Bringing Theater back to Life and Laughter

This weekend was the perfect weekend for creative indulgence. Shunya Theater’s A Widow of No Importance debuted on Friday March 28th, 2014 at Studio 101 and will run till April 6, 2014. This unconventional romantic comedy was the perfect example that theater and drama is still alive as the packed room was rolling with bouts of laughter.

The play is directed by Yaksha Bhatt and Sara Kumar, and stars Yaksha Bhatt, Rishi Goswami, Oindrila Hazra, Deeba Ashraf and Prateek Karkal. The protagonist Deepa (played by Yaksha Bhatt) very efficiently balances her role from being a serious dutiful widow to a comic character very effectively conveying a strong message that a woman has needs and she is a woman before she is a daughter, wife or mother. Vinod (played by Rishi Goswami) the male lead role was superb and most certainly the apple of every one’s eye for his sweet innocent boy next door character. He was funny without being over imposing.

The story was set in Mumbai playing many references to Houston, Texas and touching various sensitive topics like widow re-marriage, arranged marriage, companionship, love, and motherhood with the changing times.

Houston based businessman, writer and philanthropist Pradeep Anand calls it “very funny”. “A Widow of No Importance is a hilarious, laugh-a-minute comedy that is performed with such confidence and class that it deserves to be a sitcom on American TV,” comments Pradeep.

Shunya Theatre (founded in 2001) has been a Houston-based anchor for South Asian theater and actors. This production is its first in 2014. The play is being performed from March 29, 2014 to April 6, 2014; Friday & Saturday at 8pm; Sunday at 3pm. Location: Studio 101, 1824 Spring St.,Houston, TX 77007. For more information and reservations, please visit www.shunyatheatre.org.