ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

PROGRAM PART 1 12:00 PM

Seating

12:30 PM

Welcome Address

12:45 PM

Complaints From The Convention Of Famous Art

1:15 PM 2:00 PM

Emerging Artists' Program : Play-Writing Contest, Award Presentation

The Priest & The Prostitute 3:00 – 4:00 PM BREAK

PART 2 4:00 PM

Seating

4:30 PM

Musical Delight by ICS Theatre Musicians

5:00 PM

Bikhre Bimb

6:30 PM

Dance Like A Man

EMCEEs Bharat Gadhavi Priya N. Iyer Murtaza Sabir

MARKETING & PUBLICITY

TICKETING

Swagata Sengupta

Tasneem Sabir

PHOTOGRAPHY

VIDEOGRAPHY

Sanjeev Dixit

NBPAC

EVENT COORDINATOR Mazhar Sadikot

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

ABOUT ICS THEATRE ICS Theatre, a part of Indian Cultural Society, East Brunswick was established seven years ago. ICS Theatre has already staged several successful productions, from classics like Moliere's Tartuffe to one-act plays like It’s About Time, a theater workshop production of Twelve Incompetent Jurors to productions like The Masrayana,

Silence! The Court Is In Session, Chak De Chekhov!, Romance in the Garden, Rakt Phera and Chekhov Express. ICS Theatre has been fortunate to have worked under the guidance of renowned directors such as Dr. Farley Richmond and Mr. Mahesh Dattani. Our plays have been staged at several prestigious theater festivals like the South Asian Theater Festival in NJ and Ohio and Natya Darpan, NJ.

ICS THEATRE MISSION STATEMENT In the ever-changing theatrical landscape, ICS Theatre seeks to provide high-quality, entertaining and educational experiences to the local and global community. It is an inclusive theater group that is committed to broadening its reach and scope. ICS Theatre strives to offer a spectrum of theatrical activities like acting, play-writing, directing, music production, workshops, stagecraft technology, and backstage opportunities to all individuals and groups. For questions or inquiries email: [email protected] Follow us on Facebook @icstheatre and on YouTube - ICSTheatreNJ Visit our website: www.icstheatrenj.com

2021 PLANNING COMMITTEE Artistic Director Productions Marketing Finance Grants Information Technology

Barkha Kishnani Murtuza Sabir Swagata Sengupta Anil Joseph Priya N Iyer Sanjay Kripalani

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

A NOTE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Welcome to ICS Theatre Fest 2021. We are very excited to be back on stage. We have missed seeing and interacting with our audience and are grateful that we are able to be here in person again. ICS Theatre has had a busy year with multiple workshops, play readings, one virtual production for the pride month Do The Needful, a virtual Hindi play reading Raktbeej (a collaboration with Symphony and Pushkar Rangmanch, Pune), a debut director production The Throne with No Caste, multiple presentations at other theater festivals Mississauga Multilingual Fringe Festival, Crossroads Film Festival, Natya Darpan and at South Asian Theater Festival. This year we have launched our own interview series Center Stage. We also inaugurated our website recently. Please do visit and stay in touch with us at www.icstheatrenj.com It is now time to bring the year to an end on a high note with ICS Theatre Fest. This year we bring four plays to our audience. The first of our productions is the winning script of our Emerging Artists Program, a Play-writing Contest for East Brunswick High School students. The play Complaints from the Convention of Famous Art is written by Allison Lee and directed by Dr. Farley Richmond. The second production The Priest & The Prostitute is an encore of ICS Theatre's performance at Natya Darpan, NJ in October 2021. This is a witty one-act play adapted from a 7th century Sanskrit farce by King Mahendra Vikrama Pallava. This play is also directed by Dr. Farley Richmond. ICST is featuring two talented musicians in a Musical Delight; Aditya Datey and Vikram Kumar. Aditya is a veteran to ICST performances, with more than 5 shows under his belt, Vikram has been with ICS Theatre for nearly 4 years, providing us with his musical mastery.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

Bikhre Bimb is a Hindi translation of an award-winning Kannada play written by Girish Karnad. I have directed this play and I hope you enjoy it. The original play is a monologue but in the spirit of community theater, I have directed it to include more actors. Our final production of this year is Mr. Mahesh Dattani’s Dance Like A Man. We are fortunate to have Mr. Dattani direct this play in person and is also an encore for our festival. The ICS Theatre Fest is supported by a grant from Middlesex County’s Cultural and Art Trust Fund for which we are thankful. I would like to take the opportunity to personally thank the Planning Committee for ICS Theatre this year - Priya Iyer, Anil Joseph, Sanjay Kripalani, Murtuza Sabir and Swagata Sengupta. I also want to thank past committee members Debjani Banerjee, Gayatri Desai, Shailendra Khurana, Sanjay Kripalani and Mazhar Sadikot. ICS Theatre would not be reaching the heights it is today, if it wasn't for their hard work, dedication and foresight. I am thankful for the ICST volunteer community at large, too many to be named, without whose enthusiastic and generous support, we could not have achieved all that we have. Most importantly, we thank you, our audience and our sponsors, for your continued support of ICS Theatre and hope you enjoy all the productions.

