Universality in Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar: Does the Intent Justify the Impact?

HowlRound: When I first read Disgraced, I thought it was a racist play. I could see why it would be programmed in regional houses: it is extremely well written, it deals with timely issues, and it presents characters we rarely see on stage. None of that undid the fact that, to me, it was a racist play. To present a play with two Muslim characters who express anti-American feelings (including pride over 9/11) only reinforces the most negative stereotypes and assumptions about the Muslim community in America, where the Islamophobic discourse is as strong as ever.