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.
This production offers limited reserved seats near the stage for $50 each. All other seats are Choose-What-You-Pay, starting at $1 and will be offered online, over the phone, and at the Box Office.
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