FREE OUTGOING

A play in English by Anupama Chandrasekhar

Directed by Basab Pradhan

Produced by Sindu Singh

December 3–11, 2016, Sunnyvale Theatre

First performed at the Royal Court Theatre, Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Sloane Square, London on 8 November 2007.

Chennai, India. Present Day.  Deepa is every parent's dream. A star student. Hard working. Loved by her teachers. Headed towards a bright future.

Deepa is also that unlucky girl.  The one whose sole sexual indiscretion with a boy in her class is captured on a mobile phone camera and goes viral. Aspirations and hopes are crushed as she first becomes the target of her community's outrage. And then a nation's outrage.

In this age of unfettered technology and a generation that is fighting to define itself against a backdrop of traditional conservatism, Free Outgoing is a lens into every parent's nightmare.

English | 90 mins | Age 12+

Parental Guidance – Some language. There are only references to the video. It is never shown – there is no dramatization or graphic content. We encourage parents to bring their teenagers to see the play.

Sindu Singh has acted in multiple productions with various Bay Area theatre companies. She recently directed Mahesh Dattani's Dance Like a Man in which she essayed the character of Ratna. Her other notable roles include Khulsoom in Wajahat Ali's The Domestic Crusaders, Damyanti Rane in Mahesh Elkunchwar's Party, Bagheera in Harish Agastya's Mowgli and I, Sarita in Vijay Tendulkar's Kamla, Hamida Begum in Asghar Wajahat's Jis Lahore Nahin Vekhya O Jammyai Nahin, Bhagwati in Divided Together, Sukanya Chakraborty's adaptation of Girish Karnad's Hayavadana for Stanford's Winter Repertory and the dual roles of Indal and Mahil in Swang Nautanki Mandali's Indal Haran performed by invitation at UT Austin. She lent her voice as narrator to Birbal and the Palace Thief, an innovative children's app for the iPad and iPhone. In 2013, Sindu founded 'Rangmanch', a South Asian theatre group for the Stanford University community, and for the group's maiden production, she directed Yoni ki Baat, the South Asian version of Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues.  She regularly emcees cultural events and has featured in poetry recitations and dance narrations.

Sindu is a Co-founder and Director of Bay Area Drama Company.

Rohan Rangarajan is a high schooler with a penchant for acting. He has performed in several English plays at school including Taming of the Shrew (Petruchio) and Oliver Twist, a musical. He was also part of an ensemble cast in the historical Tamil play Sivakamiyin Sabadam. Aside from acting, Rohan enjoys basketball and music.

Neil Vasant has been a lifelong, avid theatre fan and is finally making the move from audience member to performer in the current BAD Company production of Free Outgoing. He trained formally for two years at the American Academy of Dramatic Art in New York and has appeared in commercial print ads. He is an aspiring writer with a few projects in the works, including a one-act thriller and a satire about current world affairs.

Originally from Bombay, Diya Parial is a theatre enthusiast. While Diya dabbled in acting in her school years, her exposure to the performing arts began in earnest when she joined the Executive Committee of the Indian Music Group at St Xavier’s College, where she learned first-hand how to put together a large scale Hindustani classical musical program.  She resurrected her interest in backstage work with BAD Company as a production crew member in Dance Like a Man last December, and most recently, as co-producer of The Domestic Crusaders in May. Diya is now exploring yet another aspect of her passion for theatre with her upcoming role in Free Outgoing.

Prapti Oswal has been passionate about theatre since she was a child. She has trained professionally as an actor in Pune. Her recent credits include Kamla at the Feminine Frontier Foundation directed by Mahrukh Bharucha, a clown in Noses are Red, a corrupt politician in Tajmahal ka Tender and a role in the short film Jhappiyaan-Pass: The Hug.

Pratish Shah has been a theatre enthusiast all his life and has enacted small roles in skits during his school and college days. While dabbling in poetry and blogging in recent years, Pratish got involved with the Bay Area South Asian theatre scene and was double cast in a staged reading of Donna Hoke’s Safe. He joined BAD Company's production team as Lead Sets Coordinator in Dance Like A Man and then served as co-producer in The Domestic Crusaders. Free Outgoing is his first main stage performance.

Akshaya Ganesh’s passion for acting began at a very young age. Born into a family of artists and performers, she quickly learned the excitement of being on stage and would put on backyard shows for anyone who would watch. While earning a Bachelor’s in Science, she double majored in Theater and Dance and participated in multiple college productions. Most recently, she acted in Chillu, a Tamil science fiction play staged in the Bay Area and San Diego last year. A technology consultant by day and performer by night, Akshaya is thrilled to be a part of Free Outgoing with the support of her loving family.

Crew

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