On Saturday night, while most Georgetown students were gearing up for yet another night of over-crowded, dimly-lit parties that could only end in beer stains and hangovers, they were missing a truly unique performance in the ICC Auditorium. ArthArts, a theater troupe dedicated to bringing South Asian and South Asian-American experiences to the stage, put on an enjoyable show called Shades of Brown. In fact, Shades of Brown, a series of eight short skits, had all the right touches of meaningful drama, irreverent comedy and genuine warmth of emotion.
The show opened with “Boom,” a scene written by Mrinalina Kamath (the only playwright of the evening from outside ArthArts), in which a newlywed American couple find themselves in bed at a relative’s home in India. In the course of their conversation, Sheela comes to realize with surprise and dismay that her husband, Ashok, despite his South Asian background, harbors his own prejudices about Indians and Indian-Americans. Aarish Gokaldas (SFS ‘02) was believable as Ashok, aptly presenting both the likable and contemptible sides of his character, and Pooja Sood (SFS ‘02), as Sheela, succeeded in eliciting both laughter and sympathy from the audience. Although both actors were awkward in some of their movements?a result of their preoccupation with the presence of an audience?their dynamic on stage was engaging.
This well-executed opening act was followed by a less satisfying performance called “The Journey,” written and performed by Kiran Ali, a sophomore from American University. Billed as “a young woman’s search for identity as a South Asian and a South Asian-American,” the skit was not successful in conveying these perspectives to the audience. Ali began her monologue at a very high level (perhaps because she was competing with a traditional dancer and singer in the background), and she failed to ever really bring it down. The result was not the realistic, fluid inner monologue that Ali must have been hoping to present. Nevertheless, she did leave the audience with a sense of conflict, which is a core characteristic of the search for an identity that is both South Asian and American.
One of the longer segments of the show, “Rest Here for a While,” was more successful in conveying the complexities of this identity conflict. Written by ArthArts founder Ambika Samarthya (SFS ‘00), this skit relates the encounters of two South Asian college students in America, both of whom at some point experience the painful accusation, “You’re not Indian.” The first, Devika, is startled when her father hangs up the phone on a boy with whom she was in the middle of a conversation. Her new manner of dress and new attitudes incite her parents to accuse her of becoming “one of them.” The other student, Nilesh, also finds himself the object of hurtful criticism. Nilesh’s “ghetto talk” with a friend prompts his roommate to say, “I thought you were Indian ? I meant on the inside.”
After two more incidents?one at a party where popular “Americanized” South Asian students reject Devika and Nilesh, another on the subway where an old Indian man disapproves of their physical closeness?Nilesh and Devika reflect on the contradictions inherent in their identities. In these artfully delivered monologues, they express exasperation at being held “too Indian” by some and “not Indian enough” by others. Arsalan Suleman (SFS ‘03) was endearing and believable as Nilesh, although he seemed more conscious of his audience than of the action in his scene. Maleeha Khan (CAS ‘03) added depth and humanity to the role of Devika, and her sense of the necessary divide between stage and audience was unmatched in this cast.
After two more heavy skits, the production offered a much-needed comic relief in the form of “Love Connection,” a South Asian spoof on the popular television show, in which a father and his two very different sons end up as the three contestants vying for the same woman. Written and directed by Vinoda Basnayake (MSB ‘03) and Suleman, the scene has very comical moments, but all in all is rather gratuitous. For the first time all evening, Shades of Brown was presenting caricatures instead of characters, which was disappointing, even for a humorous piece. Nevertheless, performances were strong all around, especially from Basnayake as the adorably nerdy older brother.
The show concluded with a moving and timely piece called “Inner Light,” written and directed by Suleman. In a short sequence of scenes, an American Muslim named Noor responds to the changes in her life after Sept. 11. At a campus party for the South Asian Society, Noor encounters anti-Muslim prejudice from a fellow South Asian student. Next, her Pakistani-born parents provide her with somewhat humorous but disturbingly realistic advice: “Just speak Spanish,” or in other words, “hide who you are.” Then, in class, her professor ignores her views on the terrorist attacks, and she is told by a fellow student to go back where she came from.
Finally, Noor concludes with a short, but poignant monologue in which she challenges the audience: “I am a Muslim, I am a Pakistani and I am an American. Do you feel my struggle?” Although the dialogue sometimes sounded like a term paper rather than a natural conversation, and although blocking tended to be awkward (especially in the classroom scene), the overall content of the script shone with honesty and emotion. The quality of the writing was finely augmented by Ami Mehta (SFS ‘05) in the role of Noor, whose performance was both polished and moving.
ArthArts is a new group, unaffiliated with the University but with strong Georgetown roots. In its past two performances, the troupe had no props, sound, lighting, set or scenic design. Although these technical aspects were still rough and limited in this production, the group is learning. Their progress in the last 18 months is impressive, and Shades of Brown was truly a fresh, emotional and entertaining theater experience. So if you were one of the thousands of Georgetown students who missed this production on Saturday night, ArthArts will be performing again on March 16 at the South Asian-American Theater Festival in Gaston Hall. It’ll be better than a kegger, and that’s a promise.
