Unscripted

Farah recommends...

If you already haven't, please go see Tracy Letts' August Osage County on Broadway ASAP! After the just-over-3-hour show was over I was ready to pack my bags, move to Chicago and join the Steppenwolf Theater Company ... if they'd have me!

What outstanding performances! The show has two intermissions, that are more for the actors than the audience. Each hour between breaks passes in a heartbeat. I grew up watching 3+ hour long Bollywood movies in India, but since I've moved countries, my tolerance for long movies and shows has slowly diminished... or so I thought. I didn't shift, flinch or sigh during this production. I was gripped, even though I was sitting in my $26.50 seat in the last row of the theater. Deanna Dunagan and Amy Morton were my favorites. Kudos to Todd Rosenthal's beautiful set complemented by some spectacular lighting by Ann G. Wrightson.

Uh - oh - I feel like I'm writing an official review for this show. But really, if you want to spend a quality three hours, go see it.  Its not the best play ever written, but those amazing performances make it so worth it!

I've been told to go see Cat On A Hot Tin Roof - Love Terrence Howard, especially those eyes! Will keep you posted on that one!

-- Farah Bala

Make Art

I went for an Oscar party on Sunday where the preparations were elaborate - ballots, discussions, teams, money involved - the works. My first Oscar party that was so charged with excitement! Normally its just the 'who's wearing what, who's winning what, who's saying what' kinda stuff. But this was different - high stakes - the pool money was just over 100 bucks and I'm proud to say I came a close second. I'll win next year!

I'd seen a good number of the movies nominated - even did some research on the shorts!!! Three friends who weren't in New York had requested their absentee ballots to be considered. The house had people coming and going, but at any given time there were about 20 people. Yes my friends, this was serious business. If while you were marking your preferences, you decided you wanted to make a change, you needed the canceled bit initialed by the host.

Anyway, on to who won - More than any one, I was thrilled for Marion Cotillard and the 'Once' couple! I was rooting for them. She gave an astounding performance, and 'Once' was just a small, simple, beautiful movie. Loved what they said in their speeches - Make Art Make Art Make Art!

-- Farah Bala

Americans on Hold

I was invited to do a reading last week at a fundraiser for NYU School of Law's Center for Human Rights and Global Justice (CHRGJ). This department worked on a report after 9/11, investigating the immigrants who have legally resided in this country on valid visas and green cards for years, but are still waiting to get their citizenship. They have literally been put 'on hold'.

CHRGJ in association with SABANY and film maker Bill Horn, are now raising money to make a documentary film about the lives of these anonymous individuals who's fates are tucked away in some office, in some file that probably says, 'Background Check Pending'.

The stories are shocking - These Americans On Hold, primarily men, have been called for their first, and sometimes even second interview for citizenship, and then have not heard from the 'authorities' since. When they make inquiries they're all pretty much given the same response - 'waiting on background check'.

My actor friend Rizwan Mirza and I were asked to do a presentation of some of these testimonials - They come from all over, Morocco, Algeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and they've all been waiting for years while their 'background check' is cleared. These individuals have children who are citizens because they were born in this country. Some of them applied for citizenship with their spouses - the spouses have been given citizenship, while they still wait. Others have families, sometimes their own children and parents, in their home countries, who they have not seen in 4-5 years because who knows if they will be allowed to return once they leave. Their lives are led by fear and uncertainty - honest, legal, tax paying citizens who have no criminal records. To think that they left their home country to follow their dreams only to be trapped in the vicious circle of Immigration!

I left India almost 7 years ago to pursue a career as an actress, and am going through my share of immigration issues to know what it feels like when you can't leave the country to go see your family because your visa papers are being processed. My story is nothing in comparison to these anonymous families who have been denied the opportunity to be together for no fault of theirs.

The event itself was quite an elegant affair at the President of NYU's penthouse overlooking Washington Square Park and some stunning views of New York City. Too bad it was already dark out, otherwise I could've gotten some lovely pictures from the terrace. The guests were from all walks of life, lawyers, financiers, social workers and of course, the bright-eyed, eager to make a change, hard working students that formed the CHRGJ committee, headed by the lovely faculty director, Smita Narula, .

I feel lucky to have been part of  this event and contributed in a small way. I believe in the fact that people know people. So if you know anyone who is going through a similar situation, CHRGJ is looking for more stories, so please contact them. On the other hand, if you feel this is an unfair matter and would like to contribute, please reach out to them. They are looking for all the support they can get and would love to hear from you.

-- Farah Bala

"Today will be a happy day"

Ive always maintained that the best shows I've seen to date have been at BAM - There was a time when I used to buy regular subscriptions; watch 4 shows per season; and put it all on the credit card saying this was a requirement of being in grad school - well it was. We had to watch shows on a regular basis!

Well' I've graduated since and my credit card could not handle my indulgence. So imagine my excitement when my friend called me last week to ask if I was interested in going to see Fiona Shaw in Becket's 'Happy Days' at BAM. I jumped! I was SO excited. The last time I had seen Fiona Shaw was in her heartwrenching performance of Medea 4 years ago!

If you're familiar with the play you will know that she is waist down in sand for the first half of the play, and neck down for the second. I was in the last seat in the last row of that gorgeous BAM Harvery Theater, and yet I had the most spectacular theatrical experience in a long time. Yes, I wish I had binoculars to watch every nuance of her performance, but I was nonetheless moved and so very satisfied. What a performance to compliment such a great play! I hadn't read it before and I'm glad I hadn't. He may be abstract and absurd, but his work is timeless. The idea that each day inspite of its ups and downs, is a happy day, is so inspiring. This play is a comedy but my experience watching it was much more than just fun.

I haven't been able to stop talking or thinking about my experience, and have been compelled to write about it today. Its so reinforcing to know that when you put together a great team of writer, director and actor, you create in every sense of the word, MAGIC!

--Farah Bala

I see, You See, Go-See!

I have to say when I get sent out on one of those I have to bite my tongue and say 'Yes, I'm available'. I felt good about this one coz I was told I had to be there between 1:15 and 1:30 no later or earlier. Okay, seemed like I'd be in and out, and I planned my day accordingly.

Reality check - I was there for about 45 minutes, before I was 'in and out' - literally, 'click - close up; click - mid shot; click- long shot; thank you very much.'

What makes these calls fun sometimes is when a whole bunch of South Asians are around as well - you've either come to know them coz you've worked with them, waited in the audition room with them, or have been introduced to them as a fellow South Asian actor, and on some rare occasions even hung out with them - And when you meet, you invariably haven't seen each other in a while and so a whole lot of catching up is in order and before you know it, your number is called - (yes I was a number) and you're 'in and out'. No one there is preparing a scene or a monologue in the head or wondering why you are auditioning as well, so its very casual and not too much pretense. Everyone is dressed appropriately (which, in this case, was business attire) and happens to look so alike to every other brown face in that room.

I guess in the end, a 'Go-see' does sound more sophisticated than a 'Cattle call'!

-- Farah Bala

Back to School

Happy New Year to All! I just got back a couple of days ago, but I'm still on India time. One would think that after 3 visits to my hometown in one year, I'd've figured out a way to get over jet lag in a flash, but alas, no such luck! So i still wake up at 3 and 4 am and have to assume this will continue for the next few days.

