Tisch Drama Alumni in Politics
Thank you to my alma mater, NYU Tisch for featuring me in their monthly spotlight on Tisch Drama Alumni in Politics!
ZORA - How South Asian Voters Shaped the 2020 Election
Honored to be featured in this thorough and beautifully written Zora article on South Asian Americans in the 2020 Election, speaking on behalf of Chalo Vote!, alongside fellow organizers at Ismailis Rise Up, AAPI Victory Fund, And South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), as well as South Asian American politicians. Check out the full article here!
Chalo Vote!
Honored to be consulting with this new non-profit, non-partisan organization mobilizing South Asian American voters for the 2020 election, and beyond! Check out this video I produced, alongside some of my most respectable South Asian American friends, colleagues, and change-makers, and visit chalo.vote for more information, as well as multi-lingual voter guides for the key swing states of Pennsylvania and Michigan!
Nithya for the City
Now more than ever, we as a nation are understanding the importance of our personal political power. In my activism work, I have always believed that local organizing, be it community-based and/or electoral politics, is where movements begin and end. I’m proud to support and be a part of Nithya Raman’s campaign for LA City Council District 4 and I hope you will join me. There are many ways to get involved as a volunteer in her campaign to make necessary change in this city. One way to support today is to donate directly. If you are an LA resident, your donation will be matched 6 to 1 (up to $114). Regardless of where you live, it is important to support grassroots organizing and people powered campaigns that really serve your communities. Thank you in advance for your generosity and make sure to get your vote-by-mail ballot in, or make a safe voting plan by November 3rd, 2020! To stay up to date on organizations to support, additional resources, and my personal work, follow along on Twitter and Instagram as well.
IAMA Playwrights Under 30 Lab: Catholic All Girls School
Excited to be reading in Adriana Santos’s original play Catholic All Girls School, directed by Kate Sullivan, as part of IAMA Theatre Company’s Playwrights Under 30 Lab! Register to watch live on Zoom, on Sunday July 26th at 5pm PST.
ShoutoutLA
Thanks for the “shoutout”! ShoutoutLA connected with me on my background, career, and how I’m shaping into who I am, as well as my favorite local vegan hangs in LA!
I've Been Thinking Podcast
Had the honor of speaking with Bryetta Calloway on her podcast “I’ve Been Thinking.” Take a listen to our conversation on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, where we discuss this moment in the movement, calling out and getting to the roots of anti-Blackness in other communities of color, the intersections of identity, politics, and performance, and navigating the balance of art and activism as artists of color in the entertainment industry.
Freedom: A Letter to Our Families
For those struggling to find words to open up the conversations around white supremacy, Black Lives Matter, and defunding the police with their South Asian American families, I contributed a poem to Letters for Black Lives on Medium, entitled “Freedom: A Letter to Our Families.” Take a read, and if it resonates, maybe share with your folks as a jumping off point from which to move forward. For more resources, continue to follow my pages on Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook, as well as Black-led social justice organizations.
Much Ado About Nothing - Virtual Reading
In this strange and uncertain time, I’m honored to be joining the all South Asian cast of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing this upcoming Sunday, May 31st at 2pm PT/5pm ET, playing the role of Margaret. Check out this article on Broadway World with information on how to register for the link and attend from home!
Station 19 Episode 311
Loved making my Shondaland debut on Station 19’s Episode 311 “No Days Off.” The episode aired April 2, 2020.
Spinsterhood @ Asian American International Film Festival
Jhanvi Motla’s Spinsterhood, featuring Nikita Chaudhry, will be screening as part of the Asian American International Film Festival “Beyond Queer” shorts presentation at the Asia Society in New York City, this Saturday July 27th at 2:15pm. For tickets, please visit this link.
Indian Wedding LA
Performing my original piece, Little Brown Girl, at Indian Wedding LA tomorrow, Saturday June 1st evening at 8pm at Three Clubs in Hollywood! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here.
VoyageLA
Thank you VoyageLA for sharing my story!
I talk a lot about my journey into the arts and activism, as well as the important role of my family’s support, how I got into fitness, how we should talk more about mental health...and a lot of other things because if you give me the mic, I'm gonna use it! Read full article here.
You're the Worst Episode 502
It was fun being popping into “You’re the Worst” on FX with Aya Cash, directed by Stephen Falk! Episode 502 aired Wednesday, January 16, 2019.
Keeping Up With The Prozorovs @ The Hollywood Fringe
I'm thrilled to share that I will be performing in Keeping Up With The Prozorovs, written by fellow NYU alum Lucy Gillespie, for the month of June as part of the Hollywood Fringe festival! The play follows Chekhov's Three Sisters as they finally make it to Moscow...and then become the Kardashians. We have officially opened with tickets available here. While we have sold out most of our shows, there is a waitlist available! Dates and location below. Hope to see you there!
McCadden Theatre, 1157 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Sunday June 3rd @ 2pm
Saturday June 9th @ 11:55pm
Saturday June 16th @ 8pm
Sunday June 17 @ 9pm
Saturday June 23rd @ 10pm
PS: Check out our review as one of the highly recommended shows of the Fringe!
The Other Showcase - Tisch Alumni Diversity Showcase in LA
On Monday, February 5th at The Pico, I will be performing alongside fellow NYU Tisch alumni artists with whom I have had the pleasure of collaborating to specifically showcase the under-heard and underrepresented voices of womxn, LGBTQ folk, and people of color. Along with the alumni writers, filmmakers, producers, and actors, I personally had the privilege of working with LA Showrunners Danny Rose and Lizzy Weiss on two separate scripts ("Exceeding Weight Limits," by Jasmine Johnson and "Tribes" by Taniya Hossain respectively), as well as actor and director (and Tisch alum!) Keith Powell. For more information about the showcase, and for bookings here in LA, please see The Other Showcase website or contact me directly.
Maybelline
The print photo from the Maybelline ad I did earlier this year is now online! The photo matches Fit Me Foundation color, "Rich Tan."
Photographer: Stephan Alessi
Women's Convention
After finally having time to reflect and process, I can say that co-organizing the Women's Convention alongside an incredibly committed, passionate, and generous team was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had to date. I served as the lead for Social Justice City, the communal centerpiece of the convention. Social Justice City was an exhibition hall that hosted national and local organizations, sponsors, vendors, state organizers and programming, an open mic and interactive arts programming. The impact of bringing this community together was indescribable, and I am lucky to have been a part of the national organizing team. There was no better city than Detroit for this particular convention, and I'm thrilled we were able to connect so closely to the local community. To learn more about the programming that occurred at the Women's Convention 2017, please see the official website, as well as follow @WomensMarch on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for a continuation of the movement, and learn more ways on how to be a part of the resistance.
American AF Festival
I was thrilled to speak on the opening night panel at the American AF Festival, "So We American Now, Huh?: People of Color Creating Art in a Country Built on Our Backs." The festival is 3 weeks long and is closing this week so be sure to visit the website, americanaf.org to see what you can catch and support artists and art by black, brown, queer, radical, trans, indigenous, alternately-abled American bodies!
Performing at the Critical Therapy Center's 5 Year Anniversary
This Thursday, September 14th, I will be performing my original full length piece, "Little Brown Girl," at the Critical Therapy Center's 5 Year Anniversary. The center uses counseling to create opportunities for healing, liberation, and empowerment. The event is a great opportunity to learn about the work that they do, as well as meet some awesome people working to change the world! Tickets are on a sliding scale, and can be purchased here.