Senior Thesis Theater Staged Reading: Mulaqat

Thursday, December 1, 2022 at 8:00pm
Ring Family Performing Arts Hall

FREE!

Friday, December 2, 2022 at 8:00pm
Ring Family Performing Arts Hall

FREE!

Written by Malaika Fernandes '23 in partial fulfillment of Honors in Theater
Directed by Avanti Sheth '23
Stage Managed by Sabrina Ladiwala '24

The performance on Thursday, December 1, 2022 is an open dress rehearsal.

When a young woman finds herself alone in the U.S. during her pregnancy, her Marathi-speaking mother and Urdu-speaking mother-in-law rush across continents to care for her. The two older women cannot understand each other’s languages, and so all three must learn to communicate with each other as they await the birth of the child. Written in Marathi, Urdu, and English, Mulaqat highlights immigration stories and explores how we can redefine a South Asian community by pushing the boundaries of language in a world where understanding each other is vital. This staged reading is the first public sharing of the play, and will be followed by a brief talkback to continue the development of the piece.

Advisors for this senior thesis are Assistant Professor of the Practice in Theater Edwin Sánchez (playwriting) and Associate Professor of English, Theater, and African American Studies Rashida Z. Shaw McMahon.

Content warning: miscarriage, tumors, death and grief, neonatal intensive care unit.