Tazeen Zahida

My name is Tazeen Zahida. Born in Karachi (Pakistan) and raised in Saudi Arabia in a poetry-loving household, however I found my voice in playwriting. Ever since I remember, all of my thoughts were in “scenes” and all my feelings were in “dialogues.” To me playwriting is the only way I can connect with the world existing outside of my mind. Putting up plays is a way of reaching out to all the others who populate my universe.

As a South Asian Muslim Woman playwright, there are so many stories that I want to tell, so many questions about cultural and social intertwining that I need to get answers to. I continually research and explore the subjects of racism within communities of color, making our misinterpretations of religion and culture our own biggest hurdles to the path of progress. What are the rules that rule our life? What are we missing out on due to our tunnel vision? How can South Asians embrace their American identity and still retain their unique cultural origin?

I have received commissions and grants from Performing Arts Houston, BANF(BIPOC Arts and Network Fund),and Doris Duke Foundation. I am taking my play to The Asia Society in the fall of 2024. After actively creating fifteen original plays in the last six years in Houston, I am at a point in my artistic practice that I need to take my scripts through further diverse workshopping and developing phases. I am seeking creative collaborators who could provide a new perspective to my existing vision on playwriting.

During the pandemic, witnessing a great number of historical theaters succumb to financial challenges and permanent closure, I have come to realize what a privilege it is to be able to do the work that I do. I want to use this unique position in time and history to create some meaningful content and experimental theater. I aim to make my work relatable and inspired by the current socio economic and geopolitical situation.