Barkha Kishnani Artistic Director ICS Theatre

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

SPONSORS We would like to thank our sponsors for their generous financial donations. Madhuwanti Bhat Sharmila & Subir Ghoshal Barkha & Narendra Kishnani Mona & Sanjay Kripalani Meetup - Alpine Outdoors Hikers Group Jaya K Mirchandani Vanita & Ravi Nargund Tasneem & Murtuza Sabir Puneet Seth Swagata Sengupta & Gaurav Shah Priya N. Iyer & Nagaraj Swaminathan ICS Theatre thanks Vanita Nargund for sponsoring the cash award for the 2nd and 3rd Place Winners of the Emerging Artists’ Program - Play-writing Contest.

SUPPORTERS Our parent organization – Indian Cultural Sociery of East Brunswick Agraj Seva Kendra, NJ Dr. Farley Richmond Epic Actors' Workshop, NJ Mr. Mahesh Dattani Middlesex County Culture and Art Fund Natya Darpan, DC Natya Darpan, NJ Satrangi School of Fusion, Edison, NJ Sawitri Theatre Group, Ontario, Canada Spotlight, Columbus, Ohio

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

EMERGING ARTISTS' PROGRAM : Play-writing Contest 2021 Allison Lee Winner Allison is a currently a ninth grader in Churchill Junior High School. In addition to writing, Allison enjoys drawing and playing the violin and has performed at Carnegie Hall. She also has a black belt in Isshinryu Karate. She is very grateful to the ICS Theatre for providing such an amazing opportunity for young playwrights through the Emerging Artists Play-writing Contest.

KATELYN JEON 2nd-Place Winner Katelyn is a sophomore at East Brunswick High School. She loves working with kids and has taught ESL to students in China, academics to elementary students and dance at Berwin Art Education Center over the last 2 years. In her free time she enjoys dancing, playing different instruments, writing and baking.

Marco DeBellis 3rd place winner Marco is a senior and AP Scholar at East Brunswick High School. He has always valued the arts. He studied acting and musical theatre with Donna Vivino, played various roles with the Villagers Theatre and EBHS drama club, and is the publicist of EBHS International Thespian Society. He is president of EBHS Video Production Club, and has created his own independent short films. As a recipient of NJ State Seal of Biliteracy, he is president of the EBHS Italian Honors Society. Marco is a lettered varsity cross country runner and is a catechist

for

the

Confirmation

Bartholomew’s Church.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

Preparatory

class

at

St.

MARKETING & PUBLICITY Swagata Sengupta Swagata works in Project Management at an energy company in New Jersey and lives in Highland Park, NJ with her husband. She loves the performing arts - besides acting, she dabbles in singing and playing the keyboard. She is new to ICS Theatre, and is grateful for the numerous opportunities it has provided her to learn from stalwarts and develop as an actor. Swagata was raised primarily in Mumbai, but has also lived in other parts of India, as well as Africa, before moving to the United States over 10 years ago.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Sanjay Kripalani Sanjay is an Engineer by education and profession. ICS gave him an opportunity to get involved with theater and he is loving the experience. Sanjay has performed in multiple ICS Theatre productions directed by Dr. Farley Richmond and Mr. Mahesh Dattani. He was last seen on stage in Dragonfly's production of Death

in San Francisco directed by Catherine LaMoreaux. Sanjay has been part of ICS Theatre's technical crew during the pandemic.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

FLYER CREDITS Komal Mehra Komal is a self-taught artist, with a zeal to create life on canvas. Painting has been her hobby since childhood, now turning into her passion with each growing year. Color is one of the vital characteristics of her work, which adds perspective, contrasts and above all, elegance to her creations. Colored pencils, markers, brush pens are some of her favorite art mediums. Her aesthetic sense and the love for art have led her to the trail of graphic designing as well. Alongside, she pens down some poetry/stories and loves to sing. She has been participating in various art exhibitions and conducting some virtual art and craft sessions for kids as well as adults with some reputed organizations. ART PORTFOLIO: To see more of Komal’s art, checkout her Instagram account: fab_flair

PLAYBILL DESIGN Viraja Bantwal-Adur Viraja is a Home Science graduate who loves interior decorating and working with colors. She has been a part of ICS for the past 20 years. She has held positions of President, Vice President and Secretary within ICS since she joined the committee in 2000. She has designed and created ICS Annual Event Brochures for the past 5 years and enjoys every moment of it. She is married to a caring husband and has two beautiful adult daughters.

