Kainchee Lagaa + Jhooti: The Begging Brown Bitch Plays (2026)
Produced by
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and House of Beida
Playwright: Zaiba Baig
Director: Tawiah Ben M’carthy
Venue
The Alexander Street Chamber Theatre
Run
April 1st, 2026 – April 18th, 2026
Synopsis
I’ve been a bitch as long as I can remember.
The Begging Brown Bitch Plays are about lying, sex, and rebirthing oneself: over and over and over again. Zaiba Baig, Peabody Award-winning co-creator of CBC/Max/Sphere Media’s Sort Of, explores deception, desire, and family fractured by displacement in these two unflinching stories of Brown trans women caught between worlds. Kainchee Lagaa and Jhooti are playing as a double bill with a short intermission between the shows.
Kainchee Lagaa
Taxali Gate, Lahore, now / Etobicoke, Ontario, now
Billo is a sex worker who spends most of her time waiting for men and eating tandoori chicken in bed. She’s saving up to run away with someone special, so tip generously. On the other side of the world, her estranged brother Arsalan is looking for something that feels like home, trying to reach back toward Billo before his survivor’s guilt swallows him whole.
Jhooti
North America, now
Sakeena leaves home for good while her sister is at work. Sakeena is a Bollywood Item Number Girl. Actually, I’m sorry, she’s not. She’s not from here though. But she’s not a liar. She’s finally arrived, and no one has ever believed her, so can you blame her for telling the truth, even when it doesn’t match the facts? (buddiesinbadtimes.com)
Cast
| Praneet Akilla | Performer |
| Zaiba Baig | Performer |
| Angel Glady | Performer |
| Xina | Performer |
Creative Team
| Zaiba Baig | Playwright |
| Tawiah Ben M’carthy | Director |
| Rachel Forbes | Set Designer |
| Ming Wong 黄慧明 | Costume Designer |
| André Du Toit | Lighting Designer |
| Dasha Plett | Sound Designer |
| Hasheel | original music |
| Lady Pista | original music |
| nisha ahuja | Intimacy Director |
| Julia Dyan | Fight Director |
| Victoria Wang | Stage Manager |
| Bria McLaughlin | Apprentice Stage Manager |
Music
| Hasheel | bansuri |
| hassaan ashraf | additional instrumental performances |
| hassaan ashraf | field recordings |
Production
| Ellora Patnaik | Acting Coach |
| Ellora Patnaik | Movement Coach |
| Ronnie Ali | trans mentorship + access coordinator |
| kumari giles | community + access coordinator |
| Erum Khan | Producer |
| Shadi B | Assistant Producer |
| Mojo Noble | Technical Director |
| Amber Pattison | Technical Director |
| El Patey | Head Technician |
| Darren Shaen | Head Technician |
| Elaine Wong | Head Technician |
| Antel Kollenberg | Carpenter |
| Michael Grdosic | Carpenter |
| Meredith Wolting | Scenic Painter |
| Matty Armour | Scenic Painter |
| Annasofie 诗慧 Jakobsen | Crew |
| Mike Dowdall | Crew |
| Stephanie Taylor | Crew |
| brawk hessel | Crew |
| Julie M. Li | Crew |
| Lindsay McDonald | Crew |
| steph raposo | Crew |
| Charissa Wilcox | flying effect design + build |
| Lochlan Cox | props |
| Sebastian Marziali | additional technical support |
| Anthony Allan | additional technical support |
