Three Nights of Sex, Drugs, and Mothers.
Featuring Ravi Kapoor(Crossing Jordan), Meera Simhan (Date Movie), Reena Dutt (Medium), Rizwan Manji (Transformers), and Purva Bedi ( Boston Legal) among others.

Opening Night
October 16, 2006 - 8pm @ The Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave., LA - 90046
CONQUISTADORS written by Ranbir Sidhu.
Directed by Lina Patel, featuring Ravi Kapoor (Crossing Jordan) and Meera Simhan (Date Movie)
On Hari's birthday, he picks up the pot while Anu gets the Wendy's takeout and the sex toys - her real present, she hopes, will be the baby they conceive together.

November 12, 2006 - 8pm - In collaboration with The Company of Angels, 2106
Hyperion Ave., LA - 90027
SURRENDER (A screenplay) by Ambika Samarthya
Directed by Kila Kitu
Sarita's anxiety disorder doesn't allow her to live in the moment because she needs to be ready for the next. But then how does one prepare for all of life's good surprises?

December 11, 2006 - 8pm - In collaboration with The Fountain Theatre, 5060
Fountain Ave., LA - 90029
MOTHER IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE by Taniya Hossain
Directed by Naila Azad
A culture clash comedy about a Bengali/American couple whose engagement is complicated when they move their two, very different mothers into the basement apartment of their brownstone.

Disha Theatre Inc, the premier South Asian theatre company originally founded in New York City, is proud to announce its arrival and expansion to Los Angeles. Disha Theatre will produce On the Rocks: A Staged Reading Series, a collaborative reading festival of exciting new works by emerging South Asian writers at established Los Angeles theatre companies.

The goal of On The Rocks: A Staged Reading Series is to collaborate with a diverse group of theatres in Los Angeles whose missions complement those of Disha Theatre to recognize the theatrical voice of the South Asian diaspora globally and locally within Los Angeles.

Disha Theatre's focus on Los Angeles stems from a realization that there is a strong need for a development of the South Asian theatrical voice in Los Angeles. While there is a vibrant South Asian artistic environment in Los Angeles through organizations like Artwallah, SAART, and Cornerstone Theatre, there is still a powerful need for a theatre company dedicated to the goals of Disha within the Los Angeles community. The fall lineup is produced by Disha's Director of Development, Reena Dutt.

Founded in June 2000 by a group of South Asian artists including Artistic
Directors, Purva Bedi and Rizwan Manji, Disha Theatre is a not-for-profit theatre company whose overarching mission is to develop a unique theatrical voice by fostering and producing work by writers, actors, directors, and other artists of the South Asian Diaspora. Disha acts as both an educational tool for the worldwide community about South Asian culture as well as a performance arena for established and budding South Asian writers, actors, directors, and performers.

Red Dirt Productions is a film and theatre production company founded by Arun Vir and Reena Dutt. They are currently in production of the short film, UNFINISHED, in the Los Angeles area. The film stars Haskell V. Anderson. Details regarding the film can be found at www.reenadutt.com/Unfinished.htm.

All readings are a suggested donation of $10 and are open to the general public. Seating is limited and reservations are strongly recommended. Wine and cheese reception to follow each reading. Reservations can be made at reservations@dishatheatre.org or by calling (323)969-1778.

CONTACT: Reena Dutt - (323) 333-4694 reenadutt@gmail.com

Disha was a proud participant in "Next Big Bang: The Explosion of Asian American Theatre," the first ever Asian American National Theater Conference held June 18-20, 2006 at East West Players in Downtown Los Angeles.

Disha was involved in the initial planning stages of the conference as a member of the REGIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE representing the East Coast.

At the conference, Artistic Director, Purva Bedi and Director of Development, Reena Dutt,  lead an open forum on The South Asian Theatre Movement in America.  Disha collaborated with all participating South Asian theatre companies at the Conference to explore the definition and direction of South Asian theatre today.

Other participating companies in the forum included Pangea World Theatre, The Silk Road Theatre Project, Post Natyam, Eye Blink Entertainment, Lodestone Theatre, Desipine, Artwallah, Rasa Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, M'olelo, Shunya Theatre, Arth Arts among others.

Disha  is exanding to the West Coast!  We spent Fall 2005 through Spring 2006 developing sketch comedy work with a company of  Los Angeles based actors.  Sketches were created, directed, written and developed by Ismail  Bashey, Purva Bedi, Sanjay Chandani, Reena Dutt, Rizwan Manji, Meera Simhan, Priya Soni, and Sid Veda.

Disha celebrated its Fourth Anniversary on July 22nd, 2004 with a Gala
night of fine fusion cuisine, wine, and comedy at the eleagant and
innovative Spice Grill. Participating artists included Vijay Nathan,
Vedant Gokhale, and Poorna Jagannathan among others.