Shunya’s Reincarnation Plays Before Packed House
By Meha Gargi
 

It was a night like any other Fri- day night in Houston, this seven- teenthnightofJanuary. Well, ex- cept for the unusuallybitter-cold weather and the brewing excite- ment and fervor stirring inside of Bienvenue Theatre, generated from a sold out crowd of local patrons waiting to see the inau- gural production of Shunya Theatre's Reincarnation.

 A timeless story that pits the promise of freedom against the burden of choice, the director and cast members portrayed vividly the difficulty in fmding one's own dharma, or purpose in life. The venue is a small 80~seat theatre with a warm, inviting parlour. On the other hand, the stage is a stone's throw forward to modem times with its clean, pitch black backdrop. This contrast serves well to set up the conflicts that are drama- tized within the story. Played out in the modern landscape of America, Houston native Soham Mehta (playwright/dir~ctor) showcases Akash Desai's soul- searching journey set off by his parents' decision to move back to India after spending a lifetime here in America.

Throughout the play, each of the five principal characters finds himself/herself trying to reconcile conflicting values -those taught by Indian parents and those learned while living the everyday American life.

The inherent conflicts are boldly illuminated wi1h lighting, viv- idly choreographed with dance and expressed perhaps loudest of all, with the music.

From one scene to the next, vi- brant and bold rock and techno beats clash against melodic and rich chords of traditional Indian f are. Throughout, much of the audience was caught singing, laughing; clapping and sighing in some very sur- prising and funny and oft vulnerable moments.

Each audience member watched closely as each of the five twenty- sornethings made their transition into adulthood. It is in this con- cept of growth that Shunya was founded as a non-profit theatrical organization. Reincarnation is the Shunya Theatre Troupe’s first production as an organized produc- tion company. Shunya, in Sanskrit, literally means "zero, nothing, or emptiness." The name comes from the Buddhist concept of "nothing" as the ultimate goal of realization.

The theatre is shunya or "empty" until we come together as artists and patrons to bring it to life with our collective imagination. On opening night, the creators and actors brought Reincarnation to life. Simultaneously, the audience (young and old) was made to feel at home in the cultural landscape that was created in this classic coming-of-age story told through dance,