Playbill supported by Swapna Tengshe. Playbill Cover Photo credit: Nick Romanenko. Picture: New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. Dance Like a Man photo credit: ICST thanks Pinaki De for the design of the flyer and Penguin Random House India for their permission to use the design.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

DIRECTOR DR. FARLEY RICHMOND COMPLAINTS FROM THE CONVENTION OF FAMOUS ART AND THE PRIEST & THE PROSTITUTE Dr. Farley Richmond is a Professor in the Department of Theater and Film Studies at the University of Georgia, Athens. Over the years Dr. Richmond has directed numerous plays, both Indian and western. His ICS Theatre productions include Moliere’s Tartuffe, It’s About Time,

The House of Bernarda Alba and God of Carnage. For Epic Actors Workshop he has directed Girish Karnad's

Hayavadana at Crossroads Theatre, Tagore's Sacrifice (Bisarjan) in Kolkata and also performed in Shantinekatan, in New Delhi and at NJPAC. The classical Sanskrit play The

Little Clay Cart by King Sudraka was also performed at NJPAC. Dr. Richmond has also directed plays and musicals like Romeo and Juliet, The Fantasticks, Our Town and Noises

Off. All of the works garnered positive critical response. Dr. Richmond has had a long relationship with India. He has traveled to many parts of India on numerous occasions including leading faculty and student trips to study Indian art, theater and music. He continues to do research on Kutiyattam, the Sanskrit theater of Kerala, perhaps one of the oldest genre of theater that has survived from ancient India (see kutiyattam.wikispaces.com).

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

DIRECTOR MAHESH DATTANI

DANCE LIKE A MAN Mr. Mahesh Dattani is a renowned playwright, stage director, screenwriter and filmmaker. His works include Final Solutions,

Tara, A Collected Works, BriefCandle and Other Plays and most recently Me and My Plays published by Penguin. In 1998, Mr. Mahesh Dattani won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for his book Final Solutions and Other Plays, the highest award for literary work in India. Mr. Dattani is the first playwright, writing in English, to receive this award. Today his plays are produced in all the major cities of India. His works have been produced in cities outside India as well including London, Leicester, New York, Washington DC, Sydney, Colombo, Toronto and Dubai. Most notably, his play, Dance Like a Man, has completed 600 performances and continues to tour to date. He has written and directed, Mango Soufflé, a film that was adjudged best motion picture at the Barcelona Film Festival in 2003. His film Morning

Raga (for which he was writer and director) had its international premiere at the Cairo Film Festival where he won the award for best artistic contribution. Most recently he has directed his play, 30 Days in September, for Zee Theater Productions. That Mr. Dattani is a writer and director par excellence is no news, but for ICS Theatre he is family! He is a mentor and a guide. He has worked tirelessly with our group and helped us dream bigger and scale higher with every production.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

DIRECTOR BARKHA KISHNANI

BIKHRE BIMB Barkha Kishnani, a Realtor by profession, has a passion for the arts. She is the past-president of the Indian Cultural Society of East Brunswick (ICS) and has been with the organization since 2003. In 2014, Barkha Kishnani, along with the support of the ICS committee and a dedicated team, founded ICS Theatre. Barkha has experience in all aspects of theater, including coordinating theater festivals, managing sound and light, and working as a stage manager and assistant director in several productions. As one of the founders and organizer, she has been involved in every aspect of ICS Theatre from approaching and recruiting directors, script selection, conducting auditions, and actor training to the nuts and bolts of scheduling, scouting venues, and arranging travel, costumes, props, and musicians. She has worked with several esteemed directors such as Ms. Usha Ganguly, Dr. Mohan Agashe, Dr. Farley Richmond and Mr. Mahesh Dattani. Having the acumen to visualize a show from its conception to its final staging, Barkha is adept at converting the director’s vision into reality on stage.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

ICS THEATRE MUSICIANS

Aditya Datey (The Priest and the Prostitute, Bikhre Bimb) They all said "Poor Mrs. Datey, her son is such a good for nothing", "Get him into a job soon. Maybe delivering milk packets". And look at me now! Featuring prominently on page 3 (or is it 13?) of the ICS Theatre Fest Playbill. Contributing with music, acting, script and song writing for productions such as Masrayana, The Priest & The

Prostitute, Chak De Chekhov, Rakt Phera, Chekhov Express, Do The Needful. Hobnobbing with awesome directors like Mr. Mahesh Dattani and Dr. Farley Richmond. Take that Agarwal Aunty! What did your son do?

Vikram Kumar (The Priest & The Prostitute, Bikhre Bimb) Vikram is a self-taught musician in his spare time. He comes from an artistic family and plays numerous instruments. Apart from singing, he also writes and records his own music. He has been involved with ICS Theatre for over 4 years in various productions, composing music for and playing live on stage. Vikram's ICS Theatre credits include Rakt Phera, Chak De Chekhov and Park.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

COMPLAINTS FROM THE CONVENTION OF FAMOUS ART

Complaints from the Convention For Famous Art is the winning script of the “Emerging Artists’ Program - Play-writing Contest” that was held for East Brunswick High School Students. The winning script is being performed by students and is directed by Dr. Farley Richmond. SYNOPSIS: Welcome to the annual Convention for Famous Art, where some of the world’s most famous paintings gather to discuss how their lives have been for the past year. Paintings worth millions of dollars may appear to enjoy endless fame and fortune, but their lives are not nearly as glamorous as they seem. Overworked, underpaid, and abused by the Curator, they decide to take matters into their own hands and rebel.

