“A Nice Indian Boy,” written by Madhuri Shekar and directed by Snehal Desai, will have its world premiere at East West Players, 120 N. Judge John Aiso St. in Little Tokyo, from Feb. 20 to March 23.
The Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage has been decided, and this play — the second-place winner of the EWP Face of the Future Playwriting Competition — is timely in continuing the discussion.
In this comedy about love and marriage, Naveen Gavaskar (played by Andy Gala) and Keshav Kurundkar (Christian Durso) share all things Indian – from the Hindi language to the difficulty of being gay in Indian culture. Keshav, however, is adopted by Indian parents…and Caucasian.
The play also stars Rachna Khatau Megha Gavaskar, Mouzan Makkar as Arundhati Gavaskar, and Anjul Nigam as Archit Gavaskar.
“Madhuri is one of our bright young playwrights of the future, having two openings in the same month — the other, ‘Love and Warcraft,’ is opening at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta,” says Tim Dang, EWP producing artistic director. “EWP is proud to be part of the movement sweeping America fostering the dialogue for same sex marriage. Of note in our production is the intersection of culture, race, generations and gender in this comedy about love and marriage in 2014.”
The production team includes set designer Kaitlyn Pietras, lighting designer Wen-Ling Liao, costume designer EB Brooks, sound designer Veronika Vorel, and stage manager Sarah Joynt Borger.
Previews are Thursday, Feb. 20; Friday, Feb. 21; and Saturday, Feb. 22, all at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 23, at 2 p.m. All preview seats are $21.
Regular showtimes are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. (balcony $26, orchestra $31); Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. (balcony $31, orchestra $36); Sundays at 2 p.m. (balcony $31, orchestra $36).
Seniors and students get $5 off regular ticket prices. Group rates are available for 10 or more. Contact Krystel Gapasin at kgapasin@eastwestplayers.org or call (213) 625-7000, ext. 10 for details.
A ticket to opening night on Wednesday, Feb. 26, includes a 7 p.m. pre-performance cocktail reception and a post-show reception with the cast and creative team. Call EWP for ticket prices and availability.
There will be a pay-what-you-can performance on Thursday, Feb. 27.
Southern California Edison Community Night is on Wednesday, March 5.
On Sunday, March 9, a chat with the performers and creative team immediately follows the show.
A complimentary glass of red or white wine will be served before the Friday shows during the regular performance run. Interested parties must be 21 years of age or older to drink.
Presented with support from the S. Mark Taper Foundation Endowment for East West Players, in association with the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and in community partnership with API Equality and Satrang.
For information and reservations, call (213) 625-7000 or visit www.eastwestplayers.org.