In the meantime, I was back to work the very next day after I landed. I started teaching Theater in an after-school program in the Bronx. Last semester was pretty slow with the teaching and I was in a different borough, Brooklyn - This gave me a break from the Bronx, a borough I frequent more often because of my school placements. It took a few minutes on the train up north for me to sense that familiar Bronx feeling! Kids yelling, women cursing each other out while a beautiful baby girl was watching wide-eyed from her stroller. . . I was back.

I was excited about this residency coz I was teacher with a partner. It's so much more fun to have someone to bounce off of. I sometimes get sick of my own voice. Anyway, the class went really well and as I was walking out the door with my co-teacher, I found myself breathless and starving. A very unfamiliar feeling. I devoured the granola bar I happened to have in my bag, and gulped down my water, still breathless. That's when I realized that I was exhausted. This class which had just gone by really well had actually tired me out. I couldn't remember the last time I felt this way after teaching. Don't know if its the lingering jet lag, the 'back to school' syndrome, or the fact that I haven't worked out in weeks. In any case I now know to OD on Vitamin C and energy bars before classes next week!

-- Farah Bala

The Importance of Doing Laundry

I realized yesterday that in the six years that I've lived in NYC this was the first time I was in the city for Christmas day! I've always been away and with that came my ignorant assumption that stores would be open on Christmas day! (yeah, I'm learning slowly and I have my lovely friends to remind me of details like these, and of course that the child leash has been in existence since 1982)

I leave for India today and I always tend to leave things for the very end, and this time it was my laundry! As I was figuring out the fact that I needed to get everything done on the 24th as everything would be closed the next day, I put myself on the clock! I managed to get everything done on schedule and came home in time to do laundry on Monday evening. I love the fact that my place is conveniently located close to everything, including my laundromat which is literally a hop, skip and a jump away, with a sign put up saying "We are closed on Christmas Day". What they forgot to mention was that they were going to close two hours early the night before.

Don't ask - I spent a good hour the next day hoping for a miracle in the form of an open laundromat and I found one! Hallelujah!

I know, how can something as mundane as doing laundry consume one to the extent that when people call to wish 'Merry Christmas' my reply is 'I need to do laundry'! It may not read as ridiculous and funny as it really was. I guess you just had to be there!

-- Farah Bala   

A child leash?

Something very disturbing happened last night. I was walking in the midtown area with a friend at around 6 pm, in the middle of an intense conversation, when my feet almost stopped abruptly. Walking in front of me were the cutest kids dressed in identical attire (since their backs were to me, I couldn't tell if they were twins) with cute little bears hanging down their backs as backpacks. What left me frozen was the two straps in this tall woman's hands who was walking in the middle of these tiny bodies, a few steps in front of them. My eyes followed these straps to see that they were attached to each backpack. I could not believe my eyes - Is this the newest, most trendy way of having kids walk the streets of Manhattan during peak hour???

I was speechless, and the only word that could articulate the scene in front of me was INHUMANE. This tall woman (once again her back was to me so I don't know if she was the mother or the babysitter) was yapping away animatedly with her friend who was a few steps ahead of her.

I'm thinking to myself, why in the world would you bring out these small children in this nasty weather on a Monday evening, when they should be warm and cozy at home playing with their blocks, or something. This woman was walking totally oblivious to how the kids were doing behind her. Then, I don't know if she picked up her step, or pulled at her 'leash' a little too much, but the child to the right of me fell flat on his/her face. I can guarantee that if it wasn't for the loud thud, this woman would have been completely unaware of what had happened and may have continued walking.

I wanted to stop, hug the little child and tell him or her that everything was ok, and probably even say a few things to that tall woman. But I had to remind myself that I could do that back home in India, but not here, where touching someone else's child may lead to a court case.

We had to keep walking. I managed to look back to catch a glimpse of a wailing child with a cut lip. We headed to dinner, and proceeded to have our conversation, but I could not get rid of that image.

What were those people thinking when they came up with this concept??? A child needs to be held, loved, sheltered and protected, not carried around on a leash.

-- Farah Bala

The Look

Actors must probably have the most trendy, varied and inexpensive wardrobe to accommodate the various looks that they may be seen for at an audition.

One look that isn't well-represented in my wardrobe is the corporate one - I can get away with a lot of casual stuff when I go teach so there has never really been a need to have suits, trousers or jackets. I have a couple of staple button down shirts and one suit that is now going on being 7 years old. As you might guess its most ill fitting, but it has done the job on more than one occasion.

However, I'm shooting for a gig tomorrow that requires me to bring options for very corporate, conservative, yet trendy clothes - Now I have a LOT of clothes, but no amount of 'mixing it up' will get me what I need.

So I'm forced to step into the stores today - I try not to, especially this time of year coz clothes are one of my weaknesses and I can spend that money a bit too easily. So I'm hoping I'll find some good sales and if not, I'll just take what I can get. All I'll say is, thank god for return policies!

Which brings me to a question that's been bothering me - If you're an actor you can get discounts at various establishments - My yoga place gives SAG actors a % off, dance studios, gyms, going to the movies can get cheaper with a SAG card. So why not have a discount policy for actors in clothing stores? I know so many actors who have had to buy clothes for their auditions just to fulfill a certain look. Yes, we get to write them off for our taxes, but still, it would be nice to get a break somewhere.

-- Farah Bala

India vs. Pakistan

Saw a beautiful movie - Ramchand Pakistani. It is directed by Mehreen Jabbar, an accomplished director from Pakistan who I have had the pleasure of working with on more that one occasion for the channel HUM TV.

Its the story of a little boy who by accident crosses the border from Pakistan into India and the consequences that ensue. This was a private screening that I went to, but I would totally recommend this movie when it comes out.

The India-Pakistan 'war' has continued ever since it started in 1947, be it in politics or in Cricket or even entertainment for that matter. Indian movie stars used to be banned from entering their neighboring country. Bollywood films were watched in Pakistan on the sly; pirated films were smuggled in. Only in the last decade have some very talented Pakistani musicians like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan been able to have a career in India. Both countries come to a standstill when India and Pakistan are playing against each other in a Cricket match.

This still exists, but films like Ramchand Pakistani address the relationship between the two countries in a very delicate, humane manner. Its the kind of art close to my heart; where you create something that addresses an issue, makes you think, makes you want to do something.

-- Farah Bala

Meditation in Motion

So as the after-school programs are winding up, and things are slowing down, I took up a challenge at the Yoga studio I've been frequenting from the last month - 30 classes in 30 days - Today was day 28 for me.

The challenge is to take 30 90-minute yoga classes in 30 days - yes, basically taking a class everyday. You can take up to 2 classes a day if you miss a day. I missed three days for Thanksgiving and all I can say was those doubles were tough!

While this challenge had its ups and downs in terms of the good and bad days, it has been an interesting experience, not only in terms of doing Yoga and improving balance and flexibility, but it is really a form of Meditation in Motion - the mind-body connection - how the churning of thoughts in the mind churn the aches and pains in the body. It has been a period of self-discovery all over again. Lots of thoughts passing through (not running through, thank goodness), lots of questioning of choices, and above all a lot of gratitude for everything that has happened, for everyone around me and for all that is yet to come!