THE PRIEST & THE PROSTITUTE

SYNOPSIS: What happens when a wandering mendicant and his undisciplined, hungry disciple encounter a beautiful courtesan and her frolicsome attendants in a lush pleasure garden? King Mahendra Vikrama Pallava's 7th century farce provides surprising answers to the age old question of the meaning of life and death. This is one of the few surviving Sanskrit plays that takes a comic approach to serious human dilemma. The work continues to be performed in the state of Kerala by kutiyattam actors of the world's oldest surviving genres of theater, according to UNESCO and has recently been adapted and interpreted by theater companies in urban India, as well as by educational theaters in the USA.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

BIKHRE BIMB Hindi (with English Supertitles)

SYNOPSIS:

Bikhre Bimb is a Hindi translation of the award-winning Kannada play, Odakalu Bimb by Girish Karnad. The play reveals the story of an unsuccessful Kannada writer who gains international recognition for her debut novel in English. A gripping plot that reflects uncomfortable relationships and human failings, Bikhre Bimb will leave the audience captivated.

DANCE LIKE A MAN

SYNOPSIS:

Dance Like A Man, written and directed by renowned playwright and Sahitya Akademi Award winner, Mr. Mahesh Dattani, is a poignant story that revolves around three generations and their conflicts, ambitions and gender roles. After running successfully in various parts of the world for over 20 years with over 600 shows, for the first time ever,

Dance Like a Man will be performed in New Jersey! The story line pivots on the strained relationship between Jairaj Parekh and his wife Ratna, both ageing Bharatanatyam dancers, framed by the age-old battle between traditional authority and youthful rebellion. When their daughter arranges to meet the boy she wants to marry, the fissures in the elderly couple's relationship come to the fore. As old wounds tear open again, both Jairaj and Ratna find that they must come to terms with their bitter past.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

COMPLAINTS FROM THE CONVENTION OF FAMOUS ART PLAYWRIGHT Allison Lee DIRECTOR Dr Farley Richmond STAGE MANAGER Poonam Tawney CAST (In alphabetical order) Dhruv Agrawal Rhea Alathur Ritvick Chawla Kshirin Deshmukh Rahi Dhopte Ila Ranade Aastha Sharma

Old Guitarist Museum Worker Son of Man Scream Mona Lisa Curator Girl with a Pearl Earring

CREW LIGHTS

Ashavari Bhattacharya

SOUND

Michael Vasquez

PROPS

Sri Alathur

SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER 1

Alyssa Gastelu

SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER 2

Rachel Disbrow

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

THE PRIEST & THE PROSTITUTE PLAYWRIGHT King Mahendra Vikrama Pallava DIRECTOR Dr. Farley Richmond STAGE MANAGER Anahita Mantri CAST (In alphabetical order) Niranjan Adur Arpana Bhattacharya Soumendu Bhattacharya Swapnil Dalvi Anil Joseph Gauri Kansara Amit Mantri Anahita Mantri Murtuza Sabir Seema Shahane

Yama Mother Priest Ramalika Attendant Latika Curtain Holder Nati & Madurika Manager / Curtain Holder Vasanti

Deep Sheth

Shaandilya

Arin Shome

Doctor

CREW Tabla Guitar

Aditya Datey Vikram Kumar

LIGHTS

Ashavari Bhattacharya

PROPS

Sri Alathur

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

BIKHRE BIMB PLAYWRIGHT Girish Karnad DIRECTOR Barkha Kishnani STAGE MANAGER Kamal Belihomji CAST (In alphabetical order) Madhuwanti Bhat Archana Bhatia Priya N. Iyer

Manjula Nayak TV announcer Bimb

Gauri Kansara

Dancer

Anahita Mantri

Dancer

Kinnary Patel Seema Shahane

Bimb Manjula Nayak

CREW SUPERTITLES CREATED & RUN BY SUPERTITLES' PROGRAM LIGHTS SET DESIGN / PROPS SOUND POEM ‘KOI MAN PAKHI TERA RE’ ADDITIONAL LYRICS COMPOSITION & VOCALS

Umesh Bhatia Prabir Mitra Dr. Manoj Shahane Sri Alathur Ashavari Bhattacharya Dr. Veerbala Aditya Datey Vikram Kumar

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

DANCE LIKE A MAN

PLAYWRIGHT & DIRECTOR Mahesh Dattani STAGE MANAGER Aditi Agrawal ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Poonam Tawney

CAST (In alphabetical order) Debjani Banerjee Anil Joseph Barkha Kishnani Murtuza Sabir

Lata / Younger Ratna Vishwas / Younger Jairaj Ratna Amritlal / Older Jairaj

CREW SOUND

William Anil Joseph

LIGHTS

Swapna Tengshe

MUSIC

Kumar Iyer

CHOREOGRAPHY SET DESIGN / PROPS

Nirupamaa Chandrasekaran Sri Alathur

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

COMPLAINTS FROM THE CONVENTION OF FAMOUS ART Emerging Artists' Program (EAP) Winning Script CAST Dhruv Agrawal Dhruv is in 10th grade and outside theater he loves playing video games and animation. He has been with ICS Theatre for the last year and half and has done a few play readings. He enjoyed working on the ICST website, as well as being one of the assistant stage managers & sound designer for the ICS production Do The Needful.

