APOLOGIES TO THE BENGALI LADY Sets Premiere At The Tank

The Tank presents the World Premier of Apologies to the Bengali Lady, written by Anya Banerjee, directed by Lani Dibba, July 21st through the 25th, 2019.

Step into the mind of a woman writing the history of Shakespearean prostitute-actresses in colonial Bengal. As academic fixation turns into existential crisis, where does Shakespeare end and She begin? While the fate of the Bengali bhadramahila has traditionally been to "cook and clean and not be seen" Apologies presents one Bengali woman's tussle with the Shakespeare in her head to be seen, heard, and known. Along the way, we shed light on the Bengali prostitute-actresses who were the first women to perform Shakespeare's works in the region. Apologies is an exploration of reparations, colonialism, and finding love for Shakespeare at difficult times.

Apologies is performed by Anya Banerjee (Richard III at Lenfest Center for the Arts, Kill Hamlet at Signature Theatre) and Clayton McInerney (King Lear at BAM and Mad Forest at Lenfest Center for the Arts). Apologies is directed by Lani Dibba (Patience at the Corkscrew Festival 2019 and Falling & Loving with the Siti Company) and Stage Managed by Taeuk Kang (Dog at Signature Theatre and Broken April at the Lenfest Center for the Arts).

Anya Banerjee is an American actress and writer of Bengali descent who developed the idea for this play from her MA Thesis in Literature, researching the influence of Shakespeare in colonial India. She has just completed her second year of the Acting MFA program at Columbia University. This is her first play.

Apologies to the Bengali Lady was developed at Columbia University's School of the Arts and work-shopped at the 2019 Crosscurrents Festival at Georgetown University's Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics.

The Tank, a home for emerging artists, is located at 312 W 36th St. New York, NY. Apologies to the Bengali Lady runs July 21-25 at 7:00pm. $15 reg. $10 student.

Photo Credit: Manaf Azzam