Will I stop going to class after Tuesday? - NO! I've known people who've gotten addicted to running after their first marathon. I may do the same with Yoga. We'll wait and see!

-- Farah Bala

The Tree

My friend called me on Tuesday to ask if I'd be interested in seeing the tree being lit at Rockefeller Center the next day. I jumped. We 3 girls made the mistake of meeting at 6:30 for the 7 pm event - duh! -  and ended up being directed in circles around the same blocks by the cops. As you can imagine, it was mayhem. I couldn't get over the brave mommies with their infants and toddlers in strollers among  the crowds who pushed, pulled, screamed and cursed their way through the streets.

I'd forgotten my camera at home and had bought a disposable one just to capture the moment, and ended up using it to capture the crowded streets. After we'd had enough, we headed west to sip wine and dine at the Playwright's Tavern, where we were seated right in front of a big flat screen TV.

This took me back 12 months when a bunch of us had gone to St. John The Divine Cathedral on Christmas Eve for midnight mass. We had gone early, or so we thought. There were 6 people in front of us when they declared that they were at capacity. We ended up eating a huge dinner at an Italian restaurant at midnight! I'll keep you posted about what happens this time round.

Lesson learned - We'll be back next year and probably take the day off from work to save ourselves a spot by the tree. It is after all, one of those New York moments!

-- Farah Bala

What Would Jesus Buy?

I've just come back from the movies - Saw the new documentary 'What Would Jesus Buy?". Being an absolute movie buff, I hadn't been to the movies in a while (very unlike me) but this was special - My very good friend and talented actress, singer and dancer, Mi Sun Choi, has been part of Rev. Billy's Church of Stop Shopping gospel choir.

Rev. Billy and his group are activists against consumerism, especially during the holidays. Mi Sun has been with them for a few years now, and in Nov-Dec 2005 when they were touring the country on a bus, the cameras followed them throughout that month, resulting in the 90 minute documentary that makes us laugh not only at what we see, but at our own ridiculous shopping mania during this time of year. They went through it all, road accidents, the ER, arrests, being thrown out of the big stores, but nothing has deterred them from their mission.

Mi Sun made it in quite a few frames through this film and it was exciting. We were a group of 5 friends who went to support and it was so worth it.

This has been quite the year - all my actor and artist friends who are very close to me have done something spectacular this year - May the success continue into 2008!

If you have some down time and want to spend 90 minutes well, go to the Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street and watch 'What Would Jesus Buy?'

-- Farah Bala

A conflict of ideas

Saw a show this week in a nice, intimate theater on the West side. We were a group who went to support a friend. In the first half an hour I found myself very restless, moving in my seat, trying to find a comfortable position. Thankfully it was a watchable experience, not all of it, but a substantial amount of it.

After the show we all went for a drink and started talking about the play. It took me a while to figure out what exactly it was that bothered me. Was it a badly written play? Well, some of it. Did I agree with the direction? Some of it. There were scenes in the play that were really gripping and moving, and there were some scenes that I simply didn't get. First I thought it was just me, but I realized I had people at that table who agreed with me.

We chatted with the director and his process with the writer, who was actively involved through the production. It seems they went back and forth on a lot of issues, what works and what doesn't, lots of workshopping with the actors, all of which resulted in the show we saw.

That's when I figured it out - what we saw on stage was a conflict of vision - between writer and director. They were lucky to have some very strong actors up there who could carry the 2 hours. Would've loved to chat with them separately to find out what their experience of this process was.

I've always been fascinated with working on new work going into production - where does one draw the line where the director stops rewriting and the writer stops redirecting?

-- Farah Bala

A year of Weddings!

Big  one coming up next month in the family which entails another trip to India!

Yesterday I did something I never do - go wedding shopping with the bride - shoes, bags, dresses, make up! It really felt Sex and The City-esque -  3 girls walking through Central Park to embark on a day of shopping, getting brunch on the upper east side, more shopping, getting tired from shopping, but can't resist going into a few more stores!

What got me thinking was our conversation at brunch about Arranged Marriages - That's how a lot of the women in my family got married. You meet a couple of times and then the most important thing happens - the families meet - they have to like each other, the astrological stars and signs have to line up, and only then is the wedding date set. Do the people in question have a say in this? Not really. It is assumed that the bride will stay with her husband and his family after the wedding.

Granted that things have changed since, and more people are embracing the nuclear family in Bombay and all over the country, but a huge population still does things the 'traditional' way, including one of my best friends who married a boy who she met exactly 5 times, before the families decided on a date for the wedding.

I was visiting Bombay when this happened - at the start of my trip she told me about this guy her parents wanted her to meet. 2 days before I was leaving, 4 weeks later, she calls to say she is engaged to the boy and the wedding is in 12 months. I didn't know what to say -  This is the same girl I went to college with, who went through more boy friends than me, whose dress sense was, and still is extremely stylish. I did my best to be a friend and ask her if this was what she wanted and that she was sure about what she was getting into. She said yes. We've talked since she's been married, and I find myself being cautious about what I say.

What happened? This is not an uncommon or unfamiliar scenario for where I grew up. Has being away from home changed me and my thoughts so much? Or did I think that our generation will do things differently - that we would marry an individual and not an entire family? I don't know.

Does she love him? More importantly, is she happy? I really hope so. 

-- Farah Bala

Mundane Decisions...or Not...

My gym membership went up again this month - this is the third time in three months. 2 months ago I got an offer in the mail for a one week pass to this yoga studio if I filled out their survey. I've done yoga before and I'm pretty decent at it. So I take this one week of yoga and feel amazing, in mind and body. I can't remember the last time I breathed so deeply for such a long period of time, other than when doing vocal warm-ups.

I then sign up for their two-week unlimited deal for new people. I feel so different at the end of it. I start thinking, hey this would be great as a workout - So I start looking at their membership rates and OH MY GOSH! My jaw drops - Its more than what I pay for my gym! I start looking up other studios and the rates only get higher - I had no idea how expensive it was to take yoga classes in this city.

I obviously cannot afford it, and I try to convince myself that I can practice at home. Yeah right! The energy of a class not only challenges and pushes, but also cheers everyone to be the best they can be.

Do I really want this? Yes. But I can't do gym and yoga, so I have to give up my gym membership of 4+ years. But I love my spin classes! But then they don't have any good yoga classes. I think back at how many times I hit the gym in the last two months, and I have my answer. No gym.

In the meantime I've been looking at yoga studios in New York and trying  their introductory one week offers. I'm currently doing Bikram Yoga, also called Hot Yoga - For me, it feels like I'm back home in India, where its hot and humid!

After a lot of back and forth in my head, I gave up my gym membership today - And I realized in a way this was a big decision. Something out of routine for me and in a weird way, out of my comfort zone. I've been with a gym all my life and now I'm going to try and see how to make this Yoga thing affordable for me. I definitely feel a difference in mind and body.  I hear each studio has work study programs that help people out. That's a start.

-- Farah Bala

Out of work?