Rhea Alathur Rhea has been in performing arts since elementary school. Her stage experience includes acting, singing and dancing in school plays, musicals and amateur theater. Notably as Lord Farquaad in Shrek (on her knees to play that dwarf villain) and the Wicked Witch of The West in Wizard of Oz with her shrieking voice. Offstage she is a US Special Olympics gold medalist in gymnastics, a champion figure skater and a national level winner in cheerleading. Next she’s headed to the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando. She serves as a motivation to individuals with different abilities by sharing her secret of focusing on strengths and building on successes.

Ritvick Chawla Ritvick is in grade 10th. He is proud to be associated with ICS Theatre for the last couple of years and has been actively participating and assisting with theater related activities. Outside of theater he loves technology and social activities.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

COMPLAINTS FROM THE CONVENTION OF FAMOUS ART CAST (contd.) Kshirin Deshmukh Kshirin is in the tenth grade at East Brunswick Public High School. She has always been interested in acting and has participated in school and local theatre musicals before, as well as amateur plays for religious and cultural events. In addition to theater, she is passionate about art and music.

Rahi Dhopte Rahi is a sophomore in Northern Burlington Regional High School. She has participated in school plays and musicals, Indian classical dance prorated through story telling and acting. She likes to sing, dance, and act. She also loves going outside and getting physical activity as well as going to the beach, listening to music and baking / cooking.

Ila Ranade Ila is currently a sophomore in North Brunswick Township High School. Although she does not have any theater experience, she’s been interested in theater for many years. Her hobbies include art, Taekwondo, reading and hiking.

Aastha Sharma Aastha goes to Conackamack Middle school and is in 8th grade. She has played parts in school plays before. She likes reading Rick Riordan books and historical fiction. She also likes playing badminton and dancing.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

COMPLAINTS FROM THE CONVENTION OF FAMOUS ART CREW Ashavari Bhattacharya (EAP and Bikhre Bimb) Ashavari is part of the lighting crew, her first time with ICS Theatre. Previously, she had the privilege to stage manage with ICS Theatre for the show Do The Needful, directed by Mr. Mahesh Dattani. Her admiration for theater stems from being onstage and by being immersed in it by her family. She has previously performed and assisted in directing in past high school and community theater productions. When she is not spending her time in theater, Ashavari is studying in her second year at Rutgers University. She is very thankful to Mr. Dattani and Mrs. Barkha Kishnani for giving her the opportunity to explore other areas in theater! Sri Alathur (EAP & Bikhre Bimb & Dance Like A Man) Sri Alathur has been involved in the performing arts, both acting and production, since his school days. He started his journey with ICS Theatre with Romance in the Garden directed by Dr. Farley Richmond. Sri is the production designer for ICS Theatre and a few independent films as well. He is an ardent Star Wars fan, who fervently studies movie special effects as he believes they showcase the magic of creativity and technology. Michael Vasquez (SOUND) Michael Alexander Vasquez, 22, attends Rutgers University and is a part of the Mason Gross Performing Arts Program. His major is Theater but hopes to specialize in acting. His aim in the theater world is to make the huge screens and to give the people watching a time to let go of reality.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

THE PRIEST & THE PROSTITUTE

BIKHRE BIMB

DANCE LIKE A MAN

CAST Niranjan Adur (The Priest & The Prostitute) Niranjan is a fun loving outdoorsman with a loving wife and two caring daughters. He loves sailing, camping, water activities and some even consider him a workaholic! Niranjan took to acting to dare himself to be on stage and before he knew it, he had three productions under his belt. Nick was part of the 2015 ICS Theatre production of Its About Time directed by Dr. Farley Richmond. Nick has a lot of fun working with his talented fellow thespians. Debjani Banerjee (Dance Like A Man) Debjani has been a community theater actor with over 12 years of stage experience. She has taken extensive workshops in different acting techniques, dramaturgy and various aspects of stagecraft. This is her tenth play with ICS Theatre and sixth play under the direction of Mr. Mahesh Dattani. She feels blessed to have had this tremendous opportunity to work under him. Debjani is the ex-President of the Indian Cultural Society of East Brunswick (the parent organization of ICS Theatre) and has served on the Guidance team of ICS Theatre from 2014-2020. Debjani is a psychologist by training and works in the nonprofit sector.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

CAST (contd.)

