Bringing Beyond Bollywood to Life: An Interview with Ali Miller & Anirudh Srirangam
Two actors perform their skit at Beyond Bollywood
(Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center/ Lyric Grimes)
Last year, Living Beyond Bollywood premiered at Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation at the National Museum of Natural History. Performed by the South Asian Performing Arts Network and Institute (SAPAN), the play offered museum visitors a glimpse into Indian American history, art, and culture and was later awarded the Jon Lipsky Playwriting Award for Excellence in Museum Theater. This summer, Living Beyond Bollywood returned once more to Beyond Bollywood. On August 8 and 15, visitors can catch SAPAN’s last performances.
I interviewed two creators of the play: Ali Miller and Anirudh Srirangam. Ali Miller (director) specializes in community-engaged, devised theatre. She is a member of the International Museum Theatre Alliance. Anirudh Srirangam (actor) is a board member and co-executive director of SAPAN.
What books have fortified you as a writer?
AM: I think I’ve been most inspired by plays. And, actually, the first piece of museum theatre I ever saw was at a Smithsonian museum. It made a big impression on me—I saw it three times.
It was written for the Woolworth’s counter at the American History Museum—a sit-in training. It’s very effective. You see a nod to that piece in ours [Living Beyond Bollywood].
What inspired you to write this play? How has writing this play changed you as a writer and as a person?
AS: The idea of telling untold stories inspired me.
AM: Yes and the history of the exhibit is hugely compelling. Imagining what it was like to live during those dark and shining moments of history…I couldn’t wait to get those characters in front of museum visitors. Especially, if it would increase the impact of this important exhibit in any way.
I would say the other major point of inspiration for me was the trust of my colleagues—and that’s two-fold. The original cast and I created the script by a method called devising. Many scenes began as improvisations the actors did in rehearsals. Some scenes were informed by stories the original ensemble members shared about their own experiences as Indians or Indian Americans. The process requires a great deal of trust, as you can imagine.
The second piece is this: I do not identify as Indian or Indian American, so my colleagues’ trust in me to help tell these stories has meant a great deal. I am profoundly honored by it. I think the relationships we’ve built amongst the ensemble and [with] Curator Masum Momaya say something beautiful about the nature of community and collaboration. Really, that’s a transformational notion that I won’t ever forget.
As you can probably tell by the length of my answer, this has been a remarkable project for me both personally and professionally. The last piece of evidence I will offer is that I am now totally and completely in love with museum theatre. It is a blissful and formerly unknown home for my deepest values as an artist and I am so grateful to have found it.
What were the early influences on your writing and how do you think they manifested in your writing?
AM: I am such a rabid story-consumer, I am sure I’ve internalized all manner of tricks and treats from writers I admire. Sometimes I think about devices—oh, a Greek chorus works well for this play or let’s nod to the Romeo and Juliet balcony scene, but otherwise I am pretty comfortable with some mystery between the conscious and unconscious parts of my writing mechanism.
What challenges did you face while trying to write this play?
AS: The challenge of selecting which historical facts we would dramatize.
AM: Yes. Definitely. Here’s another. Masum came to some of our rehearsals to give us feedback on the shape the show was taking. She could have a second career as a dramaturg [a literary editor for a theater] as far as I am concerned. She has amazing instincts about what is theatrically potent. Anyway, a couple weeks before we needed to lock the script, Masum saw the fifteen-minute piece we’d been shooting for and really thought we should double the length. We were flattered, but panicked. We tried our best to devise the three pieces we felt would complete a longer version of the show, but I think we were just exhausted. I ended up having to write the first drafts of those three scenes in a room by myself. We made changes in collaboration and we are all so proud of the results, but that was definitely a challenging two weeks.
Are the hardships and experiences featured in the play reflective of real life/real life people/ experiences?
AS: Oh, absolutely. While we didn’t have the luxury of firsthand accounts for many of the scenes, we did have great historical text from the exhibit and other sources to help us really imagine the travails of these characters.
If you could change anything about the play what would it be?
AM: I think the play would be better if Anirudh had a monologue in every scene. Ha! Really, I am a perfectionist, so I am always thinking of things to tweak in the script. Luckily, wanting to maintain the actors’ sanity keeps me from changing their lines during the run…
What are you working on now?
AS: SAPAN is hosting a music showcase in the fall. And stay tuned for an announcement about our full-length production incorporating music, theatre and dance. That will perform sometime in Spring of 2016.
AM: I am trying to figure out how I can write for a museum again!
Catch Living Beyond Bollywood on August 8 and 15 at the National Museum of Natural History and vote for Beyond Bollywood in the Smithsonian Showdown.
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