A Doll’s House
Written by
Basab Pradhan
Directed by
Rita Bhatia
Jun 5-12, 2026
Sunnyvale Theatre
Naina and Tarun are the picture-perfect Silicon Valley couple. Their home is gorgeous, Tarun's tech startup is on the verge of getting funded, and Naina plays the role of the beautiful, devoted Indian wife to perfection. But beneath the facade lies a dangerous secret. As the truth threatens to surface, the foundation of their relationship begins to fracture.
This sharp, contemporary Indian-American reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s classic asks what happens when the roles we have been taught to play end up suffocating who we really are.
After the shows on June 6 and 7, there will be a Talkback with the playwright, director and cast.
English | Ages 14+ | 120 min + Intermission + Talkback
Language - All shows are in English.
Age advisory - 14+ The play is not written for children. Some adult themes. Children of all ages must be able to sit quietly in the theatre.
Run time - 120 mins + 15 min intermission. After the shows on June 6 and 7, there will be a Talkback with the playwright, director and cast.
Red Cast
Richa Pareek, Basab Pradhan, Ananth Sundarrajan, Sarika Oak, Naveen Suravarpu, Krishna Kinnal (guitarist), Prajvi Malhotra (dancer)
Shows on June 5, 7 & 11
Richa Pareek as NAINA
Basab Pradhan as TARUN
Ananth Sundarrajan as RAJBIR
Sarika Oak as CHARU
Naveen Suravarpu as KEVIN
Prajvi Malhotra as DANCER
Krishna Kinnal as GUITARIST
Blue Cast
Sinchana Hegde, Harish Jayakumar, Sudipta Chatterjee, Shweta Amre, Naveen Suravarpu, Ayesha Javehrani, Avyan Tripathi, Krishna Kinnal (guitarist), Prajvi Malhotra (dancer)
Shows on June 6, 10 & 12
Sinchana Hegde as NAINA
Harish Jayakumar as TARUN
Sudipta Chatterjee as RAJBIR
Shweta Amre as CHARU
Naveen Suravarpu as KEVIN
Ayesha Javehrani as JAANA
Avyan Tripathi as JAI
Prajvi Malhotra as DANCER
Krishna Kinnal as GUITARIST
Director
Rita Bhatia is a story-teller, actor, director, producer, singer and playwright. After the pandemic restrictions were lifted and theatre returned, she produced and stage managed The Square Root of a Sonnet and directed Name, Place Animal, Thing both for BADCo.
Among her many roles on stage, her favorites are Gupta Madam in Ajay Shukla’s Taj Mahal Ka Tender, Dolly in Girish Karnad’s Boiled Beans on Toast, Kamini in Basab Pradhan’s Divided By, Priya Singh in Not Equal To and Dolon in Mahesh Elkunchwar’s Sonata.
During the pandemic, Rita adapted, produced and directed several online staged productions, some of her favorites being, Alipha, Forever, Mumbai Beats, Bobby & Bobbi, Chuckle with Chekhov and No Make-Up.
As playwright, Rita has written, directed and produced two short plays Chameli and Bhavna & Bhuvan.
Rita is Executive Director of Bay Area Drama Company.
Dance Director
Sanjib Bhattacharya, recipient of President’s Awards from Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam in 2006 and Smt. Pratibha Patil in 2011 is an accomplished Manipuri Dance Exponent, Guru and well-known choreographer. He has received his training under the tutelage of Guru Bipin Singh, Padmashri Darshana Jhaveri, Kalavati Devi, Manjushree Chaki Sircar and Mamata Shankar. He is an established performer of great repute having extensively performed across India and abroad. He is not only performing as a solo artist, but is also performing with eminent Gurus and Icons of Indian Classical dances like Padmavibhushan Sonal Mansingh, Padmashri Darshana Jhaveri, Padmashri Ranjana Gauhar, Sadanam Balakrishnan and other eminent gurus all over India and abroad.
Sanjib lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through his academy, Movements in Motion, he continues to nurture a committed generation of students in San Ramon, Fremont, and San Jose, offering rigorous training in Manipuri dance, contemporary movement, traditional drum playing, and his dynamic fitness and wellness program, Dance Sutra — inspiring young artists to grow into expressive, disciplined, and confident performers.
Stage Manager
After Not Equal To and Greater Than, Divided By, The Cherry Orchard, Adhe Adhure and Where Did I Leave My Purdah? Michelle Sams is excited to be back with BADCo for A Doll’s House. She has worked at various theatres in the Bay Area over the last 20 years. Most recently at City Lights Theater Company with such favorites as Alabama Story, Ideation, Elephant Man, Amadeus, Dead Man Walking, and Compleat Female Stage Beauty. Other favorite productions around the south bay include Matthew Briar and the Age of Resurrection (Epic Immersive), A Midsumer Night's Dream (Silicon Valley Shakespeare), Carmen (Opera San Jose), and On the Verge (Bus Barn Stage Co.). Michelle has an MBA from University of Phoenix, and a BA in Technical Theatre from U.C. Santa Barbara, and is the author of "A Stage Manager's Survival Guide: From Callbacks to Closing."
Michelle is the Production Manager for Bay Area Drama Company. When not backstage, Michelle can be found in the online advertising world at Adobe.
Show Sponsor
We Support
Season Sponsor
