M.A.D. Playhouse to Present Mohan Rakesh's HALF-HEARTED at Cherry Lane Theater, 12/19-22

After a successful run of their first play this summer, M.A.D Playhouse brings us another South Asian family drama Half-Hearted written by Mohan Rakesh, and directed by Hafiz Karmali at The Cherry Lane Theater from December 19 through December 22.

Set in 1969 India, Half-Hearted depicts the story of a family in crisis with the sharp, multi-layered subtext of a Chekhov play, the ease and naturalism of a great film script, moments of farce that recall traditional Commedia dell'Arte, and characters that feel equal parts original and universal. Bringing this beautiful story to a New York audience for the first time is M.A.D. (making a difference) Playhouse.

Savitri, named after a mythical goddess who rescues her husband from death, is in this case doomed to a failing marriage and dysfunctional family. Of all her suitors, she happens to have married an unfortunate businessman. Her elder daughter eloped, and has returned disappointed; her son is an artistic soul trapped in domestic hell; the youngest daughter is a spoiled brat.

Savitri longs to escape her half-hearted, unfulfilled, incomplete, regretful existence. She continues to receive gentleman callers as she attempts to balance the cultural needs of her family with her own desires for a better life. Her plight is the plight of all women at this time torn between tradition and modernity. The question remains: must one accept fate and shape desires to events, or can one fashion life's events to suit one's desires?

Cast: Aizzah Fatima (Dirty Paki Lingerie, The Good Wife) as Savitri, Ashok Kumar Chaudhary(Parts and Parts of Stitches, Hot L Baltimore) as Mahendra, Dipti Mehta (Honour, Golden Boy) as Binni, Akshay Reddy (The Passport, Italian American Reconciliation), Prince Vaghani (Chaos in Gotham Part I), Robin Johnson (The Four Seasons, The Death of William Poole) & Yarin Brosh.

Show times for this run are:

Thursday, December 19 @ 6:30pm

Friday, December 20 @ 6:30pm

Saturday, December 21 @ 6:30pm

Sunday, December 22 @ 6:30pm

The creative team includes Set by Laura Greenfield, Costumes by Sherry Martinez, featuring Music by Ashique Khudabuksh.

Half-Hearted runs from December 19 through December 22 Thursday-Sunday at 6pm, and Thursday at 2:30 pm at The Cherry Lane Theater located at 38 Commerce Street, three blocks south of Christopher Street, close to the 1 train. Also close to West 4 Train stop A/C/E, B/D/F/M subway lines. Regular tickets are $31, and are available by calling 866-811-4111 or online at www.madplayhouse.com.