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The CAST

Vkaz I Sweta I Thenmozhi Soundararajan I Kabir O'Seanessey I Srividya Annapurnama Chirumamilla I Firdoz Rickshawala I Reena I Teena I Meena

The MIT South Asian American Cultural Show Selection Committee and Auditioners



Srividya Anapurnama Chirumamilla Sweta



Srividya *Srividya, by Amrita Ghosh --- South Asian American. Issue. Concerned with authenticity. Position. Make sure acts that make it in are authentic enough to reflect South Asian culture. Mispronounces words - irony. fixated on authenticity to her, there's a "right" way of representing indian cultures gets pissed off w/ americans? w/ indians? taking it out on other people exotification of our culture miss know-it-all? frustrated b/c she doesn't know what "authentic" is how do you hold on to your indian roots? no one else follow traditional customs. to her, tha'ts sacrilege. b/c that's how you maintain your indian identity. she doesn't speak her own language- so how can she be authentic? over-compensating for something? born and raised in the US raised in a well-connected South Indian American community trained in classical Bharat Natyam, sarod and speaks Telugu at home with parents parents interacted heavily with Indian community she has always taken it upon herself to learn indian culture to technical perfection where she falls short is language, really being immersed she personally never really interacted with non south asian communities she is kind of a loner because she doesn't hang with indian cliques either they're not authentic enough she is hindu has been to india... but travels limited to visiting relatives or taking the 
Mask: Knowledge of Indian history, Telugu language, Trained in sarod, Bharata 
Natyam and carnatic song


Voice exterior: Critical of Indian-Americans for not being Indian enough, very 
sensitive to authentic portrayal and use of cultural artifacts


Voice interior: Flustered when she counters multiple viewpoints to historical 
events, Telugu pronunciation Americanized, proficiency level only to 7 year old
 child's, stories she dances to don't reflect her experience, frustrated that 
she can't perform her art outside exclusively South Asian functions or 
essentialized cultural events

Light: She has primary access to South Asian culture, but her knowledge of 
South Asian culture helps her to be sensitive to people who are not American.



Sweta *Sweta, by Aparna Das --- South Asian American. Issue. Being an exotic outsider/ being different. Position. Graceful dancer. seems independent b/c she shunned Vikas dark, pretty, confident


Vkaz Kabir O'Seanessey



Vkaz *Vikas, by Sandeep Boppana --- South Asian American. Issue. Belonging (thug-look, trained in classical South Asian dance (secret)) and Beauty (purity of dace as a means of expression and potential ways to represent South Asian American culture). Position. Choreographer. classically trained in Bharat-natyam id's w/ urban hip-hop culture womanizer- not really, it's a mask\ 
Mask: Pass as White or person of color as fits the situation.

Voice exterior: Makes light of South Asian things to hide his ignorance and 
genuine desire to know and interact with South Asian people

Voice interior: Observes that white people only interseted in ascertaining the 
 color in you and then you are no longer white... no in between.

Voice interior: Not feel Indian enough. Is not accepted by Irish clan as 
authentic

Light:



Kabir *Kabir O'Seanessey, by Nigel Drego --- Biracial South Asian American (half-Indian, half-White) Issue. Doesn't feel South Asian enough. Position. Wants to learn about South Asian culture. half-half doesn't identify w/ anyone just wants to meet the ladies but also wants to learn about dances - wants to identify with something when someone asks you what's your ehtnicity, they want to konw where your color is in you hides behind cynisism- makes fun of omelet b/c he wants to know what it means, but makes fun of it because he's insecure about it which masks do you put on when you're around a certain race of people step out of the selves or shells - represents masks from one end, he gets seen as white, the other, he gets seen as indian. as soon as that happens, he's seen as INDIAN. Ben kingsley is also half/half half-Irish, half-Indian catholic... big catholic community here doesn't look quite irish... not accepted by the irish community looks latino... religion shared... he interacts well with latinos... only post-college raised with little interaction outside white subculture 
Mask: Pass as White or person of color as fits the situation.

Voice exterior: Makes light of South Asian things to hide his ignorance and 
genuine desire to know and interact with South Asian people

Voice interior: Observes that white people only interseted in ascertaining the
  
color in you and then you are no longer white... no in between.

