Sindu Singh on Directing COUNTER OFFENCE

When I first read Rahul Varma's Counter Offence last year, besides being completely captivated by the script, I was stunned to learn that he had written it in 1995. How could he  have possibly known that the themes he tackles of race, the police and minority politics (set in Canada, that bastion of social equity, peace, justice and neutrality) would be at the center of a firestorm in the United States more than 20 years later? 

In recent years, news of police shootings and the resulting riots and outrage have become a regular occurrence, almost to the point where they no longer dominate the headlines or the national conversation because of their disturbing frequency. We as a society are becoming collectively immune to the reporting - there is, of course, the immediate customary backlash after news breaks of yet another shooting which then quickly gets lost and diverted in the face of the next piece of reality TV emerging from an administration in perpetual turmoil and at the center of domestic and international political intrigue in the nation's capital. (As I write this, the media is rife with stories of Sean Spicer's resignation after 6 months of defending an embattled presidency in the throes of an unending stream of scandals fueled by controversial firings, daily revelations around Russian meddling and colorful late night tweets.) 

How does an already marginalized, often resource-deprived section of the citizenry compete for attention in this climate where news cycles last mere minutes? Where does this leave those that are truly fighting the good fight against a system that enables and sustains a police culture that carries out regular assault, harassment, discrimination and murder of minorities without consequence? Every week there is news that yet another police officer has been acquitted of murder charges. We learn again and again that we as individual citizens are held to a different set of standards when it comes to capital crimes than those who are entrusted with enforcing the law and protecting us. For those South Asians who distanced themselves from the furor around Philando Castile or Jordan Edwards in favor of viewing themselves as an affluent, educated minority and brushed police brutality off as a problem of the 'other', Sureshbhai Patel's case came as a rude awakening and hit far too close to home. How did a father who was visiting his son to take care of his grandchild end up in a nightmare which began with a walk around his Alabama neighborhood and ended in a savage police encounter during which he was violently thrown to the pavement and left paralyzed?

In the midst of all this, as a theatre company committed to focusing on themes of social justice, it seemed more important than ever to give voice to a story like Counter Offence. Interestingly, by choosing to center the plot around a young girl being abused by her husband, Rahul brings domestic violence and questions of gender equality front and center and places these in the context of a society with deep divides. The characters, Indian and Iranian, African American and Caucasian, each with their own sets of struggles amidst overwhelming cultural baggage, reinforce the reality that while we supposedly co-exist in a multi ethnic, diverse society in a world that claims to be moving towards globalization, individuals and communities continue to be increasingly segmented and isolated. And it may not be too cynical a commentary on us as human beings that the only thing that unites us are our age old human vices - greed, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of power - which ultimately lead to the exploitation of the true victims who are sacrificed at the altar of political and personal agendas.

I am deeply indebted to Rahul for graciously entrusting his inspiring work to me and for giving me permission to change the context of his original play to bring it to the United States. I have chosen Cleveland as the setting, since it continues to be one of the most racially charged cities in our country. But that is pure happenstance. It could've been any city, large or small - New York, Boston, Seattle, Chicago, Ferguson or Madison. Counter Offence forces us to come face to face with that quintessential question for our times - how we got to this state of affairs and where we go from here. It is our collective responsibility to keep this issue from fading from public memory, to recognize it as a challenge that affects each of us, even those cushioned in our suburban sanctuaries, and to keep seeking answers. 

- Sindu Singh

When a crime against a woman is turned into a crime against race – Rahul Varma's Foreword to 'COUNTER OFFENCE'

Note: Counter Offence, as originally written, was set in Canada. With the playwright's permission, BAD Company's production transplants it to the United States.

Counter Offence was the first play for which I received a writing grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. It was also my first full-length play in English, a language I acquired as an adult. Counter Offence, therefore, would lay the foundation for my future plays.

I was surprised not only by the obscurity of politically relevant plays, but by the exclusion of visible minorities in the few plays produced that were political. Counter Offence had to be different. It had to be relevant; it had to be political; it had to be about minorities ignored by the mainstream; and it had to be intercultural.