So amid all the talk and anxiety about the strike, I've been going about my week telling myself to be prepared for things to slow down. Thank goodness for my day job - teaching theater as an after school program, primarily to low income community groups and schools. It's not a lot of hours nor a ton of money, but it sure is flexible!

So as I go through this week I hear from various sources that the grants that support the after-school program for this particular site are being cut; others say the money is being withdrawn completely. I try not to let this affect me. Then I hear this talk from my site-director. I'm told that a few classes, including mine are under re-consideration about continuing through the semester as the people 'up above' want classes that are more academic. I tell myself, this is never going to happen - the kids love their 'drama class'.

Then mid-week, the decision is announced - 4 classes have been withdrawn - mine is one of them! And just like that, my schedule is empty for the rest of the week!

I don't even want to think of the kids who had such a great few months looking forward to after-school, being forced to sit through what looks to be an extended-school day!

I knew I was getting into an unpredictable field when I got into acting, but to think that day jobs could be the same is just scary!

Come to think of it, actors have to be the most multi-faceted personalities - not only is there the 'triple threat' pressure of singing, dancing and acting, but there's skills needed to pay rent on the monthly basis which can vary from one to several, and then skills needed for the resume to look impressive!

-- Farah Bala

Farmer's Golf

When the wedding guests were preparing for the week-long Amsterdam excursion, we'd get email updates from the couple reminding us of things to bring that we might forget - like our passports, ticket, umbrellas, and mud-worthy shoes!

I read that email and did a quick mental scan of the hoards of shoes that I own - black, brown, colored, high heels, low heels, boots, ahh the really cute knee highs, but nothing seemed to scream - mud-worthy! So I took the cheapest and most worn pair of shoes I owned, hoping it would do.

There were surprise events in store for us each day that were only disclosed to us the day of - I may have had a tad too much to drink the night before and tried my hardest to get the secret out from them as to where we were going the next day, but in vain!

Getting to the point, we were taken to a cow farm where we were going to play Farmer's Golf. We went by tractor way, way into the fields with four colored balls, golf-like sticks and a clip board to keep score. During the drive, our farmer/driver would point out to the little flags hoisted at various distances - this was where the holes were.

(Oh by the way, I was so glad to learn that the farm had boots we could borrow)

We divided ourselves into 4 teams and took turns hitting the ball until it went in the hole, or not. A tit-bit of detail that made this excursion a lot of fun on this cold, very windy day was the fact that each piece of land was surrounded by waterways - well, not really "water" ways - it was filled with brown liquid - cow pee and poo! Ughh - I know, I know! But you had to be there coz it was a blast! Every time someone hit the ball into the water, not only did they get penalty points but it was fun watching how they got the ball out from the 'liquid' with a net that was provided to us!

The farmer had also warned us that we could be stepping on 'anything' as we were walking through these fields - after all we were in cow territory!

After passing a couple of holes there was a picnic hamper waiting for us with cheese (Oh my god - the cheese I've eaten on this trip was amazing) cold cuts, alcohol filled raisins, nuts, crackers, soda, juice!

We had to get our shoes washed by the farmer with a water pipe and it was then inspected by his wife, and in case there were little 'spots'  left we had to  go back for another wash!

I know, it may sound gross, but you had to be there! We saw cows of all sizes and ages, 2 days, 1-2 weeks, a few months, 6 years. We even saw them being milked!

The farmer's wife told us how they organize these trips for schools kids to supplement their income on the farm - It was fun - losing some years of my life and literally becoming a kid amidst glorious nature in all its forms!

-- Farah Bala

The Perfect Getaway!

I have just returned from the most beautiful destination-wedding-event EVER - Amsterdam! In fact I'm already going through AWS - Amsterdam Withdrawal Syndrome!

And here's the thing, my friends who got married are not having a honeymoon - they spent the last six months, or more, organizing this event for us - their friends - it was 8 days of absolute mind-relaxing bliss in the midst of some amazing company. The wedding troupe of 20+ people  had come literally from all over the world - Israel, Barcelona, New York, Los Angeles, Portugal, England and of course, Holland.

When we arrived at our hotel in Amsterdam, we were all given itineraries for our trip - Yes, they are ridiculously organized. There were surprises in store for us every day - from a boat ride in the beautiful canals of Amsterdam, to dressing up as local Dutch people, to playing Farmer's Golf, and a whole lot more! (What's Farmer's Golf? - Well, that will have to be a whole other blog).

The wedding itself was beautiful. Not too many of the friends I made here in New York have been married since I moved here, and I'm so glad this was my first - It was a non-traditional outdoor wedding held on what turned out to be a perfectly sunny day. In fact the whole trip was like that - When we checked the local weather before we left, we thought we were in store for clouds and rains, but on the contrary - There was something about the energy of this trip that was so positive that even if things wanted to go wrong, they couldn't.

The bride was glowing in the most beautiful dress her mom-in-law had made for her, resplendent in her tiara and veil, her eyes peeled at the man of her dreams. The groom's eyes were set on his princess! It was perfect.

The wedding was all about unity, peace and coming together of two worlds - hence the non-traditional form. They did however, use some religious aspects that they thought contributed to their theme - The Hoopa (I need to check if this is the right spelling) , and the breaking of the glass. The best man and maid-of-honor spoke from the heart of these two special people. When it came time for the vows, it was a tear-jerker moment! Here they were sharing with us their promises to one another!  It was beautiful.

Both the bride and groom are accomplished musicians. The groom composed the wedding music that was played by the bride's friends - trombone players,  who had taken a detour from their tour to come to Rozendaal (the wedding venue) to play at the wedding. Could this be any more special? Yes! The groom's parents had rehearsed a piece that their son had composed years ago and played it after the cake was cut. A group of talented musician-composer friends DJ-ed the super dance event that went on into the wee hours of the morning!

It seemed as though everyone had a role to play. Their Dutch friends were so warm and went out of their way to make us feel comfortable. They invited us into their lives and their homes and were the perfect hosts and tour-guides!

And then there was us - the trigger happy, camera fiends who felt we were missing a limb if we didn't have our cameras in hand, just in case we missed a moment to be captured!

This whole trip has been about friendship - We, a bunch of diverse, very different people, came together to celebrate the couple! Bonding with everyone in this very beautiful country has left me with memories that are un-expressible (if that's even a word), and I think it's best that it stays that way!

-- Farah Bala

Closing weekend... and other stuff

This past Saturday 'To The Death of My Own Family' completed 18 shows since August! We had our last set of shows this past week and it was fantastic - Thursday we were hit with the rains and were prepared for the worst case scenario - No audience - But we were proved wrong which was wonderful.

Friday and Saturday were better shows for me. It was a perfect closing - a great turnout and an even better response.

The talk-back sessions have been quite interesting - from political issues, to human rights, to the role of women - its amazing how this show touches a different nerve for every individual. Women have come up to me with tears in their eyes. My room mate came on Thursday and could not stop crying - Her boyfriend is Afghani and he's probably seen worse.

Don't know where it will go next, but there are feelers around everywhere! I, on the other hand am looking forward to my travels this week! Will try and blog from there - Can't wait to get out!

Saw "Across The Universe" on the weekend and I recommend it to every one - Julie Taymor is an exceptional director!