Voice interior: Not feel Indian enough. Is not accepted by Irish clan as 
authentic

Light:


Thenmozhi Soundararajan Gopal Chatterjee



Thenmozhi *Thenmozhi, by Ishani Das --- South Asian American. Issue. Sensitive to discrimination, feminism. Position. Expecting South Asian American identity issues to be conveyed creatively dalit caste always passed in indian communities *Gopal, by Gopal Newaskar --- South Asian. Issue. Thinks South Asian Americans are inferior/ uncultured and have a pathetic need to hold onto home South Asian culture. Position. Wants to be amused. when a fob comes to this country, it's all a little overwhelming... this guy's at a point where he's tried to fit in, but he doesn't know the culture. so instead of making an effort to try and fit in, he's given up on trying to fit in. he's asserting his frustrations by being an ass. not every fob is gonna act like him- very exaggerated depiction.. it's hard to be a newbie to even make an effort, such that some of them get frustrated. Multitude of reactions: can't find the right balance, don't try too hard to put on an accent, so they're comfortable; others go too far in trying to imitate an american culture so they make fools of themselves - really comical ones; others completely withdraw into a shell, hang out only with other indians from india- ghetto mentality (aswin) the ghati ones frustrated, trying to get back- that's the only thing he has 
Mask: Pass as White or person of color as fits the situation.

Voice exterior: Makes light of South Asian things to hide his ignorance and 
genuine desire to know and interact with South Asian people

Voice interior: Observes that white people only interseted in ascertaining the 
 color in you and then you are no longer white... no in between.

Voice interior: Not feel Indian enough. Is not accepted by Irish clan as 
authentic

Light:



Gopal *Gopal, by Gopal Newaskar --- South Asian. Issue. Thinks South Asian Americans are inferior/ uncultured and have a pathetic need to hold onto home South Asian culture. Position. Wants to be amused. when a fob comes to this country, it's all a little overwhelming... this guy's at a point where he's tried to fit in, but he doesn't know the culture. so instead of making an effort to try and fit in, he's given up on trying to fit in. he's asserting his frustrations by being an ass. not every fob is gonna act like him- very exaggerated depiction.. it's hard to be a newbie to even make an effort, such that some of them get frustrated. Multitude of reactions: can't find the right balance, don't try too hard to put on an accent, so they're comfortable; others go too far in trying to imitate an american culture so they make fools of themselves - really comical ones; others completely withdraw into a shell, hang out only with other indians from india- ghetto mentality (aswin) the ghati ones frustrated, trying to get back- that's the only thing he has


Firdoz Rickshawala Reena



Firdoz *Firdoz, by Ajay Kulkarni --- South Asian Diaspora American. Issue. South Asians peoples try too hard to hold onto culture. People should just accept their identity and see it as something that is constantly evolving. Position. Doesn't want to be here? returning a favor diasporic doesn't see the issue as us vs. india frustrated because of that pretty tolerant through eveyrone's bitchyness... kinda laid back gets too much then he has to say his bit well-travelled, heard this all before... irritated that they're not getting this holistic view of things more tolerant of people struggling with identity but wonder what the big deal is... there are more important issues in the world 
Mask: Pass as White or person of color as fits the situation.

Voice exterior: Makes light of South Asian things to hide his ignorance and 
genuine desire to know and interact with South Asian people

Voice interior: Observes that white people only interseted in ascertaining the 
 color in you and then you are no longer white... no in between.

Voice interior: Not feel Indian enough. Is not accepted by Irish clan as 
authentic

Light:



Reena *Reena, by Anne Vithyathil, Neena, by Neeti Nundy, Teena, by Minita Shah--- South Asian American. Issue. Belonging. Behave similarly, finish each other's sentences. Position. Want to be superstars clique-y trash-talking hispanic-chic look --> shows insecurity? or does he feel more comfortable in that setting? straddling two cultures brown --> hispanic (when they realize their sexuality) 
Mask: Pass as White or person of color as fits the situation.

Voice exterior: Makes light of South Asian things to hide his ignorance and 
genuine desire to know and interact with South Asian people

Voice interior: Observes that white people only interseted in ascertaining the 
 color in you and then you are no longer white... no in between.

Voice interior: Not feel Indian enough. Is not accepted by Irish clan as 
authentic

Light:


Teena Meena



Teena *Reena, by Anne Vithyathil, Neena, by Neeti Nundy, Teena, by Minita Shah--- South Asian American. Issue. Belonging. Behave similarly, finish each other's sentences. Position. Want to be superstars clique-y trash-talking hispanic-chic look --> shows insecurity? or does he feel more comfortable in that setting? straddling two cultures brown --> hispanic (when they realize their sexuality)


Meena *Reena, by Anne Vithyathil, Neena, by Neeti Nundy, Teena, by Minita Shah--- South Asian American. Issue. Belonging. Behave similarly, finish each other's sentences. Position. Want to be superstars clique-y trash-talking hispanic-chic look --> shows insecurity? or does he feel more comfortable in that setting? straddling two cultures brown --> hispanic (when they realize their sexuality)