Having been born and brought up in India, I felt comfortable writing about the South Asian community in particular and about minorities in general. So that was a good starting point. There was public knowledge about domestic violence within the South Asian community, but no public discussion about it. Neighbors knew about it, relatives knew about it, and they all kept silent. But there were some women who stood up against the abuse and fought a system that favored abusers. It was their courage that motivated me to write Counter Offence. 

Whenever I talked to my peers about this theme, their usual comment was: “This happens a lot in your community, doesn’t it?” From what I knew, yes it did. But I was surprised that they didn’t ask the same question of themselves. According to available statistics and cultural evidence, including television programming, it was apparent that domestic violence occurred in the white community as well and perhaps as frequently as in the South Asian community. Studies suggested that gender violence cut across all races, religions and cultures. And yet, there was this widespread stereotype that domestic violence was confined to communities of colour. I was perturbed by the dichotomy that Canadians perceived domestic violence as a crime if the perpetrator was a white male, but a cultural value if he was a man of colour. 

The Government approached religious leaders to consult with them about domestic violence and social issues. Self-appointed religious leaders, who had no interest in social justice or women’s equality, were courted by the authorities as community experts. This relationship between religious leaders and the authorities was endorsed by some activists who were disturbed by the racial profiling of men of colour by the police. While they argued that patriarchy used violence to suppress women, they also aggressively defended men of colour against the racist mindset that perceived them as inherently violent and barbaric. I personally knew many such activists who used race as a weapon with which to pursue their petty (and patriarchal) political careers. The character Moolchand in Counter Offence emerged from this group. 

In one of my discussions about police violence against minorities, my friend and playwright David Carly narrated a story in which a certain white police officer didn’t intervene when a black woman was being beaten by her black husband. The white officer waited at the door for an officer of colour or a female officer to arrive. He feared that he would be accused of racism by the wife-beater if he arrested him in the absence of an officer of colour. While I understood the white officer’s fear, I thought he failed in his duty by not protecting a black woman because of an anticipated charge of racism. After all, such fears have not stopped the police from carrying out immigration raids or spot searches of men of colour on the roads. Nor have such fears stopped the cops from fatally shooting scores of black and Hispanic men. So, why should it stop him from arresting a black man beating a black woman? In my view, this officer’s conduct was a case of double discrimination – discrimination against a woman’s colour and discrimination against her gender. It was this very incident that gave me the premise for Counter Offence, which will separate it from all other plays on the subject of domestic violence. 

It was clear to me that Counter Offence would be a complex play and that I would not use dramaturgical excuses to mellow the story in favour of simple dramatic conflicts. It was going to be a play of competing truths. What do we do when truths collide? How do we behave when the struggle to end violence against women comes into conflict with the struggle to end racism? 

Prior to, and throughout the writing process, I was confronted with issues of race, multiculturalism, gender and cultural differences. I struggled with the difficult question of how far a multicultural society and its laws must tolerate cultural differences that might have coercive effects on women. I had to ask myself why women in our communities use culture to explain constraints that keep them in abusive relationships, and why men use culture to maintain power and control. 

Multiculturalism is a way to tell stories that have not been told. It is therefore fitting that the characters in Counter Offence are drawn from the range of cultures seen on our streets – characters whose identities are intertwined and relational. It is due to the non-monolithic nature of multiculturalism and our society that Counter Offence includes an Iranian husband, an Indian wife, immigrant parents, a black woman activist, white police officers and an Indian activist. The play’s cultural composition complicates the issue and poses new questions. 

Does culture justify violence against women? Should the fear of being accused of racism be accepted as an excuse for a white police officer who fails to do his duty? Is a policeman justified in presupposing charges of racism? If he is not racist, why should he be afraid? And who are the people who use the race card in every dispute involving ethnic communities? What credibility can the antiracist struggle have if it is used as a front for spousal abuse? 

To the best of my ability, I have attempted to write Counter Offence with the directness necessary for depth, reality and objectivity in the theatre. To that end, I have opted for truth over fear and self-censorship.

- Rahul Varma

COUNTER OFFENCE Cast Photoshoot

Our friend Swagato Basumallick dropped by last weekend for a cast photoshoot. He was aided by our ace costume designer Arati Nagaraj. We are thrilled to present his stunning captures. 