Madhuwanti Bhat (Bikhre Bimb) Madhuwanti is a theater enthusiast and has performed in several plays at various prestigious festivals. She has also attended ICS Theatre workshops and play readings conducted by Dr. Farley Richmond and Mahesh Dattani. Her acting credits with ICS Theatre include God of Carnage and House of Bernarda Alba directed by Dr. Farley Richmond. Madhuwanti has been an emcee for shows and has also acted in movies including a short film Dubhang that won best debut film award at Nasik film festival and a Marathi film A Dot Com Mom directed by Dr. Meena Nerurkar. Madhuwanti recently won first prize in a monologue competition organized by Dramatech, USA for North American participants.

Archana Bhatia (Bikhre Bimb) Archana (Archie) is a licensed cosmetologist, skincare specialist, and a successful entrepreneur. During her downtime she enjoys making jewelry and loves spending time with her family and friends. Archana has performed in ICS Theatre's dramatized reading called

Raktbeej and is delighted to be making her debut on stage with Bikhre Bimb. Archana lives in New Jersey and hopes to keep participating in future ICST productions.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

CAST (contd.) Soumendu Bhattacharya (The Priest & The Prostitute) Soumendu, involved with theater since childhood, has recently performed in lead roles in God of Carnage, Curious Case of A Casual

Terrorist, Bhopal, Tagore’s Sacrifice, Little Clay Cart, Hayavadana, Pagla Ghora, Three-Penny Opera. He has worked with directors like Amol Palekar, Dr. Farley Richmond, Joanna Sherman, Usha Ganguli, Rudraprasad Sengupta, Mr. Mahesh Dattani, Meghnad Bhattacharya and well-known theater groups (Epic, ECTA, Bond Street Theater, Nandikar, Sayak). Soumendu has performed and directed plays at prestigious theater festivals in Southeast Asia and USA. He was an invited panelist at a theater symposium (Hunter College, NY). Soumendu has also acted in lead roles in few short film productions that were screened at various film festivals in US and Europe.

Arpana Bhattacharya (The Priest & The Prostitute) Arpana, a well-known actor in the tri-state area, has performed in India and US. She has performed in major roles in The Curious Case

of A Casual Terrorist, Bhopal, Hayavadana, Three-Penny Opera (Bengali adaptation), Chehre and Rudali. Arpana feels fortunate to have worked with notable directors like Dr. Farley Richmond, Joanna Sherman, Usha Ganguli and with reputed theater groups. Arpana has toured Southeast Asia on a few occasions to perform at prestigious theater festivals. Arpana has done play readings on radio networks, film script-reading in Sundance Film Festival 2006, NY and some TV commercials. Besides acting, she is also a talented singer and does stage craft, make up, costume design.

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CAST (contd.) Swapnil Dalvi (The Priest & The Prostitute) Swapnil is an ERP Financial IT consultant from Scotch Plains, NJ. He has participated in several local festivals like the Natya Darpan and has performed in multiple languages like Marathi, Hindi and English! Besides acting, he has composed music for plays. He has also given live performances singing with the harmonium and enjoys dancing.

Priya N. Iyer (Bikhre Bimb) Priya has performed in ICST’s virtual dramatized reading Raktbeej, and in several Reader’s Theatre with the group, Baithak. Priya has written and directed a virtual play The Throne with No Caste and has worked backstage on multiple ICST productions. She has also conducted several musical and poetry events. Priya dabbles in English and Hindi poetry, short fiction and essays. She has published her poems and short stories on online platforms. Priya lives in New Jersey, USA, and is a professor of economics at a state university.

Anil Joseph (Dance Like A Man, The Priest & The Prostitute) Anil is a New Jersey resident who is thrilled to get back on stage. A financial technologist in New York City, he is an accidental actor and a relative newcomer to the magical world of theater and acting. His theater credits include Tenali Raman, The Big Fat City, Park,

Chekhov Express, Death In San Francisco and Silence! The Court Is In Session. He is grateful to ICS Theatre for the opportunities it provides and he thanks his family for accommodating his craziness.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

CAST (contd.) Gauri Kansara (Bikhre Bimb, The Priest & The Prostitute) Gauri is an Ayurveda expert and a member of American Alternative Medical

Association

and

American

Association

of

Drugless

Practitioner. She is also a certified Yoga and Meditation instructor. Gauri is a Kathak teacher and a performing artist. She also writes Marathi poetry. She has also participated in several theatrical training workshops conducted by writer and director Mr. Mahesh Dattani. Some of the previous productions that featured her are :

The Big Fat City by Mr. Mahesh Dattani, Raktbeej (dramatized reading) and The Priest & The Prostitute , directed by Dr. Farley Richmond at Natya Darpan 2021.

