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Book Cover for: The Hooves Belonged to the Deer, Makram Ayache

The Hooves Belonged to the Deer

Makram Ayache

Sexy, provocative, and dares to explore the darkest reaches of where internal conflict can be pushed. --Samantha Wu, Broadway World

When the impressionable young Izzy immigrates with his Arab family to rural Alberta, he becomes the salvation pet project for Pastor Isaac, a local Christian youth leader eager to mould him. Torn between his sexual desires for his friend Will and Isaac's persuasive indoctrination, Izzy must find a way to reconcile his internalized shame and deep spiritual faith before it consumes him. Meanwhile, in a surreal reimagining of Eden/A'den, Aadam and Hawa--the first couple of the Qur'an--find their relationship turned upside down when Aadam is tempted by the proverbial white-skinned man, Steve, from the north.

With the gravitas of a Greek tragedy, The Hooves Belonged to the Deer is a bold and blistering indictment of white Christian imperialism. Makram Ayache's daring play confronts the painful intersections of homophobia, Islamophobia, and colonialism, refusing to offer easy resolutions. Erotically charged and panoramic in scope, this cautionary tale illuminates the lingering scars of religious trauma while offering a profound reckoning and prayer for rebirth.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Playwrights Canada Press
  • Publish Date: Jun 16th, 2026
  • Pages: 176
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 0.00in - 0.00in - 0.00in - 0.00lb
  • EAN: 9780369105912
  • Categories: LGBTQ+CanadianSubjects & Themes - Emigration & Immigration

About the Author

Makram Ayache is a Governor General's Literary Award finalist and award-winning playwright, performer, director, and producer based in Toronto. His playwriting explores representations of queer Arab voices and aims to bridge political struggles to the intimate experiences of the people impacted by them. Ayache was selected as one of six breakthrough artists by the Toronto Star in 2023. His play The Hooves Belonged to the Deer was selected as one of ten best productions in 2023 by the Globe and Mail and won an Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Outstanding Independent Production in 2023. Previously, his play The Green Line (Downstage and Chromatic Theatre) garnered four Betty Mitchell Award nominations, winning two, including Outstanding New Play. Most recently, Ayache has written an adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest titled A Witch in Algiers (Shakespeare in the Ruff). Alongside writing, most recently Ayache directed the development showcase of Small Gods the Musical with Theatre Sheridan and Factory Theatre.

Praise for this book

A challenging, stylistically bold and audacious new work that has so many layers it warrants study and multiple viewings.
--Glenn Sumi, So Sumi, Critic's Pick

Smart and sensual...the writing works in all its registers--and even, in instances, calls to mind the world-bending of Angels in America-era Tony Kushner.
--J. Kelly Nestruck, The Globe and Mail, Critic's Pick

A disturbing theatrical work that rocked me right to my core. Theatre can do just that.
--Joe Szekeres, Our Theatre Voice