16th Street Theatre's 10th Anniversary Season Continues with Minita Gandhi's MUTHALAND

16th Street Theater's 10th Anniversary Season continues with the premiere of Minita Gandhi's MUTHALAND directed by Heidi Stillman, August 31 - October 7, 2017 at North Berwyn Park District's 16th Street Theater, 6420 16th Street in Berwyn, with opening night on Thursday, September 7 @ 7:30 PM. Link to press photos here https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9HDkygjZoH9c1h5Q2lPbGJXM28

The life of a young Indian-American woman is forever changed when, on a retreat to her homeland, she unearths family secrets, encounters a prophet, and ultimately discovers her own voice within a culture of silence. The familiar and the foreign swap roles in Minita Gandhi's true story of a quest for love, the fight for truth, and what happens when your mom finds your vibrator.

In 2014, while foraging through her parents' basement, Minita discovered her father's worn suitcase from his very first journey to the United States, with a single statement scribbled in black Sharpie: "When I die, discard this bag if you like. Until then, it stays." This sparked a curiosity leading to vulnerable interviews with her parents who shared stories from a history of which they had never spoken. By weaving their stories with Minita's own life-changing journey to her homeland of India for her brother's arranged marriage, Muthaland is full of prophets, music, ritual, the convergence of American and Indian cultures, and a woman who confronts the darkness to find the light.

Other artists contributing to Muthaland include Jesse Gaffney (scenic properties), Cat Wilson (lights), Barry Bennett (sound), Lavina Jadhwani (dramaturg), Lanise Antoine Shelley (voice and movement) AND MaEli Goren (Assistant Director).

MUTHALAND is the third offering in 16th Street's Season Ten 2017: The Journey following the sold-out, extended runs of both INTO THE BEAUTIFUL NORTH and BLIZZARD '67. Muthaland was originally created and developed in part with Silk Road Rising, Victory Gardens Theatre's Ignition Festival and was part of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2016.

Minita Gandhi returns to 16th Street where she originated the role of Deepti in the world premiere of A. Zell Williams' Carroll Gardens. Minita is a Chicago-based playwright/storyteller/actress who was born in Mumbai, India. Raised in the Bay Area, she is proud to call Chicago her artistic home for over 8 years. Her solo play Muthaland was an official selection of The CAATA (Consortium of Asian American Theatre Artists Festival) hosted by Oregon Shakespeare Festival and was part of the Ignition Festival of New Plays at Victory Gardens Theatre 2015. The piece was also selected to be performed at The Denver Center for the Performing Arts by the Statera Foundation for women at their annual conference. Muthaland was workshopped and developed at Silk Road Rising for their Solo Festival, was invited to the Raven Theater for a special performance sponsored by the Indo-American Heritage Museum and was a part of Filet of Solo in 2016 hosted by Lifeline Theatre. The documentary My Muthaland, that follows Minita and her family's journey with her play, was an official selection of The Chicago South Asian Film Festival this fall. Some of Minita's regional theatre credits include Lookingglass Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, Indiana Repertory Theatre and Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Minita originated the role of Priya, in the world premiere of Rajiv Joseph's The Lake Effect. She recently wrapped the web series Brown Girls, can be seen in the recurring role of Dr. Prospere on NBC's Chicago Fire and has appeared on Fox's hit show Empire, Exorcist, NBC's Crisis, ABC's Betrayal, Fox's The Chicago Code and was The Onion News Network's anchor Nina Shankar. Minita is a Master Instructor for Pinnacle Performance Company.

Heidi Stillman is a writer, director, actor and the Artistic Director at Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago. For Lookingglass she has both directed and written: Cascabel (with Tony Hernandez and Rick Bayless), The North China Lover, The Brothers Karamazov, Hard Times (also produced at The Arden in Philadelphia), and The Master and Margarita among others. Directing credits include: Death Tax by Lucas Hnath, Trust by David Schwimmer and Andy Bellin, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo by Rajiv Joseph. Outside Lookingglass her adaptation of The Book Thief premiered at Steppenwolf Theatre, and she is in process of adapting (with Caroline Macon) and directing The Year I Didn't go to School: A Homemade Circus for the Chicago Children's Theatre.

North Berwyn Park District's 16th STREET THEATER is Berwyn's professional equity theater. Located just 17 minutes from downtown Chicago, 16th Street is a two-time recipient of the National Theatre Grant from American Theatre Wing and Chicago Magazine's 2013 Best Emerging Theater. Just west of Ridgeland, the theater is one mile southwest of the Austin exit off the Eisenhower Expressway/290 and the Austin Blue line.

The 16th Street Theater, NFP is supported in part by Alphawood Foundation Chicago, MacArthur Funds for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, American Theatre Wing, Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, National New Play Network, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Culvers of Berwyn, The Saints, Mac Neal Hospital, Oak Park Area Gay and Lesbian Association, Oak Park Area Arts Council, local businesses and many individuals.

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