Announcing the cast of "Counter Offence"

We are thrilled to announce the super talented, multi-ethnic cast of Counter Offence, our summer production, penned by Rahul Varma and directed by Sindu Singh.

From North Africa to Palestine to Mauritania to India, our dedicated cast is the perfect microcosm of the world we artists strive for. One in which we all collaborate with a single purpose – simply to create a beautiful piece of art together, regardless of the color of our skin or our religion or our backgrounds. They each bring with them a wealth of ideas and experience and are already making their own unique mark on the play in this early stage of rehearsals.

Together, we cannot wait to present this important, impactful play to our audiences.

The full cast and their bios are here.

Opening Weekend Audience Reviews & Photos - Wedding Album

Photos courtesy of: Swagato Basumallick

What an incredible opening weekend! Audiences simply raved about Wedding Album. Here are some photos as well as some of our audience reactions:

The performances were par excellence. Could really relate to this play! So real, so raw, funny, ironic, annoying - all the typical issues and situations of an Indian wedding and emotional family moments. The father of the bride reminded me of my father and I went through so many emotions watching this amazing play. LOVED it!! Waiting for their future productions! - Sushanta Bhandarkar

Wonderful performances! It was a treasure trove of talented actors bringing to life Girish Karnad's script. The Dharwad setting and the pure, unalloyed music of the giants of Dharwad- Bhimsen Joshi, Gangubai Hangal, Kumar Gandharva, etc. was an added treat to my ears...highly recommend watching it...you will love it for its extremely high production values. -TN Arunagiri

Another excellent play by Bay Area Drama Company! "Wedding Album" was done so intricately and the entire cast as well as the production team worked extremely hard to bring in a beautiful production for us. Kudos to Sindu Singh for directing the play! - Yamini Mitter

This play takes a peek into the life of a middle class family preparing for their daughter's upcoming arranged marriage. The characters were all very relatable and subtle at the surface. The dark secrets pour out as the play progresses. It mirrors an Indian society grappling with western and traditional norms. It depicts the pre wedding chaos and confusion beautifully! Loved all the characters...Sindu Singh you are always amazing on or off stage! Congratulations on another successful play. - Namrita Yuhanna

'Wedding Album' by Bay Area Drama Company did Girish Karnad proud! Fast paced and full of interesting turns, and amazing acting!!! Congrats Basab, Sindu and team!!! - Simonil Kakalia

Saw an amazing play yesterday by Bay Area Drama Company....The play is presented in snapshots, woven as a collage depicting the life of a Saraswat Brahmin Dharwad middle class family-- The Nadkarni's -- whose youngest daughter is about to get married to a NRI boy, she has never met but with whom she has video chatted and skyped. The pre wedding anxiety, panic and chaos that surrounds them is typical of any Indian household. There is the jealous Australia-residing older sister, anxiety ridden Catholic girl-dating older brother, neurotic mother and unkempt and living-in-the-past father. This frothy normalcy glosses over deeper issues which Girish Karnad craftily reveals as he unveils the layers of each character and slowly the secrets start to spill--all the pent up anger, rage, unfulfilled desires, slights, humiliation and even darker ones like infidelity and molestation come to the surface briefly but is quickly shoved back into the closeted layer of secrecy. The jaded NRI groom seeks an innocent, small town Indian girl to rescue him from the cultural and moral wasteland of the west. Little does he know that his bride-to-be is all bubbly innocence by day and an Internet cafe video-sex-chatting voyeur by night. The juxtaposition of traditional middle class values with modern technological globalization is captured beautifully and the seamless blending of background music by the "sons of Dharwad" -- Kumar Gandharva, Mallikarjun Mansoor, Basavaraj Rajguru and Bhimsen Joshi clinched it for me. Kudos to the Director, Sindu Singh, for doing full justice to Girish Karnad. - Vani Suresh

Director Sindu Singh's Note on WEDDING ALBUM

A play as complex as Wedding Album can be deceiving. On the surface it draws one in purely on its merits as an entertaining, exquisitely woven tale about a family in the throes of excitement around an upcoming wedding. The characters are no doubt layered, nuanced and have multiple, oft-surprising facets to them, which is to be expected from a playwright of Girish Karnad's stature. 

