immigrants face on a daily basis and I am curious to explore how her story of ambition and spirituality unfolds in our production."
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The first thing Dutt seeks in an actor is strong choices. "Are they specific in their viewpoint, are they connecting as best they can with the text? Are they making the character their own?"
She looks, too, for openness to change and if an actor feels comfortable enough to tell her when something doesn't feel right.
"I strongly believe casting can go in a million directions, and everyone is the right choice for someone."
Victoria Nassif plays Khady.
As a rock climber, she believes "movement is medicine."
Nassif doesn't play team sports, as does her Khady, but she has kept building her movement vocabulary so that Khady can seem a fully embodied character.
"Khady and I are both acutely aware of our position as a woman in a patriarchal society that doesn't value the female body outside of how it can serve men."
To develop Khady, Nassif uses outrage she has felt in response to a lack of respect and bodily autonomy. In addition, traumatic events Nassif has experienced, due to that lack, compel Khady's fight for power, recognition and belonging.
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"There are certainly parts of me that are like Khady, and parts of her that will be a stretch for me," Nassif said. But having been socialized to temper her ambition with softness, shyness, and self deprecation, Nassif admires Khady's flame.
"It does make her life more difficult though, because our society doesn't really know what to do with brash, boldy ambitious girls."
If you go
WHAT: Constellation Stage & Screen presents "American Fast" by Kareem Fahmy
WHEN: March 23-April 8.
WHERE: Ted Jones Playhouse, 107 W. Ninth St.
TICKETS: Recommended for ages 16-plus. Admission is $5-$75, available at https://bit.ly/3FqBKlp including pay-what-you-will Thursdays.