In their suburban Canadian home, Sue and Emir's marriage is a battlefield of bitterness and constant bickering. Their past as Muslims living in Sarajevo haunts them, with flourishing careers lost to war and genocide. But, proud of their life in Canada, they choose to leave these painful memories behind them. When a birthday celebration brings their three daughters home again after eight years, bombshell after revealing bombshell is dropped, and an epic clash of wills erupts, awakening the family's darkest secrets.

Blissful State of Surrender is a poignant dramatic comedy that delves into the lives of a Bosnian Canadian family grappling with trauma, social-class limbo, and intergenerational differences, challenging Canada's self-image as a haven for refugees and revealing how internalized oppression breeds lateral violence. For immigrants fleeing the horrors of genocide, even the act of remembering can be dangerous, yet the cycle of violence can only be broken when the truth is finally set free.

Sanita Fezjic is an award-winning Canadian Bosnian writer. Her first book Psychomachia, which means « fight of the soul » in Latin, was shortlisted for the Ken Klonsky short story contest, as well as for the Canada ReLit Prize 2018. Fezjic has published her poems and short stories in several Canadian literary magazines. In 2018, her poem « (M)other » was shortlisted by the CBC Poetry Prize. Fezjic is currently finishing her PhD in cultural studies at Queen's university.

Sanita Fejzić's profile page

Hailed as an “incredible artist” by Hans Zimmer, Suad Bushnaq is an internationally acclaimed, multi-award winning Jordanian Canadian music composer of Bosnian, Palestinian, and Syrian roots. Her work has garnered a CASMA (Canadian Screen Music Award), a Hollywood Music in Media Award, and four CSA (Canadian Screen Award) nominations, to name a few. She is the 2021 recipient of the Kathleen McMorrow Music Award from the Ontario Arts Foundation. Her most recent work includes the three-part series Secret World of Sound with David Attenborough, for which she won a Canadian Screen Music Award and was nominated for a Hollywood Music in Media Award.

Suad Bushnaq's profile page

Keith Barker is an Algonquin Métis playwright, actor, and theatre director from Northwestern Ontario, and the current Artistic Director at Native Earth Performing Arts. He was a finalist for the Governor General's Award for English Drama in 2018 for his play, This Is How We Got Here. He received a Saskatchewan and Area Theatre Award for Excellence in Playwriting for his play, The Hours That Remain, as well as a Yukon Arts Award for Best Art for Social Change. Keith sits on the board of the Playwrights Guild of Canada, the Metcalf Foundation's Internship Committee, and the Indigenous Culture Program Advisory Committee with the City of Toronto. Prior to taking the job at Native Earth, Keith served as a Theatre Program Officer for the Canada Council for the Arts.

Keith Barker's profile page

"Blissful State of Surrender not only opens your eyes to the hardships and intricacies of life as a Bosnian refugee but also proves relatable to any audience member that has a loud, passionate and somewhat dysfunctional family.”

Sophie Panton, The Charlatan

“Blissful State of Surrender seamlessly blends drama and tragedy with comedy. It is a touching tribute to the strength and resilience of Bosnian families despite the harrowing events they have had to overcome.”

Courtney Castelino, BroadwayWorld

“It accomplishes something rather rare in the theatre—it’s a drama that tackles 'heavy' topics, but which also successfully delivers flashes of comedy and even a few bits of slapstick.”

Barbara Popel, Apt613