The Sitayana
(Or, "How To Make An Exit")
BY LAVINA JADHWANI
Co-Produced by Sanguine Theatre Company & Waves Of Love, LLC
Approved Equity Showcase
ABOUT THE PLAY
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic that follows Prince Rama’s quest to rescue his beloved wife Sita from the clutches of Ravana with the help of an army of monkeys. It is traditionally attributed to the authorship of the sage Valmiki and dated to around 500 BCE to 100 BCE.
Comprising 24,000 verses in seven cantos, the epic contains the teachings of the very ancient Hindu sages. One of the most important literary works of ancient India, it has greatly influenced art and culture in the Indian subcontinent and South East Asia, with versions of the story also appearing in the Buddhist canon from a very early date. The story of Rama has constantly been retold in poetic and dramatic versions by some of India’s greatest writers and also in narrative sculptures on temple walls. It is one of the staples of later dramatic traditions, re-enacted in dance-dramas, village theatre, shadow-puppet theatre and the annual Ram-lila (Rama-play), which is performed at the Autumn festival of Dassehra (this year, it’s on Oct 5!) to celebrate with Rama and Sita the eventual triumph of light over darkness. (The British Library Online Gallery)
FROM OUR DIRECTOR, SARAH SHIN
Wow. Hello. We made it. And we’ve been waiting for you. Kendra and I first came across this play in September 2018, when our friend Micah suggested Kendra read an excerpt of it for Asian American Theatre Artists of Boston’s first social event. Three months later, we presented a staged reading of the play in a Boston University black box theatre, begging our teachers to keep their lights hung and risers set up to make it happen. It was a magical night, but we knew we weren’t finished yet. Fast forward to July 2022, where the conversations began again, and by the power of our love and dedication for each other and this story, we are here today to share this story with you – a story you may not have seen before, or heard of in this exact way, but a story you will definitely know and understand. Even after today, we still won’t be done telling Sita’s story. I hope you enjoy the show.
creative Team
Lavina Jadhwani – Playwright
Lavina Jadhwani is a Chicago-based director, adaptor, and activist. She gravitates towards heightened language texts from Eastern and Western canons. Her adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol premiered at the Guthrie in Minneapolis in 2021 and will remain on the boards for years to come. Other plays include Shakuntala (Goodman Theatre — FutureLabs), The Secret Garden (Cunningham Commission, The Theatre School at DePaul University), and The Sitayana (EastWest Players/EnActe Arts/Hypokrit Productions). She also has translations of four Chekhov plays (Uncle Vanya, The Cherry Orchard, Three Sisters, and The Seagull) available. Her critical writing has been featured on HowlRound and Rescripted and is regularly circulated in classrooms across the country.
Learn more at lavinajadhwani.com
Kendra Jain – Sita
Kendra first met this play when Sarah Shin introduced it to her while they were in college. Instantly when she read it, she got that weird, rare tingling feeling in her stomach and she knew she had to do this play one day. Kendra has appeared off-broadway in A Room of My Own (Abingdon Theatre Company) and Facebook Me: The Play (DR2). Regionally, Kendra was last seen in “Particularly in the Heartland” at the Berkshire Fringe Festival. Kendra was a series regular on the TV pilots “Downwardly Mobile” (NBC) and “Funny in Farsi” (ABC). She can also bee seen in “Over/Under” (USA), “Law and Order: SVU” (NBC), and “Lies in Plain sight” (LMN). On film, Kendra has appeared in On the Wing, Our Boys, and New Year’s Eve. Biggest thank you to Ellen and Rachel for supporting me for over a decade. Training: Boston University School of Theatre, Kristin Linklater Voice Centre. Kendra is also a proud Designated Linklater Teacher Trainee. This is for you, Dad <3.
**This actor appears courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association**
Sarah Shin – Director
Sarah Shin (she/her/hers) is a Schwenksville-raised, Boston-trained, Brooklyn-based Queer Korean American director theatre artist that believes theatre to be a celebration of life and its infinite and abundant possibilities. Recent Directing Credits: The Cradle Will Rock (Concord Academy), Manuka (Youngbloods @ Ensemble Studio Theatre). Upcoming: The Chinese Lady (Central Square Theater, Boston Premiere). Associate/Assistant Credits: Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare & Company), The (Diana) Oh Family Concert (Zanni Productions/PBS All Arts), Endlings (NYTW), Moby Dick (ART), Twelfth Night (Catskill Mountain Shakespeare) and MY H8 Letter 2 The Gr8 American Theatre (Ma-Yi/The Public Theater). Select performing credits include The Gift Project Documentary Series & Concert (All For One Theater/Zanni Productions/PBS All Arts), Specially Processed American Me (BRICLab, Ping Chong & Co./Dixon Place/Free Rein Projects). Co-Founding Producing Director of Asian American Theatre Artists of Boston, A4 Virtual Resident Artist (2020-2021), National Queer Theatre Artistic Collective Member (2021-2022), Roundabout Directors Group Cohort 4 Member, and Sanguine Theatre Company Associate Artist! BFA Theatre Arts Boston University www.sarah-shin.com IG: @shinnysarah
Sean Perreira – Co-Production Designer
Sean Perreira is an art director and multimedia image maker with a background in theatre, film/ tv development, production and branding design. Sean views image making as a tool to establish unity among collaborators and viewers, especially in the more transformative scope of storytelling. Some of his experience includes production design for Miguel (Funeral, music video), assistant props for Bad Bunny (2020-2021 wide content releases), editorial art direction for Dorian Electra (My Agenda world tour content), Production design for ‘Laughs in Spanish’ at the Boston Playwrights theatre, and branding for the Miami Beach Bandshell and Rhythm Foundation of South Florida. Sean is a graduate of the Boston University CFA school of theatre, BFA Theatre Arts (2019). Currently based in New York City.