Barkha Kishnani (Dance like a Man) Barkha, a Realtor by profession, has a passion for the arts. She is the past-president of the Indian Cultural Society of East Brunswick (ICS) and has been with the organization since 2003. In 2014, Barkha Kishnani, along with the support of the ICS committee and a dedicated team, founded ICS Theatre. As one of the founders and main organizer, she has been involved in every aspect of ICS theatre including coordinating theater festivals, stage management, script selection, actor training and has worked as an assistant director in several productions. She has worked with several esteemed directors such as Usha Ganguly, Dr. Mohan Agashe, Dr. Farley Richmond and Mr. Mahesh Dattani. Her more recent acting credits include roles in ICS Theatre Productions Rakt Phera and Tartuffe. She has also acted in eminent productions like Never Mind directed by Dr. Mohan Agashe, Bhopal directed by Joanna Sherman, The Little Clay Cart directed by Dr. Farley Richmond and Rudali, directed by Usha Ganguly.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

CAST (contd.) Anahita Mantri (Bikhre Bimb, The Priest & The Prostitute) Anahita is an architect by profession and a dancer and actor at heart. Her theater experience started with Satrangi School of Fusion where she performed the role of Zarine in 2016 and Meera in 2018 at their annual musical Manmohini. She then performed Amelia in ICS Theatre’s production of House of Bernarda Alba. Anahita has been a regular participant in readings organized by ICS Theatre, working with esteemed directors such as Dr. Farley Richmond and Mr. Mahesh Dattani. In the fall of 2020 she was cast in the role of ‘Anette’ in ICS Theatre’s production of God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza. Amit Mantri (The Priest & The Prostitute) Amit is an IT professional, with a flair for the performing arts. His theater experience started in 2016 with the role of Farhan in the musical Manmohini, a production of Satrangi School of Fusion, NJ. He then went on to perform the role of Raj in Manmohini sequel of 2018. Amit has been a regular participant as a dancer in several productions by Satrangi School of Fusion. After many years of enjoyment on the audience side, at NYC’s popular Broadway shows, he is starting to enjoy his “dabbling” on the other side of the theatrical experience.

Kinnary Patel (Bikhre Bimb) Kinnary has read stage directions for ICST Productions Raktbeej and

Defying Gravity. She writes shayari (Urdu Poetry) in her pastime. She is an avid reader and loves fiction. She lives in Princeton Junction and is a pharmacist at Clover Pharmacy and an immunization specialist.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

CAST (contd.) Murtuza Sabir (Dance like a Man, The Priest & The Prostitute) Murtuza is a Management Professional in the Healthcare industry. He resides in Cream Ridge, NJ with his wife and two boys. Since joining ICST in 2019, he has been involved in several productions. His love for the performing arts dates back 20 years when he started as a radio jockey for a local radio station. He entertained listeners in the tri-state area for 7 years. Seema Shahane (Bikhre Bimb, The Priest & The Prostitute) Seema is an occupational therapist from G.S. Medical College, Mumbai, India. She has tremendous passion for performing arts and enjoys dancing, emceeing shows and acting. She has participated in several Indian dance shows and competitions and is one of the founder members of the theater group Theatrix, NJ. She used to act in college back home and continued to pursue her passion here by participating in several productions by Theatrix and other production houses. She is a theater enthusiast who acts, does make up and is currently assistant director for a Marathi one act play. Seema is thankful to god and her friends & family for their undying support of her art and passion. Deep Sheth (Priest and the Prostitute) Hailing from Gujarat, India, Deep’s interest in the world of films was reflected in his hobbies from an early age. As a child artist, he worked in several Gujarati films and stage shows. Upon moving to The United States, Sheth pursued studies in Biological Sciences & Theater at Rutgers University. Some of his more renowned works include roles in Gujarati stage shows such as Dhumash and Madaari, short films such as

The Night of Godse on Nathuram Godse, ArdhSatya , Bollywood movie Padman, as well as the TV series Quantico Season 2 and 3 and Street Justice on Discovery channel. Furthermore, he holds the title of Mr. India USA 2017.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

CAST (contd.) Arin Shome (The Priest & The Prostitute) Born and raised in the showbiz capital of India - Mumbai - Arin was bitten by the acting bug early, although he didn’t start performing till much later. He started out hanging around theaters and assisting with backstage tasks for theater groups. After receiving training via several acting workshops, Arin has been performing on stage now for several years. He has performed at various theater festivals and competitions, starred in few short films, music videos and Indian TV shows. Arin also pursues his linguistic passion by translating scripts, performing voice-overs and dubbing for movies, commercials and documentaries. Arin is an IT professional serving corporate America in the field of Systems/ Network management.

STAGE MANAGERS

COMPLAINTS OF THE CONVENTION OF FAMOUS ART Poonam Tawney Poonam is a resident of Monroe township. She has always been passionate about all things related to art - starting from painting and designing to fashion & lifestyle. She has an eye for finding beauty within the simplest forms of things and showcasing it at its best form. Poonam was a part of ICS Theatre’s productions of Rakt Phera (2018) and Chekhov Express (2019) as the Assistant Stage Manager/ Costumes. The theater bug has bitten her too and she is back with ICS Theatre Fest this year.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

STAGE MANAGERS (contd.) THE PRIEST & THE PROSTITUTE Anahita Mantri Anahita is an architect by profession, and a dancer and actor at heart. Her theater experience started with Satrangi school of fusion where she performed the role of Zarine in 2016 and Meera in 2018 at their annual musical Manmohini. She then performed Amelia in ICS Theatre’s production of House of Bernarda Alba. Anahita has been a regular participant in readings organized by ICS Theatre, working with esteemed directors such as Dr. Farley Richmond and Mahesh Dattani. In the fall of 2020 she was cast in the role of ‘Anette’ in ICS Theatre’s production of God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza.