But delve deeper into the world of the Nadkarnis, and threads emerge even in seemingly innocent interactions that reveal Karnad's sharp acumen at providing penetrating insights into human dynamics – the narrative is rich with incisive revelations about the influences, both dark and uplifting, that shape us at the most visceral level and bleed into every relationship we form, the sometimes misinformed disappointments we carry over a lifetime that sadly mar our ability to connect with loved ones, the petty misunderstandings that can lead to fate-altering decisions, the tragedies we hide from and behind, and the dual personas we inhabit, allowing others into just a few select bits of our true selves. Only a shrewd master craftsman can wield this astonishing ability to use art as a self-deprecating tool with which to question notions of identity, all the while infusing the process with humor and lightness. The beauty of Wedding Album ultimately lies in how it subtly nudges us to revisit those perceptions of the world that we take for granted and understand more keenly the colors of the lens we view it through.

I thank the magical powers that deemed my existence so charmed that I find myself bringing this enchanting script to stage. I’m still scratching my head and blinking at the wonder of it all. My humble thanks to Girish Karnad for so graciously entrusting his work to us. My late father, Shri Thirumalai Doraiswamy, will truly be smiling down from heaven at the thought of his daughter directing a play penned by the great Kannada legend.

- Sindu Singh

Auditions for Counter Offence are on May 21st!

Announcing Auditions for our next production:

COUNTER OFFENCE
Written by Rahul Varma
Directed by Sindu Singh

Auditons will be held on Sunday, May 21st, 9 am onwards in San Jose. Please see instructions below on how to sign up.

Performance dates are July 28, July 29, August 5 and August 6 - at Sunnyvale Theatre, 550 E. Remington Ave., Sunnyvale, CA. 

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ROLES AVAILABLE

Female Roles:

• Shazia - South Asian. 20s. American accent required. A Muslim woman brought up in the West.
• Shafiqa - South Asian. Late 40s-early 60s. Shazia's mother. Frank. Fearless.

Male Roles:

• Shapoor - Middle Eastern/South Asian. Mid 20s-early 30s. Iranian accent. Shazia's Iranian husband who has come to the West as a student.
• Mohammed - South Asian. 50s-60s. Shazia's father. Retired. 

The roles of Moolchand Misra, Clarinda Keith, Gilles Prougault and Guy Galliard have been precast.

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ABOUT THE PLAY

When Shazia, the daughter of Indian immigrants, is hit by her husband Shapoor, he is arrested for domestic violence. Immediately after, things take an unexpected turn. A clever and conniving community activist lawyer, Moolchand Misra unexpectedly steps in and accuses the arresting officer, who happens to be white, of racism and police brutality. Misra demands an inquiry thus turning a routine domestic violence case into a racially charged issue. The entire police department is up in arms about the inquiry and what they see as a calculated offence being mounted against them. Shapoor is deported and subsequently returns only to be found shot dead in a hotel room. There are suspects at every turn.

In this fascinating whodunnit, Rahul Varma poses questions which are more relevant than ever given the nationwide uproar around the police and their treatment of minorities and the current climate of mistrust.

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INSTRUCTIONS

If interested, please click here to fill out the audition form. You will receive a confirmation email with a specific time-slot. Prepare a 2 minute monologue in English for the audition which shows a range of emotions and includes movement.

If shortlisted, you will be provided with sides from the play and called back the same afternoon.

Rehearsals begin Tuesday, May 23, 2017. 

Technical rehearsals (mandatory) will be held 5 pm – 11 pm on July 26 and July 27. 

For questions, please email basab@bayareadrama.company

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JOIN THE PRODUCTION TEAM!

There are multiple ways in which you can get involved with us and we would love for you to be a part of our production team. If you'd like to join us, please write to sindu@bayareadrama.company expressing your area of interest (stage management, sets, costumes, props, marketing, etc.)

The Gift of Music: "WEDDING ALBUM"

Music has been an integral part of every one of Bay Area Drama Company's productions. 

