There have been a lot of co-productions in #TCTheater lately (which is a great way to share resources and audiences, and support the work of other companies), but this might be the first co-co-production. Not one, not two, but three theater companies have joined forces to bring this engaging new play to life on Lyric Arts' stage. Exposed Brick Theatre supplied the playwright and director (co-Artistic Directors Aamera Siddiqui and Suzy Messerole), South Asian Arts and Theater House (SAATH) provided some of the cast members and the connection to the local South Asian community, with Lyric supplying production and design resources. And probably countless other ways that the three companies contributed and shared duties. Judging by the final product, it's a beautiful partnership.
Log Kya Kahenga (which means "what will people say?" in Hindi or Urdu, two related languages of South Asia) tells the story of a family dealing with grief, loss, change, mental health challenges, and societal and parental pressure. It's a story specific to the South Asian community, but universal in these themes.
The short run continues for two more weekends only at Lyric Arts in Anoka.
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sisters Sonia (Amirah Mahmood) and Sara (Ankita Ashrit)
with Iyla (Divya Maiya, photo by Molly Weibel) |
Log Kya Kahenga tells the story of the Khan family over one year, immigrant parents Aasiya (Sayali Amarapurkar) and Omar (Madhu Bangalore) and their daughters Sofia (Amirah Mahmood) and Sara (Ankita Ashrit). We begin on New Year's Eve, with a surprise proposal from Sofia's longtime boyfriend Nayil (Jonathan Feld), his mother Asma (Manju Nayar) of course also in attendance, along with Sofia's BFF Iyla (Divya Maiya). Sofia, however, doesn't seem quite as excited as everyone else about the engagement. She's also pressured to take the job she was offered as an administrator at Very Prestigious Hospital, reluctantly leaving a job she likes at Low Status Women's Clinic (the playwright cleverly uses descriptive titles like this to show us clearly what the family thinks of things). The new job is stressful, and it soon becomes obvious that she's a token diversity hire in order to make the hospital look good (Lauren Rae Anderson and Leif Jurgensen playing some pretty unlikable colleagues), without making any real changes that would actually help patients and employees. Meanwhile Sara is secretly studying to be a chef, afraid to disappoint her parents, a struggle photographer Iyla also faces. A crisis at Sofia's job puts things into perspective, and she finally breaks under the pressure of everyone else (her parents, her fiancé, her boss) trying to "curate her life." The family needs to find a way to finally speak about the unspoken tragedy, so that they can heal, and Sofia can start living her own life. We end where we began - New Year's Eve - with everyone in a better and more honest place.
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| photo by Molly Weibel |
The Khan family home is represented on stage with a modern yet cozy design, living room in the forefront and a kitchen set behind it. Modern abstract panels are more than just the backdrop; they slide open to reveal another space behind, where we see other locations like the hospital and the newly engaged couple's condo. Costumes include gorgeous traditional Indian garments, as well as chic modern clothing. Between scenes, cute and colorful cartoons are displayed on screens that illustrate the not always pleasant conversations and gossip amongst family and friends. (Scenic design by Michaela Lochen, costume design by Samantha Fromm Haddow, illustrations by Layla Curley.)
Everyone in this cast creates endearing characters, even if you don't always agree with their choices, words, or actions. The family feels very relatable and sweet, obviously loving and supportive even if they don't always know the best way to go about it. In ways that I won't go into here, the play delves into issues of the stigma around mental health, which is present in all cultures but more so in some, like the South Asian culture represented here. The play also speaks to the generational divide between immigrant parents who sacrificed everything to give their children a better life and opportunities (and constantly remind them of that), and the first generation American children who feel that pressure, but might want a life different than what their parents (and neighbors and aunties) envision for them.
Lyric Arts doesn't often do new work, so I applaud them for bringing this new play to their stage that represents voices we don't often hear in theater. The playwright and cast authentically represent a culture, a community, a family, in a way that's engaging and relatable. Oh, and because this is
SAATH, there's even a little Bollywood dancing to send us out on a happy note.