Also, for those of you curious to know more about India and especially its most popular city, Bombay, I highly recommend Suketu Mehta's 'MAXIMUM CITY' - I finally finished the book last week and have thoroughly enjoyed it.

-- Farah Bala

The Kiterunner

The release of the film has been postponed to protect the identities and safety of the two child-actors playing the protagonists, according to the New York Times.

While we have to wait a few more months to see this much anticipated film, I was lucky to see a dress rehearsal of a dramatization of the book at the American Place Theater. My friend, Sorab Wadia, booked this one-man show about a month back and has been rehearsing for it ever since. He'd asked me to be there to see if I had any feedback or comments.

It was quite an amazing experience and journey we, the audience, experienced as Khalid Hosseini's words came to life on stage. The American Place Theater is known to bring 'literature to life' and they perform these adaptations at various educational institutions all over the country. Sorab's first 2 shows will be in Dallas, after which he has a couple more scheduled in California and more venues in the future. The show runs about an hour after which the teaching artist moderates a Q &A with the students.

Seeing Sorab on stage was deja vue. 2 years ago when I had booked 'To The Death Of My Own Family', our roles were switched. I was in his living room doing the show asking for his advice and comments about the different characters I play, about how much is too much. And here he was, in his element doing the exact same thing. Kudos to him for memorizing all those lines and taking on the responsibility of telling this beautiful story!

Its quite an exhilarating journey for an actor to do a one-person show - The only person you can count on is yourself! Tonight and tomorrow are the last two shows for me, at least for now - Every night is different. Every night is fresh. The intimate director-actor relationship ensures that the show becomes tighter every night. Who knows where the show will go next, but I feel SO very lucky to be the one to tell this very important story, as I'm sure does Sorab.

-- Farah Bala

Memories

Earlier this week the girls and I went out for drinks to  Cocoa Bar to celebrate - One got married last week, and the other is getting married in ten days!

By the way - I must recommend Cocoa Bar to everyone who has a thing for good wine and good cocoa! This tiny place is tucked away in the Lower East Side and is very reasonable priced. And for all the Brooklyn-ites, there's also one in Park Slope!

Anyway, back to us girls! We had come together after months, and so there was a lot of catching up to do, and lots of wedding talk. And in the middle of all this we started talking about our earliest childhood memories.

I've always wondered and marveled at how people remember things when they were 2 and 3 and 4 years old, whether its a first day at school, or a first song, or a first reaction to something!

I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, where I spent the first 3 years of my life, after which my family moved back to Bombay, where I grew up before I moved to New York. I should have some fascinating memories of firsts, of diverse cultures and experiences; but I don't. There are vague images, but nothing as specific as my friend who remembered her first day at school and what her mom was wearing and why she didn't like the girl sitting next to her, or how another one remembered her first encounter with glitter during art class! I just find this fascinating!

Who knows, one morning I'll wake up and remember something...or not! I'm happy with the memories I have tucked away so far, but could always do with more!

-- Farah Bala

The flower montage... - Part 2

WOW! Just when I was wondering ,"does anyone even read what I write" I opened the blog to a shower of comments to last night's story!

Thank you guys for clarifying that Garden in Transit is the cause behind the colorful taxis - I went to the links and here's what I found:

            Garden in Transit may be the most ambitious community collaboration and public art project in New York City history. As part of this groundbreaking motivational art, education, and creative therapy project, thousands of kids in schools, hospitals, and community institutions are painting vibrant flowers -- symbolizing joy, life, beauty, and inspiration -- on adhesive weatherproof panels that will be applied to the hoods, trunks and/or roofs of thousands of New York City taxis.

As we celebrate life and our children here, my prayers go out to our surrounding countries where people really need a reason to smile amid the fear, despair and destruction surrounding them.

-- Farah Bala

The flower montage on the yellow cabs in NYC!

I'm so excited coz I finally found out what those flowers on the front of the yellow cabs meant! Hold your breathe - It's to celebrate those taxis that have finished a 100 years, or century, like my Indian cabbie put it!

I've actually enjoyed watching the colorful flowers go by on the street! And then, one fine day, it will all be plain yellow again!

My Indian cabbie and I started chatting - I always get into conversations with them and invariably fall into my Hindi or Gujarati, whichever one they speak - I'm always curious as to where they're originally from and what gush of circumstance got them to the Big Apple!

He was asking me what I was doing in New York - and suddenly my memory took me back 4 years when I was flying from New York to Bombay that December on an Alitalia flight and the man sitting next to me asked me the very same question - and I answered very excitedly that I was an actress and had just graduated from a prestigious institution called Sarah Lawrence College with an MFA in Theater. He looked at me and then asked with that typical Indian accent "Yes, but what do you really do?" And I repeated that I was an actress, but was met with the same incredulous gaze! I did not meet his standard of a well educated professional - I wasn't the doctor, lawyer, financial analyst or engineer!

And just as I was about to tell my Indian cabbie what I did for a living, it was time to pay and get out. I had the choice of waiting for a minute longer and finishing the conversation, but I didn't - maybe because I wasn't ready to get another incredulous look at 1 am!

-- Farah Bala

My Two Outstanding Directors!

I had been filled with doubts and questions - Is it possible to have 2 directors, one after the other, to direct the same show? Especially a show with heightened emotion and complexity, and in this case where one  director is a man and one is a woman?  What if one completely overrides the previous work? What happens to the actor?

As actors I'm sure we've all gone through our dose of directors as I have - the crazy ones, the rare professional ones, the ones who seem lost all the time, the ones who take everyone else's ideas and make it their own!

But with To The Death .... I got really, REALLY lucky - not one but two outstanding artists!

When the show was between 10 and 20 minutes long, it was easy to direct myself , one of the reasons being that the play wasn't as complex as it is now. But as David continued to explore the various characters and situations in the protagonists life I realized I needed someone as the external eye, to help and challenge me to make the piece come alive.

Tony Award Winning actress, Trezana Beverley came on board first - The play ran a little over 30 minutes. The rehearsal process was a dream - After such a long time here was a good director I could implicitly trust and before I knew it there was an intimate relationship being formed between actor and director as we went through every nuance and beat of the play together forming a common language, exploring what works and what doesn't till the very end. I kept getting notes after every show! It was so fulfilling.

As all good things come to an end, so did my journey with Trezana! I was devastated and most importantly very concerned of who would come on board next. David and I had discussed that it was best to have a woman direct it. But after Trezana, my standards were so high that I dreaded having someone who would not be as good!

David and I saw numerous resumes, and one day as we were talking about the show and getting ready for the India Tour we suddenly thought of Peter Ratray! Another talented actor (Broadway, TV, Film... the works) and director. I had worked with Peter at the Culture project and wondered if he knew any directors, and he said he'd love to direct it himself. And within moment we had Peter on board!

I have to admit I wondered how things would turn out. Peter had seen the show that Trezana had directed months ago, but it had grown since and was now more than ever a huge challenge for me. I was lucky - my doubts were gone during my first rehearsal with Peter! He brought a whole different energy to the process, but he picked up from where Trezana left off. These two people have never met each other, but their work, though distinct, meshed with one another's. I felt safe again! Peter and I formed our common language and process in no time!

