"As a document of Deen's pain and a plea for visibility, it is persuasive. If you can watch it without feeling compassion, see your cardiologist. But as a work of art, it's less convincing...Under Yew's efficient, unobtrusive direction, Deen is no shaman. Audience distractions rattle him...His characters never come fully alive...Mr. Deen has opted to trace his journey through the eyes of onlookers. But by focusing so narrowly on gender, he provides a very limited self-portrait."
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"Exemplary...Instead of offering a first-person account, Deen tells his story through the perspectives of everyone around him...The result is an insightful work that is noteworthy for the compassion with which the playwright-performer explores viewpoints different from his own...The agility with which he jumps from one character to another is dazzling, but it's the humane understanding he brings to his portrayals that impress the most."
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“In Deen's mad dash to portray Shireen's elderly, Indian father and mother--who live in Connecticut--her girlfriend, Molly, and so many other figures, including even a housecleaner at a Motel 8, where Shireen attempted suicide--he seems to have a different voice and demeanor for every one of them. He even--on his knees and with a little girl's voice--plays Shireen's five-year-old niece, Rabia.”
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"Mashuq Mushtaq Deen has a good story to tell in 'Draw the Circle,' and a fresh way to tell it...Deen does good work switching vocal patterns and postures, but he’s more compassionate than chameleonic in his characterizations. Director Chay Yew keeps the lean performance percolating briskly...The story’s framework is simple yet striking, and more than a novelty: it’s an apt, big-hearted way to puzzle together many pieces of Deen’s journey."
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"Deen's extreme vulnerability and creativity coalesce to make it a vitally important piece of theater...This method of storytelling feels completely authentic. Deen's portrayal of various individuals is remarkable, not only because of his careful craft, but also because of his great empathy...A singular theatrical experience. It concludes overwhelmingly, rendering transgender issues unignorable in today's divisive political climate."
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"A unique look into a life and development from a perspective outside of the individual. Deen writes with clarity and precision about the topic. His characters are all realistic and have clear intentions and feelings. The journey that they all go on with Deen is compelling and full of fear and love...Deen conveys his writing with clear distinction and emotion...After a while, the audience becomes familiar with the characters because Deen’s acting to so well defined."
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"The show invites us to let the outsider in and draw a circle big enough that it can include everyone...While 'Draw the Circle' may be a solo show, Deen inhabits a dozen or so roles...Each character offers his or her own take on Deen’s transition from Shirine and the impact it’s had on them...Deen captures the nuance of each of his loved ones’ mixed emotions in a way that speaks to an immense amount of soul-searching and self-knowledge."
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"Mashuq Mushtaq Deen has a singularly fascinating life story to tell. And the way he tells it is even more amazing...With his gentle humor, his agile portrayals, and a grippingly self-aware narrative, Deen takes us on his journey to become the man we see before us...The way as writer/performer Deen lets us know him through his transformation only through everyone else’s point of view is a masterful act of writing and performance that transforms us."
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