Desi Drama: The First South Asian Theatre Conference
Schedule of Events
July 19th, 6:00 pm to 6:30 pm | Registration
July 19th, 6:30pm to 9:30 pm | Welcome Dinner
Rev. Phil Blackwell will host a dinner in honor of the conference attendees at his penthouse in the Chicago Temple Building where Silk Road Theatre Project is located. Guests from Chicago’s leading civic and philanthropic organizations will be in attendance to welcome the conference participants.
July 20th, 8:30 am to 9:00 am | Breakfast
July 20th, 9:00 am to 10:30 am | Introductory Session
Words of welcome and introductory remarks from conference co-hosts, Malik Gillani and Jamil Khoury. Each participant will introduce him/herself. You will be asked to present a brief overview of your background and identify goals and desired outcomes for the conference.
July 20th, 10:30 am to 10:45 am | Break
July 20th, 10:45 am to 12:15 pm | Oxymoron or the Perfect Match: Trailing a Path from Social Stigma to Super Stardom
In this session we will discuss the intra-communal challenges of being a South Asian American theatre artist and explore strategies for confronting the expectations of our families, our communities, and ourselves. The particular challenges faced by South Asian American women in theatre will also be addressed.
July 20th, 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm | Lunch
July 20th, 1:15 pm to 2:45 pm | Between “Here” and “There”: the Geography of South Asian American Theatre
In this session we will discuss the importance of creating an authentic canon of South Asian American plays. Should such a canon celebrate the cultures and stories of “back home” or reflect the realities of Diaspora? What makes for an authentically South Asian voice? Roles written by South Asians vs. roles written for South Asians. How do we integrate hybrid and mixed blood experiences, along with the phenomena of a rapidly globalizing world, into our collective voices?
July 20th, 2:45 pm to 3:00 pm | Break
July 20th, 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm | Finding our Audience
In this session we will discuss the unique challenges of creating audiences for South Asian American art within (a) our South Asian communities and (b) non-South Asian communities. How do we move beyond Bollywood or traditional folklore and still attract a loyal audience?
July 20th, 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm | Reflection
July 20th, 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Dinner and Entertainment
July 21st, 8:30 am to 9:00 am | Breakfast
July 21st, 9:00 am to 10:30 am | Funding & Donor Cultivation
In this session we will discuss how to make the case for funding South Asian American theatre. Topics will include: navigating the differences between foundation giving, corporate giving, state/federal giving, and individual giving; the difficulties of fundraising for theatre within our South Asian communities; linking South Asian art to product marketing; aligning our agendas with the agendas of potential funders; and the unique challenges of raising funds for solo work.
July 21st, 10:30 am to 10:45 am | Break
July 21st, 10:45 am to 12:15 pm | Getting Professional
In this session we will examine the challenges and rewards of professionalizing our companies and organizations. What are the pros and cons of going Equity? Non Profit vs. For Profit? Can emerging companies pay artists a decent wage? How do we entice higher profile playwrights and directors to work with us? How do we pursue partnerships with larger organizations without being made the “junior partner”? What does it mean to run a “tight ship”? Weighing the realities and pros and cons of self-producing.
July 21st, 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm | Lunch
July 21st, 1:15 pm to 2:45 pm | Art & Activism: the Social and Political Responsibilities of Being a South Asian American Artist
In this session, we will explore our roles as both artists and activists. Does such a duality exist? Do we as artists have a responsibility to advocate for social change within our often resistant communities? How do questions of war and peace, civil liberties, race, class, gender, and sexuality impact our art? How do we support feminist and queer artists in a socially conservative context? What types of alliances should South Asian American artists be building with other minority communities?
July 21st, 2:45 pm to 3:00 pm | Break
July 21st, 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm | Nurturing a Nascent Movement
In this session we will explore strategies for building and sustaining a South Asian American theatre movement. Topics will include: developing and nurturing actors, playwrights, directors, producers, designers, and dramaturges of South Asian backgrounds; establishing our own theatre companies vs. integrating into existing theatre companies; the debate over non-traditional casting; and breaking into the mainstream.
July 21st, 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm | Reflection
July 21st, 6:00pm to 10:00 pm | Dinner and Entertainment
July 22nd, 8:30am to 9am | Breakfast
July 22nd, 9am to 11:00am | Next Steps: Building a National Network
In this session we will brainstorm ideas and identify necessary steps for building a national network of South Asian American theatre artists. Should we create a common web site for South Asian American theatre nationally? How do we define “support”? How can we promote each other’s projects and shows? How can we collaborate on projects in different cities? What are the advantages and risks of co-producing?