The show has changed a great deal since Peter came on board, but the ground work, the essence of it remains the same!

It is not for nothing that people say - Actors make the best directors!

They really do!

-- Farah Bala

My inspiration

What a summer! After living the dream for almost a month, its time to get back to reality - the hustle starts all over. We open the show, TO THE DEATH OF MY OWN FAMILY at the Abrons Arts Center next week for three weeks. Peter and I started brush up rehearsals yesterday!

On my way to the theater I thought about the postcard and mass mailing to be done in the hope of finding new and better representation, as well as getting some critics in to review the show. 2 years with this show will have you looking for reasons for it to stay as fresh a performance as it was the first time you performed it! Along with that I'm also trying to figure out the best and cheapest way to have my website made, as well as find new avenues to get a consistent paycheck in.

And just when it feels like a lot of work, I think of my friend Troy Diana -- a writer, director, actor and teaching artist who went to grad school with me. He wrote a one-man show "Storia" that was accepted and performed at the Midtown International Theater Festival a month ago. Not only did it get a rave review on NYTheater.com, he also won an award for Best Solo Performance. I was supposedly Co-Producer on the show, but I was so busy with the India Tour that my contribution wasn't as much as it could've been. Now here was a production that came from the heart. Troy is probably the most well-read artist I know as far as plays are concerned! He knows what show is running where and will try and see as many as possible! I'm also a teaching artist and I know that I can call him at any time to help me with a play that the kids are writing, or if I'm in a fix about what play to do with a particular group of kids - he always has a solution!

His heart is in the theater and in his new play which I unfortunately did not get to see on opening night as I was outside the theater trying to keep people from disturbing the show with their loud voices. Troy worked insanely hard wearing so many hats including that of producer, writer, actor - Let me tell you,  it ain't no easy task to get up on a stage a hold an audience's attention for a good 60 minutes! Its hard work, and his hard work paid off -  his performances have garnered interest from other venues as well.  The show will have a life outside of the festival.

Its never too much work - if I want it real bad I'll go after it and I'm lucky to surround myself with artists who want it as badly if not more - What better way to be inspired than by each others' success stories!

-- Farah Bala

India Tour - The Last Leg - Bombay

Unlike Bangalore, we had three shows in Bombay but they were at different venues.

The NCPA Little Theatre (National Center for the Performing Arts)
The NGMA (National Gallery of Modern Art)
The Prithvi Theatre

When we arrived in Bombay on the evening of August 8th, there had been enough press coverage of the show to rekindle some relationships of the past - long lost friends, relatives, classmates were there at every show! I was home - it meant the world!

August 9, 2007
The NCPA tends to be the place to perform for an artist, whether Main stage or in the Experimental theaters. There were no tickets, only passes being given out to the NCPA members. There was a crowd outside and after a lot of back and forth everyone was let in. The audience was spilling onto the stairs. This is a good time to share that the NCPA patronage is a good percentage of old, old, OLD Zoroastrians (Parsees) who have been members for years. I had forgotten this. But it only took me a minute to get used to the constant coughs, sighs, shifting around, lozenges opening, paper crackling! You could not get upset - here was a group of ardent theater fans who, if they could help it, would sit in silence!

The talk-back was moderated by Ramu Ramanathan an established writer and director fro m India. For the first time we were hit with strong criticism - not harsh by any means, but there were questions and concerns and very strong opinions and political views - which is what made this whole effort even more worthwhile. We faced comments and concerns in all cities but this was different. The fact that we were stirring minds and raising questions - A lot of people have asked me through the years - "Farah, you've been with this piece for 2 years - why?" Because of this.  The fact that a topic so current and poignant is capable of affecting any person irrespective of color, race, class or caste.

It wasn't the best talk-back session - There were times when both the questions and the answers were not handled in the same spirit, but in the end it was a good opening night in Bombay!

The next day, August 9th, Peter and I headed to the suburbs - We had a radio interview with BIG FM - from South Bombay to Lokhandwala in Andheri (say from Midtown Manhattan to Sheepshead Bay). It was fun having the day off and playing city guide!

OH THE DRAMA. . . August 11th  2007 is etched in memory forever.

We had a 6:30 pm show that evening at the NGMA. A woman's organization, UDAYAN was sponsoring the show.  I was getting ready to go on stage but couldn't hear my cue - that's when I realized that they were holding the house. We finally started at 6:50pm and when I went on stage, I swear I could've touched the audience if I'd reached out. They had added 2-3 rows of chairs to accomodate the people waiting outside. 10 minutes into my performance I hear people's voices outside the theater, and they were getting louder. I'd gotten a bit thick-skinned after the NCPA shows, and so continued with the show. 5-10 minutes later I hear 2 or 3 men shouting again. I hear "SHHH" from people in the audience, the voices continue. One woman from the audience gets up and leaves. I never saw her until the end of the show. Some more time passes and the shouts start again, this time even louder. I cannot make what they are saying and then I hear Toral and Peter and god knows who else in the tech booth, voices are getting louder from all around. The audience is getting restless - Should I continue? Of course I should, no questions about it. The show goes on until the end. No more voices. We start the talk back. I start to unwind when Quasar and Peter come up  to me and ask me - "How do you feel about doing another performance?" Now? "Yes?" Do we have an audience? "Yes" Ok, lets do it.

And just like that, I had agreed to another performance right after the talk back. I have no recollection of the questions asked or what I answered - I just hope I sounded intelligent! Toral had warned me to go right back to the dressing room before the audience (30-40 of who I knew) came on stage to meet me. I guess I was a bit late - I have no idea who I shook hands with, or hugged, or said 'thank you for coming' to. This next show was all that was on my mind. I was told - "take your time, we can start whenever you want". But the more time I'd have the more the exhaustion would kick in - So gulping down half a bottle of Glucon - D (the equivalent of Emergen-C) and a couple of Parle-G glucose biscuits, I was ready!

Compared to 150 seats crammed together, this next audience was much smaller! 2 or 3 of them were the culprits who created the commotion outside and insisted on yelling - all because they were late and would not be allowed inside. They even threatened Quasar that they would call the cops. The woman who had walked out to tell them to be quiet was not let in again, and so she sat through the next performance. A lot of people from the first show stayed on for the second one.

It was an interesting experience. I'd never imagined that I could do 2 performances back-to-back with the same intensity. Peter said this was my best performance. After the show I wanted a drink and I wanted to eat - I could eat all I wanted but  drinking was probably not a good idea as we had an 11 AM (YES 11AM) show the next day at the Prithvi Theatre.

August 12 - The last day of our tour!
I picked Peter up from his hotel at 8:00 am as we had to get to the theater at 9 am (like traveling from the Upper West Side to Park Slope) for an 11 AM curtain.

The Prithvi Theater is special. My last performance in Bombay before I moved to New York  was at th Prithvi. I couldn't wait to get on that stage! It is also the theater that inspired the Ranga Shankara auditorium in Bangalore. The owners of the theater, the Kapoor family are one of the most prolific 'actor-families' in Bombay today - whether in the Theater or in Bollywood.

