Reading of LEELA Comes to City Theatre Austin This Month

As part of its continuing initiative to raise up new voices in theatre, City Theatre Austin will collaborate with Leela - An Indian Community Theatre for a one night special fundraising event: a reading of the new play, House of India by Deepak Kumar. Produced by J. Kevin Smith of City Theatre Austin and directed by Sharanya Rao of Leela - An Indian Community Theatre, the reading will be performed at the Genesis Creative Collection on October 19.

Deepak Kumar’s House of India has been celebrated at numerous playwright festivals and conferences, including the National Playwrights Conference (2022), and the Bay Area Playwrights Festival (2022). The play was also a finalist for the Blue Ink Award at the American Blues Theatre in 2023. The story of an immigrant woman struggling to maintain her family restaurant while under the pressure of financial problems, her children, and an ambitious entrepreneur, this heartwarming play is all about South Indian food, familial expectations, and figuring out what makes a "House" a home.

The special reading will include performances by several fresh talents in the Austin theatre community, including Kala Malini Ranganathan, Divya Goruganthu (recently seen in City Theatre’s How the Other Half Loves), Gaurav Rao, and G-Su Paek (from Austin’s award-winning improv troupe Y’all, We Asian).

In addition to introducing this exciting new play to Austin theatre audiences, the event will serve as a fundraiser for both City Theatre and Leela, with all proceeds split evenly between the two organizations. Tickets for the event can be purchased at https://shorturl.at/zIHuN. Those who cannot attend the event but who wish to contribute to the continuing works of City Theatre and Leela can make a donation at https://tinyurl.com/yt958ppw.

Celebrating its 18th Season, City Theatre is an Austin-based, not-for-profit arts organization. Founded in 2006 and twice voted “Best Theatre Company” by the Austin American-Statesman’s Austin 360, the company is dedicated to providing a quality, reputable, and diverse public theatre and Stage Entertainment experience that is accessible to all artists and the entire Austin community.

Leela - An Indian Community Theatre was founded in 2012 to provide a platform for individuals to explore and express their creativity through collaborative theatre productions, workshops, and play readings. The term "Leela" translates to the "Cosmic Play of Consciousness," drawing inspiration from ancient Indian scriptures that depict the Universe as a Divine Play. At the core of Leela’s mission is the belief that creativity fosters personal evolution and helps individuals reach their highest potential. The theatre focuses on themes that reflect the culture and challenges of the South Asian community. 

City Theatre Austin and Leela - An Indian Community Theatre are sponsored projects of the Austin Creative Alliance and receive funding from the City of Austin Economic Development Department.