Virtual Zoom Workshops
Art in the time of COVID-19 means trying to strike a careful balance between creating meaningful and participatory art while not giving into capitalist pressures of productivity. We’ve (as in Fresh Lime Soda Productions) found that collaboration can be really generative in trying times, so we produced a series of critical workshops and staged readings by local playwrights, facilitated by us. I produced and facilitated these staged readings! Having our workshops online allowed us to reach audiences in the Maldives, Singapore, Pakistan, Malaysia, India, Canada, the UK, and all across the US.
We have facilitated workshops and/or staged readings for: "Minute Decision" by Hira Ismail, “Motion Sickness” by Anya Prakash, “Misconception” by Fareeda Ahmed, and “Haazireen: To those Who are Present” by Muneera Batool. Our Theater as Resistance series staged “Ravayana” by Dhinesha Karthigesu, “All That Matters” by Hira Ismail, and “The Grand March” by Pooja Sivaraman. Our Theater as Catharsis series is currently staging “Catcall” by Nayna Agrawal, “Within Distance” by Anooj Bhandari, and “Honey in the Mountains” by Nilofer Rolston. These plays are all original works exploring colonialism, queerness, love, rewriting Hinduism, rewriting Islam, COVID-19, modern Indian fascism, and the mundane, comedic, profane. We love participatory
We also have hosted a series of watch parties, where we watch, discuss, and critique contemporary South Asian diasporic media, from Indian Matchmaking to Never Have I Ever. Enjoy these Zoom screenshots, and flyers I spent way too long making!
