Pratidhwani, ReAct and ACTs CHL Present MOTHER IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE By Taniya Hossain
General
Author : Pratidhwani
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World premiere of a new play jointly presented runs Feb 18th Mar 06, 2011.
Seattle, WA Feb 10, 2011 -ReAct Theatre - a company that strives to produce quality theatrical
entertainment using primarily multi-ethnic and non-traditional casting, and Pratidhwani - a Seattle area based organization of South Asian performing artists - will present MOTHER IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE, a play in English by Taniya Hossain, in collaboration with ACT Theatres Central Heating Lab. The production will run February 18th through March 06th in ACTs Bullitt Cabaret, with performances at 8:00PM Thursday through Saturday and 2:00PM Sunday matinees.
Mother in Another Language is a multicultural comedy that explores the challenges faced by two people from different backgrounds who find themselves in love with each other. When Tarak, a Bengali expatriate, and Karen, an American, decide to get married, they know they''re in for some cultural difficulties. But when Tarak buys them a brownstone and asks permission to move his mother into the basement apartment, Karen knows she's getting more than she bargained for. Things get even more interesting when Karen's mother shows up and brings her own splash of cultural diversity to the mix!
This production is a collaborative effort between three local theatre companies in Seattle. Pratidhwani had presented this script as a staged reading in 2009 to a small but mixed audience at a fundraiser event. During this event it became evident that this play is just as much a South Asian story as it is an American story, and as such, must be told to a mixed audience for maximum enjoyment. Agastya Kohli co-director
of Mother and lead of Pratidhwanis Drama Wing explains, while contemplating a full production of this play, I shared it with David Hsieh, artistic director of ReAct, and proposed we stage it together. I also approached ACT Theatreas CHL program to see if we could partner with them too. Not surprisingly, both David and ACT liked the idea. A joint production will attract a much more diverse audience than any one group could manage on its own."
This production represents the biggest exposure local South Asian theatre has had in the mainstream theatre universe of Seattle. Pratidhwani has been producing quality theatre shows since 2005 and has developed quite a reputation and a following within the Indian community, the rest of Seattle however
remains mostly unaware of this vibrant cultural organization that produces between 10 to 15 shows a year including South Asian dance, music, and of course theater.
ReAct is celebrating its 19th season this year and continues to give theatre artists of all backgrounds and skill-levels the opportunity to work together on mainstream projects that they might not normally have access to due to race, sex, age, or experience.
Supported by ACTs Central Heating Lab, these two companies are bringing some very familiar and some
brand new faces to the stage in Bullitt. Mother in Another Language stars Angela DiMarco (nominated for TPS" 2010 Gregory Award in the McPerson to Watch" category), Robert Pillitteri, Meenakshi Rishi, Bikas Saha, Walayn Sharples and Nitya Venkateswaran. The play is directed by David Hsieh and Agastya Kohli. Set designed by Katie Hansen, and Lighting designed by Steve Cooper.
Tickets: Available online at http://www.acttheatre.org/Shows/OnStage/MotherInAnotherLanguage.
Adults: $15
Students: $12
Children 17 & Under: $12
Seniors 65+: $12
Groups (10 or more): $12 per person (available through the Ticket Office only, (206) 292-7676)
For more information, visit Pratidhwani"s website at http://www.pratidhwani.org/mother or ReAct"s website at http://www.reacttheatre.org
About Pratidhwani
Pratidhwani is a non-profit cultural organization based in the Seattle area. We are, at our core, a group of professionals of Indian heritage, who are extremely enthusiastic and passionate about the artistic traditions of our homeland. The main objective of the organization is the promotion and cultivation of the performing arts of the Indian subcontinent. Recognizing that the performing arts of India encompass a
vast and varied number of styles, genres and traditions, different wings of the organization provide a platform for as many art forms as we can.
About ReAct
The Repertory Actors Theatre strives to produce quality theatrical entertainment using primarily multi-ethnic and non-traditional casting. Our primary goals are to give theatre artists of all backgrounds and skill-levels the opportunity to work together on mainstream projects that they might not normally have access to due to race, sex, age, or experience; use our productions to help raise awareness, supplies and financial support for humanitarian and theatre-related charities and organizations; and develop in the
general public, an increased appreciation for the diversity of the dramatic and performing arts.
About the Author
Taniya Hossain"s plays have been seen at The Fountain Theater in Los Angeles; in New York at the Lark Play Development Center, Salaam Theatre, New Perspectives Theatre, Brooklyn Lyceum, The Looking Glass and Westbeth Theatre Center; City Theater in Pittsburgh (her play Haunted received Honorable Mention in the Pittsburgh New Works Festival); Chance Theatre in Anaheim; Chicago Dramatist Workshop, Bailiwick Arts Center and Famous Door Theatre in Chicago; the Last Frontier Theatre Conference in Valdez, AK; and Two Tree Theater in Vancouver, BC. She was a Disney Screenwriting Fellow and went on to write for the Disney Channel animated show The Replacements. She was awarded the Sloan Foundation Grant twice for her screenplays The Speed of Light and Chemistry Set, and her teleplay, "Sip Off the Old Block," won the 2003 Prism GenerationNext Fellowship. She received her MFA in Dramatic Writing at NYU"s Tisch School of the Arts and served as an instructor for NYU"s Expository
Writing Program.
Website: http://www.pratidhwani.org/mother
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