https://www.artful.ly/store/events/18698

At it's core, Indian Ink, is about claiming the freedom to be your free-spirited artistic self no matter what society might think. Like Stoppard's Arcadia, Indian Ink presents dual stories in two different time periods simultaneously on stage. The first, in 1930 colonial India shows a bold English poet, Flora Crewe, as she falls in love with Anglicized Indian painter Nirad Das. The second story depicts Flora's sister some forty years later as she unexpectedly meets Das' son and discovers a secret from her sister's past.

In a world full of shoulds and repressive expectations, Flora and Das claim the freedom to be the artists they are. Flora writes poetry suggestive of the sexual freedom she unapologetically took as her personal right, no matter what the social mores of the time forbade. Nirad Das comes to stick up for his Indian heritage, while honoring his artistic voice.

Through the eyes of Flora's sister, Mrs. Swan, and Das' son Anish, we see that the western world continues to expect other cultures to conform to western expectations in everything from speech to clothing to art itself. The play shines a light on the cultural stockholm syndrome effect that still plagues formerly colonized countries to this day. Stoppard weaves a powerful and compelling case for everyone to just be themselves, whether Indian or English, man or woman, or simply, human. 

Honey St. Dennis (Flora Crewe/Producer) and Jithesh Kuyyalil (Nirad Das) first discovered this play while studying acting at the Tom Todoroff Conservatory in New York City. Having lived with these roles for three years now, they are thrilled to finally perform them for a live audience. They love the diversity and message of this show and have assembled a fantastic cast and crew.

Other cast members include: Marilyn Miller, Angad Singh, Matt Biagini, Karan Maini, Shawn Jain, James Andrew Fraser, Andrew Lekhraj, Nell Bailey, and Jeffrey Roth.

Patrick Mulryan (Director) Patrick Mulryan is a director, actor, and teacher based in New York City.  This past Fall he served as director and adaptor for a production entitled Raison d’être: an Evening of Pirandello which ran at Theatre 71 on New York's Upper West Side. Previously he directed Goblin Market (JJewell Productions) in New York at 59E59 and abroad at the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival.  As an actor, he appeared in Fiasco Theater's acclaimed production of Into the Woods in London at the Menier Chocolate Factory as well as in New York at The Roundabout Theatre (Lortel Award for Outstanding Revival) and on tour (LA Drama Critics Award).  Other performance credits include:  Fiasco's Cymbeline (Barrow Street, TFANA);  Bum Phillips All-American Opera (La MaMa); As You Like It (Happy Few Theatre Company, NYIT Award Nomination); Fiasco’s Into the Woods (McCarter, Old Globe); Cabaret and Importance of Being Earnest (Trinity Rep); Chain of Fools (Guthrie). Patrick is core faculty (Voice and Speech) at the Tom Todoroff Conservatory in New York City and adjunct faculty in the Brooklyn College MFA Acting Program.  He has been a guest lecturer in Voice and Speech at Pace, SUNY Purchase, and Fordham.  He has developed work with Tectonic Theater Project, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Page 73, Ma-Yi, TFANA, Fiasco, Lark, New Georges, and at the O'Neill Center (NMTC).  Patrick received his MFA in Acting from Brown University/Trinity Rep.  Other training includes: Moscow Art Theatre (NTI), Oberlin College (BA), and Guthrie Experience for Actors in Training (GEx 13).  Patrick is a member of The Actors Center workshop company, the National Alliance of Acting Teachers, and VASTA.

Producing a play is expensive and every dollar helps. We are paying each actor and crew member a $300 stipend. The theater, rehearsal space, props, and play rights also cost a fair amount of money. We are grateful to have some wonderful sponsors donating props and costumes. The balance of the expenses are raised by HoneyDo Productions' board. Whatever you can donate is greatly appreciated. And remember, your donation is tax deductible thanks to our fiscal sponsors Fractured Atlas.