"Log Kya Kahenge (what will people say?)" at Lyric Arts, a co-production with Exposed Brick Theatre and South Asian Arts and Theater House

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.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "My Kahaani"

Location: Nightly Fringe (Aug. 1)

Length: 30 Minutes

Title: My Kahaani

By: SAATH

Summary: Storytelling by South Asian artists about immigration, home, childhood, and growing up.

Highlights: South Asian Arts and Theater House (SAATH), formerly known as the Bollywood Dance Scene, is a Minnesota Fringe success story. After doing their first Bollywood dance musical show in 2014, they became one of the most popular Fringe groups in history, formed a non-profit, and now support and produce South Asian arts all over town (including Bollywood dance workout videos on their YouTube channel which I'm totally going to check out). This live show was hosted by co-founder and Executive Director Divya Maiya and featured recordings of excerpts from two past Fringe shows. One was a story called "Crushed," about a young boy's love of cable TV, and eventually girls. The other was a story called "Home," about an immigrant missing his original home, and finding a sense of home where he is now (a story with extra poignancy once Divya reveals what happened after the performance). This is a great example of why we need Fringe, to help promote the voices of artists we often don't hear, and give them the tools to flourish on their own, as SAATH has done. I missed the live broadcast last night but was able to watch it this morning, using the link at the bottom of the Nightly Fringe page.

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.