The Elephant in the Room
Written by and featuring Priyanka Shetty*
Presented by Cleveland Public Theatre and Federation of India Community Associations Cleveland
November 14, 2024 - November 17, 2024
7:00pm Thur/Fri/Sat and 3:00pm Sun, James Levin Theatre.
VIP tickets for this production must be purchased through Federation of India Community Associations Cleveland (FICA) by contacting FICA members Ritu - 1 (216) 577-3210 or Mala - 1 (216) 533 5769.
Reserved seating is $100 and $50, and general admission tickets for this production should be purchased through Cleveland Public Theatre utilizing CPT's Choose-What-You-Pay option online using the "Tickets" button below, or over the phone at 216.631.2727 ext. 501.
Unapologetically Indian, Irreverently American, "One-Woman Wonder" Priyanka Shetty's The Elephant in the Room is a witty, dark comedy about just your typical Indian metalhead and software-engineer-turned-actor who must navigate life as an immigrant arriving in Trump's America. When Priyanka makes the bold move to defy her family by quitting her IT job and moving to the U.S. to pursue an acting career, things don’t quite turn out how she imagined. The play navigates Priyanka's real-life journey as she transitions from her deeply embedded roots in India to finding context and common ground in America. Gear up for a funny, tumultuous ride through immiscible cultures, unforgettable love, irreparable loss, and the desperation of not belonging anywhere.
*Actor appears courtesy of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
The James Levin Theatre is ADA-compliant featuring a patron elevator and an all-gender, wheelchair accessible restroom.
The Creative Production Team Includes:
PERFORMER AND PLAYWRIGHT: Priyanka Shetty
DIRECTOR: Suli Holum
ORIGINAL DIRECTION & DRAMATURGY: Theresa M. Davis
LIGHTING DESIGNER: Julie Briski
SOUND DESIGNER: Natali D. Merill
COMPOSER: Heather Mease
COSTUME DESIGN: Katherine Stefl
ADDITIONAL COSTUME DESIGN: Leigh Paradise
SCENIC DESIGN: Dirk Durossette
DRAMATURGY: Lavina Jadhwani
ABOUT PLAYWRIGHT/PERFORMER PRIYANKA SHETTY
Priyanka Shetty is an award-winning actor, director, and playwright based in Philadelphia, PA. Her critically acclaimed one-woman show The Elephant in the Room has been performed at numerous venues across the country including The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts and was staged at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe as part of the Assembly Festival which was followed by a Scotland Tour. Priyanka made her Off-Broadway debut with #CHARLOTTESVILLE at the Drama Desk award-winning 59E59 Theaters’ “East to Edinburgh” Festival in 2021. She was also handpicked for the prestigious Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive in 2021, and was the semi-finalist for the 2022 Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. Priyanka earned a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Virginia and has served on the faculty of the University of Virginia’s Department of Drama. www.priyankashetty.com
THIS IS ONE YOU JUST CANNOT MISS.
Shetty’s dynamic one-woman show where audiences immediately become a friend and a part of her backstage ritual.
It’s an intense, emotional ride about cultural differences, so many challenges, love and loss, and not giving up. You’ll leave the theatre feeling braver, bolder, hopeful.
-Brenda Hillegas, Go Home Philly
SHETTY IS FORMIDABLE IN THIS ONE-WOMAN SHOW
She questions her duality, all the while adamant in her rebellion and sense of belonging.
There is levity in Shetty’s declaration of love for metal and her mocking of Indian aunties who like to have a say on absolutely everything, but elsewhere we are immersed in the melancholy of gendered hierarchies and racial bias.
Shetty is a formidable performer, who succeeds in switching from humour to rage in a mere minute as she recounts the knock-backs, hostility and sadness with which she navigates the world of the arts and the so-called American Dream.
-Arusa Qureshi, Fest
MESMERIZING!
Priyanka’s performance is bold… she tells her truth and does so exceedingly well. She frequently speaks to the audience and the audience members laugh in appreciation of her travails.
Tales of racism and near despair are replaced by hope and determination. I found The Elephant in the Room mesmerizing.
-Judy Cohen, Beyond My Backyard
Photo by Teresa Castracane
Photos by Johanna Austin