The Afghanistan-themed drama will perform at the Boston Center for the Arts' Plaza Theatre through March 19 under the direction of the company's artistic director Jason Southerland.

Nancy Caroll will star as the titular Homebody whose obsession with the Afghan culture leads her to visit the foreign land. In the Kabul section, the mother has gone missing and her daughter Priscilla (played by Helen McElwain) ventures off in search of her. Nat McIntyre plays Quango, a British diplomat who offers help.

Homebody/Kabul debuted at Off-Broadway's New York Theatre Workshop in December of 2001, at a time when the play's setting of Afghanistan had become a major focal point of the world.

New York critics especially praised the play's first act and the piece's overall relevance. The first act is a monologue which recalls the piece's early beginning as a solo show. As a work-in-progress, the play had a run at London's Chelsea Theatre Centre in 1999 starring Kika Markham — whom Kushner had in mind when writing the first act of the play.

The three-hour opus was extensively revised in productions in Chicago (with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company) and in Los Angeles (at the Mark Taper Forum) with the help of director Frank Galati. The work returned to New York at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in its new form with film star Maggie Gyllenhaal ("Secretary") as the daughter joining original Off-Broadway star Linda Emond (Life x 3). For tickets to Homebody/Kabul at the Plaza Theatre, 539 Tremont Street in Boston, MA call (617) 933-8600. For more information, visit www.bostontheatreworks.com.