We stand with Black Lives Matter.

As a theatre group our artists are predominantly from South Asia and within that group a majority are immigrants. Collectively, our lived experiences don’t match those of African-Americans. But we have all seen what oppression and systemic discrimination look like. There’s plenty of it in our countries of origin, based upon religion and caste. The anger of the Black American that this has gone on, unchecked, for too long, feels righteous. We unequivocally, vehemently support Black Lives Matter.

As a small theatre company, what else can we do besides raising our voice? We are committed to diversity. Multi-ethnic casts and crews are an important aspect of BADCo and we will be even more mindful in the future.

We don’t typically write essays about the issues of our time. We let our theater do the talking. So I can’t think of a better way to end this piece than with some theater - a video recording of the monologue at the end of Rahul Varma’s Counter Offence, directed by Sindu Singh. We staged this powerful play about race and police brutality in 2017. Here it is. The transcript is below.

”The man shouldn't have hit his wife, and I didn't know the answer to his problem or how to make him stop! But that didn't give a police officer the right to racially bully him. It is as simple as that. I still don't feel safe as a citizen in this country. If my car is at a red light and I see a cop car behind me, I want him to know, I want to reassure him, that I have broken no law. Because I know, I know, that the cops are in the habit of prejudging us. Philando Castile, Sureshbhai Patel, Charleena Lyles, Jordan Edwards, Michael Brown, Jacqueline Salyers - the list goes on. The result is always the same - we are shot dead, or paralyzed and our spirits are crushed again and again. And the police officers? Juries across the country acquit these police officers again and again. Is this justice? That is why, we must continue to raise our voices against racial injustice. And that is why I will continue to raise my voice, ladies and gentlemen. I will continue to fight for what is right. Now and in the future. “

– Basab Pradhan, Co-Artistic Director