Maia Novi, an Argentinean actor, writer, and director, wrote Invasive Species as a response to the mental health policies at Yale University, where she received her MFA in 2022. The play, which premiered at The Tank in 2023, is a dark comedy about an Argentinean actor who immigrates to the United States to pursue the American dream but ends up hospitalized in a psychiatric unit in New Haven. “A true story about lying to live, and living to lie,” as the show’s website states, Invasive Species suggests that immigrating to the U.S. may be the role of a lifetime. This Off-Broadway limited engagement, produced by figures such as Jeremy O’Harris, reunites the cast and team from the premiere. —Jeanne Malle