Not all engagement parties end with Donald Trump winning the US elections and becoming the President of America. But the engagement referred to in this play, The Costume Party, is a memorable one. It will also be an unforgettable event for the audience. Written by Dr GK Jayaram, playwright and managing trustee, Kasturi Trust and directed by Ashish Sen, the play is set in the US on the evening of November 8, 2016, the day Trump was elected as the US President.
“The play is set in the house of an Indian immigrant who is a successful entrepreneur running South Indian restaurants in the US. It’s his birthday and the day of his son’s engagement party. His son’s fiance is a Jewish American girl. It’s a happy occasion, but a series of conversations and incidents take place that disrupt the evening,” says Ashish. While he further explains the premise of the play, it’s interesting to note that members of both families, particularly the women, are rooting for Hilary Clinton.
In addition to the families, there are also friends from the Muslim and African-American community at the celebration. But when the results are announced and conversations take an ugly turn, prejudices come out in the open. “The play deals with fundamental questions — the issues of identity, what is home and where is home — which are also being raised here in India,” says Ashish.
Calling out
The play explores the issues of immigrants in America, which are akin to issues faced by immigrants elsewhere in the world. Jayaram, who debuts as a playwright with this play, says the story is based on his personal experiences in the US, where he has spent a significant part of his life. “My understanding of American culture is quite deep and therefore, I set the play in Brooklyn,” he says. Talking about the play and what unfolds, he explains, “Just to make the celebration more exciting, the children of both families decide to ask everyone to come dressed as their ancestors from two centuries earlier.”
Ashish says they have tried to keep the characters as real and believable as possible, and have treated the subject credibly and sincerely. The cast includes names such as Kinjal Majumdar, Shiv Kumar, Munira Sen, Manosh ‘Sputnique’ Sengupta, Urvashi Goverdhan, Madhavi Sahu, Pratima Mishra, Rajiv Naresh, Anil Abraham and Mohan Ram. The funds raised from the show will be used by Kasturi Trust to run five schools for the under-privileged children who have been adopted by the trust.
Rs 200. April 18 & 19. At Ranga Shankara, JP Nagar.
ayeshatabassum@newindianexpress.com
@aishatax