By: James Lindhorst

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Indian Ink Theater Company Join Together to Bring a Delightfully Immersive and Unique Theatrical Experience to the Stage.

The Repertory Theatre of St Louis has teamed up with New Zealand based Indian Ink Theatre Company to stage a joyous celebration of Indian culture. Mrs. Krishnan’s Party comically commemorates the Indian harvest festival Onam with music, dance, and a delicious Dal peppered with a bit of kindhearted humanity.

Onam is the traditional Indian festival honoring the legend of King Mahabali sent to the netherworld by Lord Vishnu. The revered Hindu King is remembered as a just and fair ruler who symbolizes happiness, equality, selflessness, and community among people of all faiths and nationalities.

The creatively comedic duo of Kalyani Nagarajan and Justin Rogers introduce us to the lovable and tightly wound Mrs. Krishnan and her daffy boarder James. He is a fly by the seat of your pants party guy and the anthesis to Mrs. Krishnan’s rigidity and need for structure.

The brilliance in Mrs. Krishnan’s dinner party stems from Nagarajan and Rogers’ skills blending scripted narrative storytelling with off-the-cuff improvisation, all while cooking a pot of dal. The audience, who are the party guests, require the versatile comedians to flex based on audience response. Nagarajan and Rogers’ ability to recall audience names and the details about specific individuals is impressive. They are two improvisationalists at the top of their craft.

Director and writer Justin Lewis, and his co-writer Jacob Rajan, have created an immersive and participatory theatrical event that involves the everyone in audience in very non-threatening ways. Even the most reserved and introverted audience members have relevant participatory tasks that does not place them uncomfortably in the spotlight.

The evening ends with the entire audience supping together on Indian cuisine. The actors plate up dal and greet each of their guests as they serve Mrs. Krishnan’s delicious dish. Mrs. Krishnan and James are lovely and lively hosts bringing a room of strangers together in a sense of community fitting for the celebration of the beloved Hindu King.

Experience this wonderfully unique, immersive, and intimate theatrical event.