From our very first outing, Bhopal, which featured live music composed and performed onstage by Vidushi Subhapriya Srivatsan to A Doll's House, in which Aalaap Desai set Shekhar Hemnani's lyrics to haunting effect in Koi Nazm Nahin sung by our very own Sindu Singh, to Dance Like a Man, in which we were privileged to have well known bay area flautist Sri Mohan Govindaraj collaborate in original compositions with the Smt. Subhapriya Srivatsan, to Domestic Crusaders, during which the musical interludes comprised of sufi songs rendered by famed Pakistani musicians.

The musical gift of our current production, Wedding Album is that the play is set in Dharwad, Karnataka, the birthplace of some of the greatest Hindustani classical legends the country has seen. Luminaries of the Kirana Gharana such as Pt. Basavaraj Rajguru, Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur, Vidushi Gangubai Hangal, and Bharat Ratna Pt. Bhimsen Joshi have risen from the musically rich soil of the Hubli-Dharwad region in Uttara Karnataka. Even the legendary vocalist Pt. Kumar Gandharva originated from here, though he later chose to settle in Madhya Pradesh for health reasons. There is a great bounty of beautifully preserved recordings from these stalwarts and the integration of these is sure to be an immersive, transformative experience for our audiences.

Vaishnavi Sridhar on playing Radhabai

Radhabai, the cook in the Nadkarni household, is a classic representative of her ilk. Having come from abject poverty, she knows her welfare depends on the goodwill of her employers, and that she must play her cards carefully if she is to stay in their good auspices. As is true of most of the characters in Wedding Album, nothing is quite as it seems with Radhabai. There is a side to her that is hidden and she harbors a great burden in the form of a tragic secret she dare not disclose.

While she is loyal and loving, especially to Vidula, the darling of the family who is about to get married, Radhabai is also cantankerous as only a long time member of the family can be. For me, the best part about playing Radhabai is that she is so familiar! Having grown up in a middle class Indian household just like Vidula, I spent time with and grew attached to a few Radhabais myself, each one unique, complex and intriguing in her own way. Maybe the most fascinating aspect of Radhabai’s character is that she lives large in the minds of almost all the family members. They all discuss her at length in her absence. So much so that her story itself almost becomes a character in the play and takes on a life of its own.

On a personal level, this has been a wonderful journey for me. From my director, Sindu Singh, I am learning what constitutes good theater and what goes into getting truly under the skin of a character. And I love this rambunctious cast. Every one of my co-actors comes a little unhinged when faced with a funny line or situation and rehearsals are filled with uproarious laughter. You will see some of that great chemistry on stage when you come see Wedding Album!

– Vaishnavi Sridhar

Cast Photos: WEDDING ALBUM

Our friend Swagato Basumallick stopped by and took some photos of the cast. Here they are.

In Verse: Vikram Ramanarayanan on playing Mahadevappa

The Deluded Crusader

His story's one like many before him,

Wrongs he wants to right

Striking naysayers in his vim

To them he takes the fight!

Bastion of dharma he is he thinks

Tradition's guardian true,

But alas, in upholding this he sinks

Right into adharma's glue

"Women should stay at home you see

And men should walk about,

For that is how 'twas meant to be"

This he will rant and shout.

True Hindus must now take up arms

Against the infidels

And teach them soundly without qualms

These lessons that he tells

Does he realize that he doth cross

That oft-unnoticed line?

No, this stone's gathered so much moss

That he'll always decline

For he was raised to think that way

Unfortunately so, 

So who's at fault when he does sway

Right into Satan's tow?

To him the scriptures are supreme

He'll swear by them always

But ask him what they truly scream

And his confidence frays.

The thing about a zealot, see

Is sometimes he is blind

To critical reason that may free

Him from this terrible bind.

- Vikram Ramanarayanan

Devika Ashok's Hema

Creating a back story is an essential component of character development. It is one of the first things we ask all our actors to do as we start the process of rehearsing. It allows an actor to create a reality that he or she can inhabit. A living, breathing, thinking, feeling person rather than just a character in a playwright's imagination.

In the warm Australian summer morning, the alarm clock wakes Hema up promptly at 5 am. Before the sun rises, she is up in the kitchen with a cup of green tea. She quickly starts putting breakfast together for the family. Soon her darling son Ketan and elder daughter Samyukta will be up. So will her husband Chandrakanth. She prepares their school lunches while still in her nightgown. After she has finished with the chores in the kitchen, she sets out  clothes for them to wear.  When they are up, she makes fresh coffee for Chandrakanth and pours out juice for the kids.

