In a thrift shop in Victoria, BC, a heated exchange between two Sri Lankan employees breaks out into a fight. Their manager tries to defuse the situation, bringing intracultural tensions and charged racial politics to the fore. But there may be more to the conflict than the two men are letting on…
White Lion, Brown Tiger is a charged exploration of workplace racism, toxic masculinity, performative allyship, and weaponized trauma.
Keywords: sri lanka, dark comedy, political satire, immigrant, refugee, racism, sexism
Produced by Teesri Duniya Theatre, Montreal QC, October 2025
Genre: Drama, Satire, Dark Comedy
Acts: 1
Run time: 60 minutes
Suitable for students 16+
Content notes: This play contains frequent use of profanity and physical violence. There are discussions of racist incidents as well as racial slurs thrown around. There are also frank discussions of sexual harassment, war violence, and rape.
Cast size: 3 actors
Male roles: 2
Female roles: 1
Casting notes: Lasantha and Rishan should ideally be cast with Sri Lankan actors (Sinhalese and Tamil respectively) but other South Asian actors can play them as well. If producers cannot find Sri Lankan actors to play these characters, the playwright encourages casting whichever South Asian actors seem like the best fit for each role.
"A fabulous and courageous work of theatre."
--Montreal Rampage
"White Lion, Brown Tiger challenges our perception of the model minority and what it means to be, or not to be one."
--Forget the Box
"Though White Lion, Brown Tiger is a fierce battle with no real closure, it gestures to a very real need: the space to tell stories, and the chance to repair."
--The Bull and Bear