“Dinner and a show” takes on an entirely new meaning at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ latest Steve Woolf Studio Series production. Mrs. Krishnan’s Party, on stage January 14–February 8, brings audiences into the action as they take on the role of unexpected guests flooding Mrs. Krishnan’s corner shop for a celebration.
The Rep’s artistic director, Kate Bergstrom, first encountered Mrs. Krishnan’s Party when it was performed at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, where former associate artistic director of The Rep Amelia Acosta Powell is now artistic director.
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“I saw the piece, and I was just so blown away by the two improvisor actors and so excited by this feeling of a party where you’re actually cooking dinner throughout the show. You are experiencing a very touching, warm, heartfelt story—and also a funny story between these two actors, and you are truly a part of their world,” Bergstrom says. “I have experienced many immersive theater productions, but I’ve never felt such a sense of glee or joy as I did seeing this production.”
Presented by the New Zealand–based Indian Ink Theatre Company, Mrs. Krishnan’s Party sees two actors, Kalyani Nagarajan and Justin Rogers, juggle the responsibilities of hosting, telling their stories, and cooking daal (a hearty, delicious lentil curry) for their guests, all while rolling with the punches of an improvised performance. While each night tells the story of this one-of-a-kind celebration of Onam, a harvest festival that celebrates the cycle of life, each new audience brings an unknown element to the show, so no two nights are exactly the same.
“It’s truly a unique experience,” Bergstrom says. “The idea this year [for the studio series] has been to do adventurous theater for adventurous theatergoers in the most immersive and fabulous of different forms.”
Some audience members can be intimidated by the idea of a theater environment where participation is encouraged—Bergstrom says there are often two types of people at these kinds of performances: those who really want to be a part of the action and those who really don’t—but both Bergstrom and director Justin Lewis insist that Mrs. Krishnan’s Party accommodates theatergoers of all comfort levels.
“When I go to immersive things and I’m asked to maybe pretend to be an astronaut, I find that really tricky because I have no idea who an astronaut is and what they do. So I often feel on the spot. Whereas with this, we’re asking people to be entirely themselves and just do the things that they might be asked to at a party—to stir a pot or maybe talk about where they met their partner or something like that,” Lewis says. “You don’t have to act, and by taking that pressure off the audience of having to act and letting the actors act, it makes the improvisations much easier.”
But those who want to be completely immersed in the action can be, while the wallflowers and observers are welcome to be just that. The goal of Mrs. Krishnan’s Party, like any good party, is that everyone walks away having had good food (folks can stick around after the party to taste the fresh daal), a good time, and maybe made a few new friends.
“One of the things I love about [this show] is it builds community, but also brings joy into people’s lives,” Lewis says. “I feel that’s a thing that we all need at the moment. I just love people to come along and to be able to share that with us.”
What’s the occasion?
The party at Mrs. Krishnan’s shop is a celebration of Onam, a 10-day-long harvest and cultural festival that’s primarily observed in India’s southern regions. The festival celebrates the return to Earth of the benevolent King Mahabali.
The story goes that King Mahabali was a just and kind king, beloved by his people and effective as a ruler. As he grew more powerful and usurped the god of the heavens, the devas—gods of the skies, air, and earth—asked the god Vishnu to stop him.
Vishnu resolved to test Mahabali’s devotion by disguising himself as a dwarf boy and asking for a piece of land the size of three of his steps. Mahabali agreed, and Vishnu grew to a size where just two of his steps would cover the heavens and the Earth. When Vishnu asked where his third step should fall, Mahabali offered his head. Mahabali was pushed into the Hindu underworld, but as a reward for his devotion, Vishnu allowed him to return to his people once a year. Onam is the celebration of that grand return.
