Yadav also performs in the play, in Maryland.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: The Round House Theatre in Silver Spring, Maryland is currently running a fantasy play entitled “Meena’s Dream,” written by desi playwright Anu Yadav.
A renowned artist in the local theater scene, Yadav, 36, has been awarded the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an annual grant given to theater professionals in the area, 11 times over the course of her career. She is perhaps best known for her one-woman show entitled “’Capers,” which premiered in 2004 to near-universal acclaim.
Her newest play, “Meena’s Dream,” is about a nine year-old girl who is afflicted with a debilitating, life-threatening illness. As a way to cope, she begins dreaming about Lord Krishna coming to save her from the Worry Machine, a malevolent being that Meena imagines is causing not only her sickness, but the sadness that has plagued her family, particularly her mother. The strength Meena gains from her visions is the driving narrative behind the play, which is filled with religious and thematic subtexts.
For Yadav, the play is partly autobiographical. She lost her father at the tender young age of 12, which left her mother as the sole bread-winner of the family. Yadav’s mother worked several jobs and even attended night classes to help advance her career and provide for Yadav and her brother, straining herself so much that Yadav worried she might die, too.
To cope, Yadav would escape into fantasies, which is exactly what Meena does in the play. Yadav, who was raised largely in Iowa, hopes that the play’s message of optimism and hopefulness in the face of daunting odds resonates with audiences.
Yadav eventually went on to earn a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from the University of Maryland at College Park last May, and joined the Forum Theatre last year as an ensemble actor. A performer for just over a decade, Yadav’s new 80-minute play may be her most personal, and most uplifting, yet.
“Meena’s Dream” is playing up through January 18. Below is a clip of the play, performed by Yadav herself:
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com