You may ask as I did - Who comes to watch an intensely dramatic one-woman show at 11 AM on a Sunday morning? Well, the theater was atleast 3/4 full! I was overwhelmed as I took my final bow to a standing ovation!

We were all taken to a fabulous lunch at a fabulous restaurant (I can never remember its name) where we opened a couple of bottles of wine and toasted to a successful tour!

This adventure, journey, experience - however fulfilling - continues as we work our way to more theaters  and performances!

The India Tour - Phase 3 - Pondicherry

The Union Territory of Pondicherry comprises of four coastal regions of which Pondicherry is the capital.  It is known for its special ambiance, not felt anywhere else in India - a blend of spiritual aura, French colonial heritage, Tamil culture and the cosmopolitan flair of many nationalities in a small but varied town. The inherent ambiance of Pondy, as it is fondly called, becomes most evident in the oldest part of the town which flanks the seashore boulevard. Colonial buildings, some which trace back to the 18th century, line along a grid of straight clean street and house the French Institutions, private homes, and the premises of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

We left Bangalore when it was morning rush hour - every vehicle imaginable was on the streets - cars, trucks, buses, bicycles, bikes, scooters, handcarts, and in the midst of it all was our Qualis - all our luggage on top of the car with Peter and the driver in front, David and Tomoko in the back, and Toral and I right at the back on the rear wheels of the car - oh yes, our butts were mush MUCH before we reached our destination!

The car ride itself was beautiful - the different people, clothing, architecture, temples, stores, as we passed from one town to the next off of the highway! In spite of having grown up in India for over 15 years, I felt like a tourist as I joined David and Peter with my camera clicking away the beautiful, smiling  faces, the bright, eager eyes, the vibrant colors, the vast expanses of nature, trying in vain to capture some of the smells and sounds as well!

That day, parts of South India was celebrating a festival of one of their Gods. We slowed down as we passed each town and village intruding on their celebration. The streets were thronged with people, locals and devotees visiting from nearby areas. We got to see the street fairs, the singing and dancing - men, women, children, infants and the elderly - they were all in their element!

As the day progressed we got hungry and Toral had to remind our driver to take us to a 'nice hotel' (In India we often go and eat at hotels, not necessarily call them restaurants) and not some 'dhaba'  (a local food stall)  where we could get hot, cooked food and bottled, mineral water.

Towards evening we were all a bit cranky and sleepy and filled with expectation and wonder about our next city!

As soon as we reached Adishakti in Pondicherry after spending 8 hours on the road, it was like all our exhaustion just dropped - it was dark so we couldn't see much, but just from the silence of the place I figured this was just what we needed.

The next morning we were all filled with a sense of calm as we breathed in the fresh air. We were surrounded by nature! Adishakti is a retreat on the outskirts of Pondicherry run by Artistic Director Veenapani. She calls her theater company of the same name a Laboratory for Theater Arts Research. This is where she rehearses with her company members (resident artists from all over India) for months on end after which they travel and perform all over the world. The ensemble start their physical warm up and rehearsal at 7 am each morning with Kalaripayattu - a martial art form from Kerala.  When guests artists or groups such as ours come to perform, the ensemble gets a break as they help out with the technical requirements of the visiting company. Vinay, Suresh, Arvind, Nimi and Veenapani gave us a very warm welcome! http://www.adishaktitheatrearts.org/

Our show was scheduled for that evening. We set up lights and headed out our different ways. Peter and I went to explore Pondicherry for the afternoon. The last time I had been there was 6 months ago.

The Adishakti grounds are powered by solar energy, all the fruits and vegetables are organic, grown by them, and they have their own cows for milk! We lived in their guest house that had the familiar smell of incense floating around, for two nights. The food was rich, wholesome and relatively spicy, even for me, but delicious, authentic South Indian cuisine! Our eyes watered and our tongues burned, but we still went for seconds!

The space where we performed was not a conventional theater. They do have an amphitheater but because of the rains we performed indoors. This was a huge hall with a big wooden stage that covered the floor of the hall. Sunlight streamed in through the natural windows surrounding three sides of the space. Arvind, one of the ensemble, explained that because there was no air conditioning, the walls were made of fossilized mud thus enabling the walls to breathe and let the air flow through them.

No air conditioning - Hmm - I was thinking about the 3-4 layers that comprise my costume. All thick black cotton - this was going to be fun!

The show went really well considering the fact that it was hot and everyone stayed through the entire performance, including me! The audience sitting on the floor comprised of locals as well as the European and French residents of Pondicherry and Auroville (a French colony conceptualized by The Mother, who took Sri Aurobindo to be her mentor and was instrumental in carrying on his work http://www.auroville.org/) They were all invited to stay for dinner. This informal setting was so welcoming and different from Chennai and Bangalore! I couldn't wait to experience what my hometown Bombay had to offer!

The next morning I made sure I woke up to watch the ensemble rehearse their Kalaripayattu before heading to the beach! This was one thing I craved and looked forward to when I left New York! We couldn't spend much time there - just about an hour - but it was delightfully hot as ever and the water was perfect - just the way I like it!

We had a journey ahead of us - a 3 hour car ride back to Chennai Airport and then a flight back to Bombay - all on the same day!

-- Farah Bala



 

The India Tour - Phase 2 - Bangalore

After a short 1 hour flight to Bangalore from Chennai on the morning of August 4, we were all eager to see our venue for the weekend. The drive from the Bangalore airport gave us a varied picture of the city. It was a first time for me too, and I was looking forward to exploring the city, now known to be the hub for outsourcing companies all over the world.  The traffic congestion was even worse than Bombay. Five of us huddled in a Qualis (the equivalent of an SUV), with the driver at the wheel and our luggage on the roof of the car, we witnessed this city waking up, going about the morning routine and then heading out to work for the rest of the day. Our American guests were shocked and amused as they witnessed the ease with which almost every rule for traffic and road safety was broken by every vehicle on the street, including ours.

Upon arrival at The Cross Roads Inn, we headed to the theater which was 5 minutes away from where we were. The Ranga Shankara Auditorium is a gorgeous 300 seat theater located in the outskirts of Bangalore, that was inspired by the Prithvi Theatre in Bombay. It has been conceptualized and built by Arundhati Nag in memory of her husband, acclaimed actor/director Shankar Nag.

http://www.rangashankara.org/

There was already a buzz about the show. Good ticket sales and lots of inquiries. The theater itself was breathtaking with a solid wooden stage that invited the audience to watch in a semicircle. I had to make note of the stadium seating to make sure my eye level reached the very last row which was pretty high up.

While we were having a delicious lunch at the theater's cafe, the indispensable Vivek Madan was in the middle of setting up lights and creating the ambiance of an interrogation room at JFK for the show. I explained to our American guests how every one in the theater world is so integrated here, irrespective of whether they are officially involved in the production or not. You will never hear anyone say 'Sorry, its not my Job. That was probably my biggest adjustment when I moved from India to America. My theater company was my family in spite of working professionally, whereas in New York I was introduced to the unions. I can now appreciate the reasons why the unions have been put into effect, but it was wonderful to come home and work with family - the transition was effortless!

