These days, gender in sports has become such potent fuel for the interminable culture wars that it’s impossible to escape the hundreds of headlines litigating questions of womanhood and how to categorize women’s bodies. Yet 1st Stage’s Fair Play, written by British playwright Ella Road and directed by Deidra LaWan Starnes, starts by sidestepping the big headlines and focusing instead on a raw, bodily moment: a collision. Two girls crashing into each other on the track.

We meet Sophie (Camille Pivetta) and Ann (Mahkai Dominique), two British teen track athletes in the same training program. Sophie, a spunky tomboy and champion with Adidas sponsorships already under her belt, befriends the shy yet earnest new girl Ann. As the two grow closer, Ann also becomes more confident on the field—a r

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