Franklin Stage Company continues its summer season with Home? A Palestinian Woman's Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness, a deeply personal one-woman play written and performed by Hend Ayoub. The title's question mark is intentional, Ayoub says, reflecting the central question that has shaped her life.
"I think the question mark is the main thing," she said. "It's not just home. It's a question: Where is home? What is home? The play is basically a story about belonging and where you belong when you belong nowhere."
Born and raised in Israel as a Palestinian citizen, Ayoub traces her life from childhood to the present, portraying roughly 25 to 30 people who have influenced her journey, including family members, teachers, and friends.
"You meet me at the age of five until this day," she said. "You meet my best friend, who's Jewish, the daughter of the rabbi. You meet my mother, my father, my brother, my teachers—a lot of interesting characters who helped shape me."
Although the subject matter deals with identity and belonging, Ayoub says audiences are often surprised by how funny the play is.
"There's a lot of humor," she said. "People leave the show and say, 'I thought it was going to be depressing.' There is a lot of heart and a lot of drama, but it's really brought to you with humor."
Transforming a lifetime of experiences into a theatrical work took years. Ayoub said the script spent time "in the drawer" before legendary acting teacher Wynn Handman began working with her on it while he was in his late 90s. Later, director Carey Perloff helped shape the piece through workshops and productions in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and New York.
"The director is very important when it's a solo show," Ayoub said. "Carey helped shape the stories and helped me workshop it more. They can tell you what's interesting, what's working, and what isn't."
The play has evolved through several workshop productions since 2021 before its New York run, which concluded in October 2025. Ayoub says she's excited to bring it to Franklin.
When asked what feels most like home today, Ayoub admitted she still doesn't have an answer.
"Home is the people that you love, your family," she said. "Part of home is here, where my family is, and part of home is in New York. But it's never the home that most people just take for granted."
While the play is rooted in her experience as one of Israel's Palestinian citizens, Ayoub emphasizes that audiences should not expect a political argument.
"It's a very deeply personal story," she said. "I'm not there to change your mind about anything or convince you of anything. This is just a life story. You'll get to laugh, you'll get to learn something new, and most people tell me, 'I laughed, I cried, and I learned something new.'"
Home? A Palestinian Woman's Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness will be performed Friday, July 24, and Saturday, July 25, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, July 26, at 5 p.m. at Chapel Hall in Franklin. More information is available at franklinstagecompany.org.