February 15 – April 09, 2023. Soho Rep, New York City Written and Directed – Shayok Misha Chowdhury. Cultural Dramaturg – Sukanya Chakrabarti. Soho Rep Event Page Public Obscenities is a bilingual play from writer-director Shayok Misha Chowdhury about the things we see, the things we miss, and the things that turn us on. Public Obscenities is produced by Soho Repertory Theatre and the National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) through the NAATCO National Partnership Project. Reviews Juan A Ramirez, New York Times, Critic’s Pick Thom Geier, The Wrap Jishnu…
In-Between Worlds: Performing [as] Bauls in an Age of Extremism – Book Release
Written by Dr. Sukanya Chakrabarti. Published November 25, 2022 by Routledge. 248 Pages 39 B/W Illustrations Book Listing on Routledge website Book Description This book examines the performance of Bauls, ‘folk’ performers from Bengal, in the context of a rapidly globalizing Indian economy and against the backdrop of extreme nationalistic discourses. Recognizing their scope beyond the musical and cultural realm, Sukanya Chakrabarti engages in discussing the subversive and transformational potency of Bauls and their performances. In-Between Worlds argues that the Bauls through their musical, spiritual, and cultural performances offer ‘joy’…
Review of Indian Drama in English: The Beginnings
Asian Theatre Journal, Volume 39, Number 2, Fall 2022, pp. 428-432, Published by University of Hawai’i Press Dr. Chakrabarti reviews Ananda Lal’s Indian Drama in English: The Beginnings Excerpt: Ananda Lal’s Indian Drama in English: The Beginnings fills a critical lacuna in the study of Indian theatre history while offering insights into the complexities and challenges of archiving book history in an Indian postcolonial context, as Lal notes the “absence of a culture of methodical library acquisition” (p. 9) in his introduction. Contrary to what a disorganized and sparsely recorded…
NERVE
August 13 and 19, 2023. Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto. Written – Minita Gandhi. Directed – Kirsten Brandt. Dramaturg – Sukanya Chakrabarti. Theatre Works Event Page Jyoti, a recent widow with ailing health, finds the future of her well-being in her daughters’ hands. A multigenerational and multicultural journey that explores the love language of food, Nerve asks what our legacy is and that we truly leave behind. What is our value in the world when we are no longer of service to people? And what are the benefits and consequences…
Unearthed – Untold Stories from the Ramayana
April 22-23, 2022. ODC Theater, San Francisco Script – Sukanya Chakrabarti Direction – Amit Patel and Ishika Seth Unearthed Facebook Event Page “Unearthed” is a dance and music production that excavates the stories of forgotten voices in the Hindu epic, Ramayana. Bringing forth diverse perspectives, we examine these stories in a modern context, relating them to current social and political themes. Using the idiom of Indian Contemporary dance movement, music and narration, “Unearthed” brings together a stellar cast of South Asian artists, directed by Amit Patel & Ishika Seth. Dates:…