BIKHRE BIMB Kamal Belihomji Kamal is a teacher by profession and a Dancer at heart. Dancing started as a passion and soon turned into purpose. To her "Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts". She has been a dancer, a performer and lead choreographer with Satrangi School Of Fusion for the past 7 years. Her mantra “Learning never

stops”

has

steered

her

towards

learning

many

different/complex styles of dance with different choreographers, each with their own unique style. As a choreographer/ performer she aspires to create beautiful pieces expressing ideas and stories through dance. In addition to dancing, her theater experience includes playing the role of Zoya in the musical Manmohini.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

STAGE MANAGERS (contd.) DANCE LIKE A MAN Aditi Agrawal Aditi is a home maker and mother of two handsome, intelligent and loving boys. She has always been inclined towards all forms of art -be it painting, music, dance, theater or culinary experiments in the kitchen. Currently she is learning Hindustani classical vocal music and exploring her deep interest in theatre. She has been connected with ICS Theatre for the past few years and has done one play with Dr. Farley and a few play readings in both English and Hindi. As the stage manager for the play Dance Like A Man, she is involved in coordinating efforts across the actors, musicians, back stage crew and the director to ensure that the play delivers the impact and director’s vision.

CREW

Umesh Bhatia (Bikhre Bimb) Umesh is an accomplished Franchising and IT Entrepreneur and angel investor. For 33+ years, he has successfully developed franchising and information technology businesses in the USA, the UK, India, China, Japan and the Middle East. He is an active angel investor and a mentor to multiple startups. He is a long time meditation practitioner and provides workshops and training to groups throughout North America and internationally where he connects meditation and spiritual development to important aspects of our daily lives. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and together they have raised two adult children.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

CREW (contd.) Nirupamaa Chandrasekaran (Dance like a Man) Nirupamaa is a Doctor Of Homeopathy (India) and a passionate Bharatanatyam Dancer, Teacher and Choreographer. She holds a Masters's Degree In Bharatanatyam and has been awarded the title of Nritya Shiksha Choodamani for demonstrating exceptional skills in teaching students the rich art of Bharatanatyam. She is the Founder-Director Of the Award-winning Sriyam Institute of Indian Dance, Music and Culture that imparts intensive training in the classical art form of Bharatanatyam, Classical music and Yoga to students of all ages. She is also adept at playing the Nattuvangam and possesses the rare talent of singing and doing nattuvangam for her students’ performances. This ancient classical dance form has now become her first love and profession.

Kumar Iyer (Dance like a Man) Kumar Iyer started his formal classical training from Sri Ashok Subramaniam ( Bay Area, CA). Kumar Iyer’s style of rendition is rich in Bhakti bhava and melody with a voice that resonates and evokes devotion. He has performed several concerts in the New England and Washington DC areas including Youth Entrepreneurship & Sustainability (Lexington, MA) and the Indo American Association of Carnatic Music (Chantilly, VA), Iasianewsmusic (Dallas, TX) Sankara Netralya, and Rajalakshmi Gyan Kendra (New Delhi). On the professional side, Kumar holds a doctoral degree and heads Research & Development for a big pharmaceutical company. He lives in Potomac MD with his wife and 2 children.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

CREW (contd.) William Anil Joseph (Dance like a Man) William is a high school senior who recently discovered his appreciation for theater and film. He has been part of the technical crew of in person and virtual productions including Chekhov Express & The Big Fat City , both directed by Mr. Mahesh Dattani, and The

House of Bernarda Alba directed by Dr. Farley Richmond. His technical experience also includes multiple short films. He is proud to be associated with ICS Theatre and is enjoying working in and learning from Dance Like A Man. Dr. Manoj Shahane (Bikhre Bimb) Dr. Manoj, a founder member of Theatrix USA has been very active in New Jersey Theater for the last two decades. He has experience with all stages of theater: script writing and adaptations, acting, directing, lighting, set design, music and productions to his credit. He was nationally recognized as Best Director for his contemporary direction for his one act play Muktidham. He also won best one act play award in New Jersey for Pavsatla Pavhana. Four Walls an original english script was showcased to rave reviews at South Asian Theater Festival in NJ. His brand new Marathi script Self-less was showcased at Natya Darpan 2021 with rave reviews . Swapna Tengshe (Dance like a Man, PlayBill Support) Swapna has participated in several online play readings conducted by ICS Theatre. She has also worked as part of the backstage crew for one of the productions. She is very happy to get the opportunity to be part of ICS Theatre family and is looking forward to getting involved in more theater activities.

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

ICS THEATRE FEST 2021

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