Hollow Wave poster
Hollow Wave
With Indian Dance, Poetry & Humor … One-Woman Show is a Poignant Story of Healing
NEW YORK, NEW YORK: This month, a one-woman show is set to make waves at the world’s largest solo theatre festival at Theatre Row. Called Hollow/Wave, the show is an autobiographical story of survival and healing. Anu Bhatt shares her #MeToo story as a South-Asian American woman, addressing “taboo issues” in the South Asian community. Through classical Indian dance, poetry, and wry humor, she reclaims her space and her story and empowers others to do the same.
Part of the 10th Annual United Solo Theatre Festival, Hollow/Wave will be on October 29th at 7:30 pm at The Studio Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street, NYC). For ticketing information, see here and below.
The title of Bhatt’s play is a tribute to a poem by Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu monk instrumental in introducing yoga and Vedanta philosophy to the West. The poem, “Hold On Yet Awhile, Brave Heart”, features heavily during the show, including the key line: “No winter was but summer came behind / Each hollow crests the wave / They push each other into light and shade / Be steady then and brave.” Bhatt says: “The title Hollow/Wave refers to the up-and-down nature of life and how eventually we learn to see both ‘up’ and ‘down’ as parts of a whole, mirror images of each other, and not something to shake us or consume us.”
Bhatt opens up about very personal experiences of sexual abuse, depression and body image, all with courage, insightful humor and the hope that others will feel inspired to share their stories. A mix of raw memories and lyricism, Hollow/Wave is a daring dance for survival and empowerment. If there is one word to describe her performance, it is this: brave.
Hollow/Wave is grateful for its sponsors including: The Woke Desi, United Solo Theatre Festival and Theatre Row.
Hollow / Wave, Presented as part of the United Solo Theatre Festival
Date: Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Time: 7:30 PM
Duration: 45 min.
Studio Theatre (401 W. 42nd St., NY) at Theatre Row, Wheelchair accessible
Content Warning: Addresses sexual abuse and suicidal ideation
Not suitable for children under 13
Tickets: $54.25 / United Solo Show Description / www.telecharge.com or (212) 239-6200
Written and Performed by Anu Bhatt
Directed by Barbara Zahora
Sound Design by Eric Backus
Photo Attached: Anu Bhatt (Credit: Photo by Crimson Cat Studios)
Additional photos & Video: Artist Website / Instagram: @thehollowwaveplay
“I want to reduce the cultural discomfort around mental health, body image and sexuality in the South Asian-American community, and to encourage others to validate their experiences.” – Anu Bhatt
“This is a deeply personal and profoundly moving solo play…Hollow Wave chronicles the difficult topics of sexual abuse and mental health and does it with heart, humor and honesty.”
– Arlene Malinowski, solo performer / playwright / teacher (May 2019 Statera Partnership Workshop)
“It has been one of the only experiences during all the “Me Too” conversations…that helped me pull together my own “me too” experiences.” – Audience member (May 2018 inaugural Chicago performance)
Of API women, 23% experienced some form of contact sexual violence, 10% experienced completed or attempted rape, and 21% had non-contact unwanted sexual experiences during their lifetime. CDC: 2010-2012 NISVS Summary Report (2017)
ABOUT ANU BHATT
Anu Bhatt is an actor, dancer and playwright. Her autobiographical one-woman show Hollow/Wave had its first workshop production at Chicago’s Silk Road Rising in May 2018 and has since started touring around the country. Anu received her M.F.A. in Acting from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She spent almost a decade doing theatre and on-camera in Chicago and is now relocated to San Diego. Regional theatre: Michigan Shakespeare Festival. TV: Chicago Fire, Chicago Med (NBC); Electric Dreams (Amazon). Anu is a trained Indian classical dancer and is fluent in French. She is represented by Paonessa Talent Agency. www.anubhatt.com.
ABOUT THE UNITED SOLO THEATRE FESTIVAL
UNITED SOLO THEATRE FESTIVAL is an annual international festival for solo performances held at the Theatre Row in the heart of the New York City theatre district on 42nd Street, currently in its 10th anniversary season. Fiona Shaw called United Solo “the mecca of the solo shows in the world.” Over 120 participants from six continents will present their shows every day from September 19 until November 24, 2018. Through its mission, United Solo presents renowned artists as well as new talents, discovers original stories, connects artists with their audiences, exchanges diverse perspectives, fosters a dialogue for change, entertains, and now also educates through its professional training program led by distinguished artists and cultural icons. Artists and companies interested in being presented at The United Solo Festival in 2020 are now welcome to submit their applications online atwww.unitedsolo.org starting September.
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