By 7 am they all exit the house and Hema is alone at home. Finally she relaxes and has her ‘chai’, the one dairy product that she allows herself – after all, she wants to look young forever. She likes to sit by the French window and watches as other children walk hand-in-hand with their parents to the bus stop, a young couple strolls by with their arms intertwined, and an elderly couple saunters at a leisurely pace enjoying the early morning bustle all around them. 

She is proud of the nest she has built. Her home, her family, and how well she manages it all. Her impeccable attention to detail and her razor sharp focus on organization that makes everything run smoothly and with clockwork efficiency.

Yet, she is lonely. When they all leave home, a deafening silence ensues and fills her mind with unwelcome thoughts. When she looks in the mirror, she reminisces. Wasn’t she beautiful once? The object of many an admirer in India? As the topper in the college did she not have many job offers? The future beckoned, bright and promising. She had dreamed, like every girl, of a wedding with beautiful saris and gorgeous jewelry. She got none of it. Her wedding was a hurried low-budget affair – not even a photograph to remind her of the fateful day that changed her life. She left home feeling the way she always had when she had lived with her family – empty.

So when the news came that her younger sister was to be married off in a grand fashion, the past and all the betrayal it carried with it came flooding back. But it was her baby sister after all. She would try to put it all behind her. She would be happy at this wedding. She would go for Vidula’s sake. Yes. For Vidula's sake.

- Devika Ashok

Anush Moorthy as Rohit

Rohit is the quintessential Indian male, caught between the inexorable march towards modernity and the inevitable pull of orthodoxy. He finds himself torn between following his heart and respecting the demands of his deeply ingrained cultural upbringing.

Stuck in a family that includes an unappreciative father, a tiresome mother, an overbearing older sister, Hema and a sweet, albeit irresponsible younger sister, Vidula, he tries to be the rock they can all lean on during the stressful days leading up to Vidula's wedding. It is from this chaos that he draws inspiration for his work, later in life, to pitch ideas for TV serial episodes to his persnickety boss.

I play Rohit in Wedding Album, a fascinating look at modern Indian families. Girish Karnad, the master playwright, infuses Rohit with so many hues that it makes the role simultaneously challenging and rewarding. Rohit adores Vidula, and is deeply protective of her, but has a more combative dynamic with the distant and dominating Hema. Always looking to his father for approval, and ever ready to stand in defense of his mother, Rohit's interactions with his family span the entire spectrum of relationships you might expect in a slightly dysfunctional household. 

I have essayed many different roles in the past -- a happy-go-lucky care-giver, a tree-hugging, left-leaning activist, a good-for-nothing son and a cheating husband -- but while Rohit's character lacks such colorful adjectives, it is one of the most interesting roles that I have played. Under the capable stewardship of our director Sindu Singh, who demands nothing less than the very best from the cast, I look forward to bringing him to life on stage!

- Anush Moorthy

Nitin Deo: Father of the Bride

“Father of the Bride!”

Quick! What’s the first thing that popped into your head when you read that? If you’ve seen Steve Martin’s classic comedy with that name, it might have been a funny scene from the movie. But having been through it myself in real life, let me tell you, marrying off a daughter is no laughing matter. At least for the father.

In Wedding Album, I play Dr. Nadkarni, the father of Vidula, his youngest daughter who is getting married. I am also father to Hema, who is already married and lives in Australia. And to Rohit, who himself is a target of many a match-maker. Marriages, past, present and future, are the central theme of the play.

Girish Karnad has painted the character of the Father, with a rainbow of colors. His fondness of Vidula, his empathy for what he has put his wife through, his regret for not giving Hema a proper wedding and his affection for his son are all intertwined in a complex character. But he also has his comic moments. In all, it’s a very rewarding role to play.

I have performed many roles in my career on stage – comic roles, a serious lawyer, a political leader - but, this is the first time I am playing such a multi-hued character. It’s a challenge but I have full faith in my dear friend – our director – Sindu Singh – who is extremely talented and knows how to get the best out of us.

Hope you’ll join us for one of the shows.

