Interview: Actress Fawzia Mirza Reflects on the Stage Play ‘Brahman/i’

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CHICAGO – The world is full of living components that express the similarities in our differences, and actress Fawzia Mirza is the embodiment of us all coming together. The self described South-Asian-Muslim-American woman has been a force on the Chicago acting scene for years, and recently broke out with a role in the high profile stage play “Brahman/i,” by Aditi Brennan Kapil, which premiered in Chicago on March 27th. The play was recently extended to May 4th.

We first met Fawzia Mirza on HollywoodChicago.com when her short film “Queen of My Dreams” was in competition at the Chicago International Film Festival. Since then, she has starred for two seasons in a web series – which she co-produced with her creative partner Ryan Logan – called “Kam Kardashian,” in which she portrayed the title character, the long lost “black sheep” sister of the famous brood.

Fawzia Mirza On Stage in ‘Brahman/i’’
Photo credit: About Face Theatre/Silk Road Rising

The stage play Brahman/i, which made its Chicago premiere through Silk Road Rising and the About Face theater companies, is a provocative drama disguised as a stand up comedy routine, in which Fawzia Mirza performs as an intersex character (having characteristics of male and female sex traits). Written by Aditi Brennan Kapil, it is part of her “Displaced Hindu Gods Trilogy,” that riffs on the deities Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Ms. Kapil told Silk Road Theater, “In taking on Brahma the Creator, I was drawn to the over-arching principle of Brahman, the cosmic spirit, genderless, omnipotent, omniscient, described as ‘neti neti’ which translates roughly as ‘not this, not this.’”

HollywoodChicago.com caught up with actress Fawzia Mirza, as she talked about her role, her career and the philosophy of the play as it applies to her.

HollywoodChicago.com: You are of Pakastani heritage, and you are portraying a native of India. What similarities between those heritages did you note during the lead-up to the performance, and what did you feel was the most challenging part of taking on the culture?

Fawzia Mirza: I was raised Pakistani, when I visit my family I go there. I have never been to India. That being said, when I think of the two countries, I think about their cross pollination of culture. And people tend to forget that India and Pakistan were one country until over 60 years ago. To me, those cultures share a lot of traditions and there is a lot of crossover and similarity.

HollywoodChicago.com: So you didn’t feel any cultural separation when you were preparing the character?

Mirza: For me, there were differences in religion. I identify myself as a Muslim and the character in the show is Hindu, and all the advice they ever heard came through the Hindu gods. Even the name of the show, “Brahman/i” [pronounced Brah-man-eee] is the Hindu creator god. If anything, that was different than how I was raised. I personally identify with all cultures and all religions. And while I may not identify in being Hindu, I definitely identify and love all the stories, and took that as an opportunity to learn more about the gods.

HollywoodChicago.com: Now having said that, I quote the author of your play, Aditi Kapil, who said ‘our society habitually categorizes, by religion, by nationality, by color, by gender.’ Her lifetime of resisting categorization seems perfectly in parallel to your journey. How did hers and your philosophies intersect during the rehearsal and understanding process of the play?

Mirza: One of the things that drew me to the show immediately was the idea of dualities, the multiplicity of identity. Clearly, Aditi identifies that way, being South Asian, Bulgarian and Swedish – plus someone who is both American and Indian, is a playwright and mother, etcetera. I admired what she said about the show as well, her reasons for writing it. I too have many identities in many worlds.

The character I portray is an ‘intersex’ – having both male and female sex characteristics – and I’m not that way, but I understood the struggle of how somebody wants others to see them. How others want to label you, but eventually you have to learn to label yourself in order to feel true self love and happiness. No matter what people want to ‘call’ you, you have to learn what to call yourself. And oftentimes that is creating a new label, and that can be beautiful.

HollywoodChicago.com: What did you have to understand about the particular stage rhythms of stand-up comedy, that you think will be part of your repertoire forever?

Mirza: Stand-up is really hard, and it’s an art form that takes a lot of time to perfect. I definitely now have an understand regarding the difficulty, doing an hour and fifty minute show with just a microphone and me. That said, I do want to do more stand-up. The great thing about the show is that it’s a stand-up comedy routine but it’s also a play, so the narrative elements are key to the show, which makes it different than a typical stand-up routine. It’s non-typical, and a blending of both forms, that plays with them both in different ways.

Fawzia Mirza in 2012 with Ryan Logan, Her Co-Creator for ‘Kam Kardashian’’
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com: What is the future of the ‘Kam Kardashian’ series, and what was your main takeaway about being Kardashian in perpetuating the outsider angle on the family?

Mirza: We have two more episodes to release, in the second season. As of right now, we’re not doing a season three. But who knows where Kam may end up, and who knows how her story may unfold – as is appropriate for the Kardashian family themselves. [laughs]

The show was a great way for me to learn how to make independent projects – putting the team together, and wearing the intricate hats of producer, writer and main character. It was classic guerilla-Chicago-indie-project making. As an actor it strengthened my portfolio, and it helped me develop and remember the saying, ‘if you’re not getting booked, or you have a vision for a project, make it yourself.’

HollywoodChicago.com: We are trapped in our bodies, in the desire for food, shelter, orientation and our cells reflecting back outward. In association with ‘Brahman/i,‘ what is the adventure of the spirit that most people don’t consider while taking care of the bodily shell?

Mirza: I think the body and the spirit are completely intertwined. When we take care of our bodies, it allows us to be more grounded and open – and more powerful – in the purest sense of the phrase, in all other facets of our lives. One of the traps that actors can get into, is the world we live in, are the day-to-day struggles. If there is one thing that I have learned over the last few years is that everything is temporary. The only thing we know for certain is that nothing is certain – anything can change.

Whether it’s doing a show, having a relationship, being in the moment, or having the sun shine down, I have learned to appreciate the momentary nature of it it all, because it may not happen ever again. And if it doesn’t, at least you had the opportunity to appreciate it that one time, and then you don’t take anything for granted.

By PATRICK McDONALD Senior Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com