2025 Audience Reviews

Company: SAATH
Show: Manasu - Echoes of the Mind
Venue: Rarig Nolte Xperimental Theatre

A Black Forest cake! Layered, Complex, & Rich!

It’s rare to see a South Asian queer story on stage, and rarer still to find one with such layered, complex characters. The writing weaves these characters together with care, creating unique and authentic conflicts, and the actors bring them to life with performances rich in nuance and emotion. The play touches on multiple themes at once, like queer love and parenting, miscarriages, asexuality, the pride of fatherhood, etc. There is a lot to say about each of these topics, the actors, and their performances, but I don't want to spoil anything. One moment that stood out to me was the normalized portrayal of an elderly South Indian mother’s dating life. It wasn’t central to the plot. The casual conversation between mother and son carried its quiet power and felt refreshing. The set, props, and tech elevated the storytelling. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to witness this production. If this truly is the work of a first-time playwright, either they’re being modest, or their writing is so heartfelt that the story simply poured out. Either way, I can’t wait to see what they create next.