- Nitin Deo

The Bride: Lakshmi Bharadwaj on playing Vidula

In Girish Karnad’s Wedding Album, I play Vidula Nadkarni, the vivacious and somewhat scatterbrained youngest daughter of a middle class Saraswat Brahmin family from Dharwad. At the beginning of the play, Vidula’s marriage is being fixed with Ashwin, who lives in the US. They have never met but have tried to get to know each other over Skype and phone calls. Ashwin is coming to India soon. They will meet briefly and then, if they like each other, they will be married, while Ashwin is still in India. 

Vidula Nadkarni’s character is central to the play and easy to identify with because she is so human. She could be any girl - 20 something and about to get married. She is friendly and absent-minded, a doting daughter and the apple of the eye of the Nadkarnis. The dynamic that Vidula shares with her parents and siblings is very similar to my own, which is why I identify with her so much. In fact, being of “marriageable age” myself, I relate to the anxieties that Vidula faces in the Wedding Album.

All the characters in Wedding Album are multidimensional and complex. Vidula is no exception. She is not just a face. She has her secrets, she has her insecurities. She defines herself on her own terms. She can be exasperating one moment, and dissolve in a fit of giggles, the next. She is a girl who is trying to be modern in an evolving world. Her background is conventional, but she is trying to move past that and see things differently. 

When I wrote her character sketch and thought in depth about Vidula, I could see how vulnerable and authentic she was. In watching her story unfold, you are sure to laugh at her silly jokes and sympathize with her predicaments. The truth, and the beauty of Vidula’s life lies in those moments.

– Lakshmi Bharadwaj

Divya Joshi on Playing Mira Hattangadi

In Girish Karnad's Wedding Album, I play Mira Hattangadi.

Mira is a professional match-maker. Her partner-in-crime husband and she are on a mission to get Rohit (son of the Nadkarnis) married to Tapasya (daughter of the Sirurs). After months of work they finally get the Sirurs to come with them to visit the Nadkarnis. What follows is perhaps one of the funniest scenes in the play. 
 
Playing the role of Mira will be very interesting for me. As a Talent Acquisition professional, selling the job and the company to potential hires is what I do for a living. But I haven’t always been comfortable with it. I once told my boss, “I can never be that annoying, pesky salesperson chasing after people even after they’ve said no.” To which he said, “You will be, when you have to be.”

And now here I am, playing the role of Mira, a never-say-die marriage broker. Someone who doesn’t understand the meaning of the word “no”. Hints and innuendo roll off her like water off a duck’s back. 

Life can be full of irony.

Wedding Album perfectly bottles the air, thick with stories and emotion, at an arranged marriage in India. I am excited to be part of an amazing cast and would love for you to come watch us.

- Divya Joshi

Father of the (Other) Bride

The plot of Wedding Album, not surprisingly, revolves around a wedding. Nitin Deo plays Dr. Nadkarni, the father of Vidula, whose upcoming wedding is the centerpiece of the play. I play Gopal Sirur, who arrives to visit the Nadkarnis, thinking that Rohit, Vidula’s older brother, has agreed to marry his daughter Tapasya. 

The matchmakers have been greatly optimistic. Gopal believes that the marriage is as good as fixed. So he is devastated when he learns that Rohit is not ready to marry at all. His agony is quite evident, even in what is quite a funny scene. His pain is the pain of every father who can’t stand the thought of his daughter suffering. 

Daughters and Dads have a special relationship. Across cultures, giving away your daughter's hand in marriage, is one of the defining moments for Dads.

It’s not just that you are in some sense losing your daughter. Even if she already lived away from you, say in a different city, you are going to see less of her. She won't be coming home for most of her vacations. She now has a family of her own.

It’s not just that it’s a sign that your little girl has finally grown up. Yes, she has other hills to climb. But there is something atavistic about the connection between getting married and adulthood. Everywhere.

It’s also this deep anxiety about who you are giving her away to. This stranger who, you hope, will love and cherish your “Phool si bachhi” (flower-like daughter). But what if he doesn’t? What if he is cruel to her?

Arranged marriages are still the norm in most of India. For every Indian who thinks it is silly to get married to a stranger, you will find many more who think that the parents’ judgement about what makes for a good life partner is a lot better than a twenty-something-year old’s.

