Recent projects
Anklets in the Boardroom is an interactive theatre project based on Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed methodology, which uses theatre-based exercises for conflict resolution and healing.
There are 2 phases of this project. From August 2023 to October 2023, Leela conducted 3 story circles consisting of 7-8 South Asian women who shared their experiences of discrimination in the workplace. These story circles were facilitated by a trained coach who designed a safe space for discussion.
Then, this year, Leela actors showcased 7 actual (anonymized) stories in interactive theatre where the audience participated in the narrative of the stories. The goal was to allow participants to experience the somatics of power, so they can exercise it in the workplace to create meaningful change.
This project is funded in part or wholly by the City of Austin Economic Development Department's Elevate Grant and is co-sponsored by Austin PBS.
Past Performances
Reviews
" The writing of the play was original and thought provoking, and the actresses did a brilliant job overall. The play is intense, resonates with people post pandemic and is very timely and well thought out. The use of color, light, shadows and nuances helped to give the audience a sense of the intense feelings and emotions portrayed... Kudos to Sharanya, Lindsay and the wonderful troupe of Austin Leela! for a highly relatable piece of artistic presentation! The team worked hard on this!" - Suchitra Chander
"You guys put on an AMAZING show! I was entralled from the start. What a beautiful, thought-provoking, and skilled performance from your team. And kudos to Lindsay and Sharanya for the script! Totally worth traveling to Austin for this show. Five stars." - C.B.
"The Uninvited Guest was a well executed, thought provoking play! It was a good reminder that we blazed through the last 3 years of pandemic and pandemic-recovery without allowing ourselves to process our experiences and emotions. We all need to pause our hectic lifestyles and have a conversation with our emotionally-struggling inner selves to reconcile." - Arvind Raman
FEBRUARY 12, 2013
Passages of Love - An Evening of Poetry and Prose
An evening where participants shared their favorite passages from stories, poetry, plays (original or otherwise) which center on the theme of love.