Jake and Sameer have spent years preparing for this moment—the birth of their first child.
But when Marya, their surrogate, is admitted to the hospital with complications, the couple is forced to confront questions they never expected: Who gets to decide what makes a family? And at what cost?
Set over the course of a single sleepless night, The Surrogate is a 21st-century exploration of privilege, and the complexities of modern family-making in a world where the rules are still being written.
From award-winning author, Mohsin Zaidi (A Dutiful Boy), comes a gripping debut drama that explodes the notions of contemporary parenthood.
WORLD PREMIERE | DRAMA
Written by Mohsin Zaidi
Directed by Christopher Manousos
Cast and full creative team will be announced soon.
The Surrogate
Spring Show
April 16th - 26th 2026
Opening April 17th
The Surrogate is supported by these wonderful people:
Show Sponsor: DJ Anderson
Performance Supporters: TBA
Meet the Team
Mohsin Zaidi, Playwright
Mohsin Zaidi is a New York based, award-winning author, commentator and speaker. His critically acclaimed memoir, A Dutiful Boy (Penguin, 2020) won the American Lambda Literary Award and the British Polari First Book Prize. It was also named a Guardian, GQ, New Statesman and Attitude Book of the Year.
The first person from his school to go to Oxford University, Mohsin qualified as a lawyer at international firm Linklaters, and then became a criminal barrister at one of the top chambers in England. He also previously worked at a UN War Crimes tribunal in The Hague and clerked at the UK Supreme Court for Lord Sumption and Lord Wilson.
An advocate for LGBTQ rights, racial justice and social mobility, Mohsin sat on the board of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ rights charity Stonewall and before that was on the board of London Pride. He is listed by The Financial Times as a top future LGBTQ leader. A regular commentator on Sky News, he also writes for The New York Times, the Guardian, GQ, CNN Style, The i Newspaper, Bustle, Mr Porter and Newsweek. He was also listed in The Lawyer Magazine Hot 100 and Attitude magazine named him a trailblazer changing the world.
Christopher Manousos, Director
Christopher Manousos is a theatre director, Artistic Director of House + Body, and the Associate Artistic Director of Crow’s Theatre. Through House + Body, Christopher directs contemporary reimaginings of classical works, develops new plays, and provides training and mentorship to emerging artists, playwrights, and performers.
He is an alumnus of the Stratford Festival’s Michael Langham Director’s Workshop and the Shaw Festival’s Neil Munro Intern Directors Program. Christopher has trained extensively in the Suzuki Method of Actor Training and Viewpoints with Anne Bogart, SITI Company, and Tadashi Suzuki in both New York and Japan.
As an educator, Christopher has taught and directed productions at the University of Windsor, Randolph College, Sheridan College, and the Stratford Festival’s Shakespeare Intensive.
Full creative team and cast will be announced soon…
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Originally commissioned, developed and world premiere by Crow's Theatre, Chris Abraham, Artistic Director; Sherrie Johnson, Executive Producer