The wedding in Wedding Album is an arranged marriage. Modern day arranged marriages are changing and adapting. With so many eligible men and women working outside India (many of them in the United States), the traditional match-making process which involved marriage brokers is giving way to internet services like shaadi.com and introductions over Skype.

Like many of the plays that we do, Wedding Album too is a light, comedic look at the assault of modernity on traditional ways of life.

- Basab Pradhan

Auditions for Wedding Album are on Feb 12th

Announcing Auditions for our next production:

WEDDING ALBUM
A play in English by Girish Karnad
Directed by Sindu Singh

Auditions will be held on Sunday, February 12th, 9 am onwards
in Fremont, CA. Please see the instructions below on how to sign up.

Roles Available

7 Female roles:
Vidula- 20s
Hema- 30s to early 40s
Mother-late 40s to early 60s
Radhabai- late 40s to early 60s
Pratibha Khan- 40s
Mira- late 30s to early 50s
Vatsala- late 40s to early 60s

9 Male roles:
Rohit- 20s to early 30s
Father- 50s to 60s
Ashwin- 20s to early 30s
Vivan- 13 to 16 years old
Mohan- late 30s to early 50s
Gopal- late 40s to early 60s
2 Hindu vigilantes- 20s
Internet cafe attendant- 20s

Instructions

Please fill out the Audition Form.  You will receive a confirmation email with a specific time-slot. Prepare a 2 minute monologue in English for the audition which shows a range of emotions and includes movement.

If shortlisted, you will be provided with sides from the play and called back the same afternoon. Rehearsals begin Thursday, February 16, 2015 and will be held in Fremont.

The performances dates are May 6th-13th at Sunnyvale Theatre, 550 E. Remington Ave., Sunnyvale, CA.

For questions, please email basab@bayareadrama.company

Join the Production Team!

There are multiple ways in which you can get involved with us and we would love for you to be a part of our production team. If you'd like to join us, please write to sindu@bayareadrama.company expressing your area of interest (stage management, sets, costumes, props, marketing, etc.)

A Seamless, Buttoned Up Production...

A tight, seamless, buttoned-up production...that's what our audiences are unanimously calling Free Outgoing.

It takes a team of dedicated crew members to make that happen. From when the lights go down on one scene to when they go up on the next, there is a lot of fast-paced, highly coordinated action. It involves our stage managers, run crew, costumes crew and actors backstage working together with the sound and light technicians in the A/V booth. The whole transition is completed in 30 seconds or less for every scene change in Free Outgoing. Audience members barely have time to breathe before they are immersed in the story again.

And then there are the other amazing volunteers that feed the cast and crew, serve as ushers and man ticketing and customer service. All in all, it takes a village to make our productions shine.

Come see the magic our rock star crew helps create in Free Outgoing. Last two shows this weekend!

Audiences Loved FREE OUTGOING

Free Outgoing premiered with a bang this past weekend with three fantastic shows. The audiences simply loved the play. Here are a few of the rave reviews we received...

“Fantastic play. I highly recommend that my local friends watch it. Especially with their teen kids. Very powerful acting by Sindu Singh. Great direction by Basab Pradhan. I’ve watched other plays by BAD company. They’ve outdone themselves with this one. ”

— Shailaja Venkatsubramanyan

“Wow, Sindu and Basab, what a show! Congratulations to you and the entire cast and crew. Indeed you guys set the bar very high for theatre productions. Apt theme, great acting and crisp direction made tonight’s show, Free Outgoing, theatre at its best. Awesome, guys! ”

— Harleen Singh

“Bay Area Drama Company is known for its thought provoking and intelligent productions. #FreeOutgoing was no exception. An extremely relevant play on today’s environment of social media and viral videos. Another riveting and sensitive performance by Sindu Singh!”

— Namrita Yuhanna

“Fabulous play! Awesome performance. Very tight and not a wasted moment. Congrats!”

— Ameeta Manjeshwar

“Another successful and meaningful production....It was a very uplifting and inspiring experience. A huge thank you to the magnificent director, cast and crew. #Anabsolutelyrivetingperformance.”

— Arpita Sikka

Two more shows next weekend!