After a smooth tech we were ready to open the doors! Once again, the sheer exhilaration of being there was enough to drive me through the show. We were scheduled to have Q & A sessions with the writer, director and actor after each show for the rest of the tour. I was very eager to see what kind of feedback we were about to receive.

We saw a varied group of people for each show in Bangalore - Saturday night was the outgoing, hip, theater-loving crowd, Sunday afternoon was the young corporate crowd that had plans after the show (there was a group of 10-15 students from Norway, Finland and other European countries who were on a temporary exchange program studying in Bangalore),  and Sunday evening was a more sombre, older group of people. The overwhelming questions and comments we received could have been from anywhere in the world, and that was what made this whole tour so special - to know that we had affected (in Peter Ratray's words) the human spirit, and not just a political group or ideology.

We had near full houses for all three performances, and witnessed audience members on their cell phones after the shows telling their friends and family about this new play in town from New York that they HAVE to go and see! People came up to Peter, David and myself thanking us for our work - budding actors, budding writers - all inspired!  I was lucky to have people I knew, whether friends or distant family, who were present in every city and came to see the show.

Sunday afternoon was my best show of the tour - I don't know why and I can't really explain it! Let's just say I had the most fun that afternoon, and so did the audience as they stood up to applaud the effort! Sunday evening on the other hand was a different story, and probably my weakest performance (only according to me though, as my director, Peter, strongly disagrees) - everything that could've gone wrong went wrong - props fell off, clothes were ripped off, words got in the way of one another! But then, that's why the theater is so amazing - no two performances are the same!

At the end of the weekend, each of us was presented with a Ranga Shankara t-shirt as a token from their team - we said our goodbyes to everyone at the theater and our indispensable Vivek Madan, as we headed back to the hotel to prepare for a very long journey the next day - an 8 hour car ride from Bangalore to Pondicherry! The adventure continues...

--  Farah Bala

Opening Night in Chennai, India

I met David Meth and his wife Tomoko, and Peter Ratray at The Park Hotel in Chennai on August 2, where we were all put up. That is where Toral Shah (we went to college together where she was a year older than me, at St. Xavier's College, Bombay) from Q Theatre Productions joined us in the capacity of ... well, she was playing various roles - from Company Manager, to Stage Manager, to running lights and sound, to taking care of travel and hospitality - she was in one word, indispensable!

This was the first time The Hindu Festival was trying something new - a double bill - an evening with two shows. To The Death of My Own Family went up first and Bangalore city's Harami Theatre performed Butter and Mashed Banana after the intermission.  Each group was allotted 3 hours of tech time in the theatre the day of the show.

So on the 2nd, we all went to the opening night of the festival where the Chorus Repertory Theatre from Manipur, India was performing Nine Hills One Valley - a haunting theatrical production that used allegory to confront the turmoil and troubles that are consuming Manipur. Ratan Thiyam — the celebrated director, playwright, musician and painter whose plays are routinely showcased all over the world — calls it a “poem by birth, a collage of many ideas without a conventional plot.”

The venue for the festival in Chennai was The Music Academy, a 1600 seat auditorium built primarily for music concerts and as one of the volunteers told me, the dream of every musician to play at that venue, like mine is to perform at the BAM in New York City one day. To have performed there, for any musician,  is to have 'arrived'.

We entered the theatre that day to see the Chorus Repertory in the middle of their tech rehearsal. I walked in and all the fatigue, jet lag, stress was replaced by exhilaration! I couldn't wait to get on that stage.  I looked around and my heart skipped a beat! This was going to be my biggest audience ever. 900 seats in the balcony and 700 in the orchestra area. We got a confirmation later in the week  that our show had sold 1200 tickets!

Nine Hills One Valley was an amazing spectacle! An ensemble of approximately 25 performers, they were at their best that night, in spite of having spent over 20 hours on a delayed train on their way to Chennai that day from Manipur.

The next day, we were to be in the theatre for our tech that afternoon. Director Peter Ratray, tired from his very long flight and lack of sleep never showed any of it. Kudos to Vivek Madan, a theatre artist from Bangalore playing the lead in Butter and Mashed Banana. He spent the full day in the theatre, first focusing lights for his show in the morning, then helped Toral with our show, subsequently ran lights for our show that evening and then performed in Butter and Mashed Banana. The next morning he was with us at the Chennai airport to accompany us to Bangalore to help us with our shows there that weekend.

Performing at the Music Academy was an amazing experience for me - The stages at each of the theatres we have been to all over India have been as different as they were beautiful! It has been a privilege! Except for the technical aspect of it, the show went very smoothly. Because it is a very physical show, the lapel mike I was wearing became a bit of a distraction, but the show did go on!

Butter and Mashed Banana was having their cast party that night which they invited us all to, but we headed back to the hotel to prepare for an early morning flight the next day along with our first performance in Bangalore that evening! The India Tour of  To The Death of My Own Family had officially begun!

-- Farah Bala

The India Tour of 'To The Death of My Own Family' - A journey, An adventure!

What started as a ten-minute monologue a little more than two years ago is now a full length show that has toured New York, Connecticut and most recently India for a national tour (August 3 - August 12 in Chennai, Bangalore, Pondicherry and Bombay)

We ended our most thrilling adventure last week and are still getting over how amazing the whole experience has been. The 'we' is David Meth, the writer and Peter Ratray, the director. David's wife Tomoko joined us as well.

My theater company, Q Theater Productions, along with our generous sponsors Yes Bank, and the Hindu MetroPlus Theater Festival in Chennai, India were instrumental in bringing our show down this August.

Originally from Bombay, I try and go home once in two years - I still have family and friends there. But this was the first time in the 6 years that I had been away that I was going there for work - as a professional actress with a one-woman show. The emotional roller coaster that I have experienced is hard to define - I was and still remain speechless!

Our first city was Chennai - where we were performing at the Hindu MetroPlus Theater Festival - a national festival of much acclaim that brings down productions from all over the world. We were from New York, (there were groups from all over India as well) along with the Pegasus Players from Chicago, Familie Floz from Berlin and The Stages Theater Group from Colombo, among others. http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2007/07/23/stories/2007072350460100.htm

The Chennai show was on August 3 and we had a tech the previous day. I had flown into Bombay from New York a few days earlier in the hope of recovering from my jet lag. But my company (Q Theater Productions) put me on a two day schedule of interviews, photo shoots and meets-and-greets.

I have to digress here - we formed this company, Q Theater Productions in 1999 - a young group of theater enthusiasts who wanted to make the youth more involved in the theater scene in Bombay.

Since then we all moved on, I came to New York to pursue an MFA in Theater from Sarah Lawrence College, others went to study further in the field, or pursue careers that actually paid money - Paris, London, New York,  Bombay, Delhi - we were all over the place, but everyone always seemed to find a way to come back and do something. I came back this August - not as a friend, or a former company member, but as a professional working with other professionals - and that was the biggest thrill - In the absence of Unions, Agents, Rules and Regulations we came together to create something - My training met their years of experience - we had all grown in our own way and we came together and spoke a common language. It has been a matter of pride to go through this journey with them. Thank you - Quasar, Toral, Christopher, Nadir, Yuki, Karl, Arghya, Advait!

-- Farah Bala