Cordie Hirsch – Co-Production Designer
Cordie Hirsch tells stories through performance, eco-conscious clothing creation, production design, and writing. They had the honor to scenic design Sitayana before with Kendra and Sarah at Boston University. She is thrilled that we are all here together gathering to hear this story again, hopefully many times more! For upcoming projects: @cordulaismygreatauntsname @hausofhirsch @a_yarn.film
Bea Perez-Arche – Stage Manager
Bea Perez-Arche is a Cuban American Theatre Artist, originally from Miami and currently based in New York City. Her passion for storytelling has led her to pursue playwrighting, directing and stand-up comedy, while the joy she finds in production has led her to work as a stage manager. She has primarily worked at The Public Theater on the New York Shakespeare Festival, Under The Radar Theatre Festival and with the Hunts Point Children’s Alliance. She has also worked at a range of companies including, Tectonic Theater Project, Women’s Project Theater, Little Island, Chelsea Factory and Boston Playwrights Theater. She received her BFA in Theater Arts: Design & Production from Boston University. She focuses her work on creating community in the rehearsal room and currently freelances as a Stage Manager and dramaturg.
Founded in 2010, Sanguine Theatre Company is a new-work laboratory that dismantles barriers for emerging artists. We create communal, collaborative processes and rehearsal rooms dedicated to artistic joy. Sanguine sees a world where any artist, regardless of background, class, race, gender, age, or education has the ability to professionally introduce themselves to the theatre industry and exercise their artistic voice in a fully supported container.
In recent years, we’ve expanded our programming to include more robust new play development workshop offerings, an open play submission process, and a virtual education series catered to managing the practical business aspects of a career in the arts. We practice a unique model of horizontal leadership by balancing our decision-making across our Board of Directors, Core Administrative Team, and Associate Artist community.
Our core team
Sarah Boess
She / Her
Max Mooney
He/Him, She/Her
Jack Lavey
He / Him
Honey Ferhat
She / Her
Our board of directors
Jillian Robertson, Co-Board Chair
Anna Fearheiley
Ken Sims
Emily Tiernan
Eric Tam
Our associate artists
Katherin Behena-Benitez
Nia Banks
Amara Brady
Zahra Budhwani
Michelle Chan
Stevie Jae Davis
Elissa Goetschius
Nico Krell
Lim Mui
Michelle Moriarty
Cortland Nesley
Joseph O’Malley
Bea Perez-Arche
Lucy Powis
George Strus
Camille Simone Thomas
Sarah Shin
Peter Walsh
Annie Wang
Andrew Watkins
“When I was in middle school, my theater director wished us “waves of love over the footlights” before every performance. I was in the high school show at the time (because they needed a kid and middle-school me was short enough to pass for 8 years old), so I asked one of the older girls what it meant. She told me it was a quote from his favorite film, All About Eve. Later that year, he lent me his copy of the movie and it quickly became my favorite movie too. In the film, there’s a scene where Eve yearningly describes applause as “waves of love pouring over the footlights”. To this day, I can’t think of a better way to put it. Waves of Love is a theater company that aims to produce deeply human work that is accessible, diverse, and heartfelt. The Sitayana is the perfect launch project for us because it’s a story that takes god-like (or, full-on deity) characters and strips them down to their most human form. Thank you for supporting us at our first production, we hope you enjoy!!”
– A note from Kendra, Founder & Director of Waves of Love
Our associate artists
Katherin Behena-Benitez
Nia Banks
Amara Brady
Zahra Budhwani
Michelle Chan
Stevie Jae Davis
Elissa Goetschius
Nico Krell
Lim Mui
Michelle Moriarty
Cortland Nesley
Joseph O’Malley
Bea Perez-Arche
Lucy Powis
George Strus
Camille Simone Thomas
Sarah Shin
Peter Walsh
Annie Wang
Andrew Watkins
Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), founded in 1913, represents more than 50,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence. www.actorsequity.org