Swallow & Otter, the Musical
This one-act family musical follows sisters Sim and Oly as they navigate the shift from carefree imagination to the weight of the “real world” beyond their bedroom door. When a late-night adventure transports them to a magical forest inspired by Persian mythology, they must confront personal challenges and a growing danger that binds them to the fate of this enchanted world.
Development:
Developmental Reading on December 6th 2025
Presented at the Glicker-Milstein Theatre on April 3rd & 4th 2026
Written and Composed by | Kiana Rose Mottahedan
Directed by | Norah Vlas
Starring | Caitlin Balon, Njoki Tiaga, Julia Lima, Ryan Crawford, Anly Lockwood and Zoey Chang
About The Bus Stop.
A letter. A matchbox. A mechanical penguin. Left behind at a bus stop in New Jersey. Fereydun and Leila know they’ll spend a good part of each day waiting for the bus. During that time, they dance, talk, and tell stories. And by the time the bus finally arrives, they must try to remember why they wanted to leave at all.
About the Bus Stop is a one-act play that explores themes of displacement, loss, and homesickness. The play follows a brother and sister, Fereydun and Leila, who emigrated from Iran to New Jersey in 1979 during the upheaval of the Iranian Revolution. At a lonely bus stop, an elusive and easily aggravated bus driver pursues Fereydun, urging him to board. As the siblings wait, their memories surface out of order. They remain stuck in this liminal space until they can piece together why they are there and what they must confront.
Development:
Excerpt performed for an event hosted by CU Players featuring David Henry Hwang
Awarded the Joseph Milton Fee Jr. Award in Playwriting 2026
Waitlisted for the Noor Theatre Highlight Reading Series 2025
Written by | Kiana Rose Mottahedan