Stage Door News
Stage Door News
TORONTO, January 6, 2012 – Tarragon Theatre presents the Why Not Theatre production of A Brimful of Asha, directed by Ravi Jain , written and starring Asha and Ravi Jain. A Brimful of Asha previews January 24, opens January 26 and closes February 19, 2012 in Tarragon Theatre’s Extra Space. Tickets range from $15-22 (inclusive of HST) and are available by calling the box office at 416.531.1827 or by visiting www.tarragontheatre.com
Special performances also take place Sunday, February 5 and 12 at Dish Cooking Studio (390 Dupont Street) and include a cooking class with Asha, the performance, and a shared vegetarian Indian meal. Tickets for this event are $75.
Real-life mother and son, Asha and Ravi Jain, share the stage and tell this true (and very Canadian) story of generational and cultural clash. Asha believes it’s time for Ravi to get married and it’s up to her to help him find a bride. Ravi, however, is not so sure. He’s just embarked an exciting new phase in his professional life that means marriage will have to wait – at least for a little while. Having just graduated from school in Paris, an opportunity that’s impossible to pass up comes his way – a trip to India to work as an artist: Ravi’s too naive to see that this is an “impossible-to-pass-up” opportunity for his parents as well. His parents decide that his trip to India is the perfect time to introduce Ravi to potential brides. Ravi doesn’t suspect a thing, but his mother is determined to marry her son. Ravi knows what he’s up against: a whole way of life cherished by his mother’s generation and those before her. Can we balance respect for the old world and love for the new? Can he remain true to himself and bring Asha some peace?
A Brimful of Asha was developed back in 2010 when Ravi Jain was Tarragon Theatre’s Urjo Kareda Emerging Artist. Working on this story as part of the Playwright’s Unit, Ravi approached Artistic Director, Richard Rose, to ask if there was room in the Unit for another member: his mother, Asha, who had never worked as a professional artist until that point. Asha and Ravi Jain developed the story collaboratively, to create a heart-warming story of maternal love and the immigrant experience in our modern world.
Ravi Jain is a multi award winning actor, director, producer, educator, arts-activist and Artistic Director of Why Not Theatre. Selected Acting credits include the Dora Award winning SPENT, and Aluna Theatre’s Nohayquiensepa. Ravi was the Urjo Kareda Resident artist at Tarragon Theatre, in residence at the Theatre Centre where he developed I’m So Close (winner of Spotlight award-Summerworks 2009, and toured to Dublin and Vancouver). Selected directing credits include his adaptation of Hamlet, The Prince and Greenland written by Nicolas Billon, which won the top two prizes at the Summerworks Festival 2009 and toured to New York City. He has assisted notable directors Daniel Brooks (Hardsell), Richard Rose (Courageous) and Jennifer Tarver (King of Thieves) as part of the inaugural Michael Langham workshop for Classical Direction at Stratford. Ravi is engaged in many different arts organizations and creations across the city and the globe, including the programming committee for the Regent Park Arts and Culture Centre as well as the Artist Advisory Committee for ArtReach Toronto.
Currently Ravi is among the 10 resident artists at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts and a member of the DiverseCity Fellows program, which aims to diversify leadership across sectors for the Toronto region. This past summer Ravi taught alongside Jim Calder, head of movement at New York University’s Graduate Acting Program, teaching commedia dell’arte in Florence, Italy.
Asha Jain grew up in New Delhi, India. Upon completion of her Master’s Degree, she married in 1974, which led to her immigration to Canada. While supporting her husband Ramesh in the founding of his own business she raised two boys, Anurag and Ravi. She is a wonderful mother, wife and now a very funny actor. She is excited to be sharing this story with the world to finally prove her son wrong.
A Brimful of Asha
Written by: Asha and Ravi Jain
Director: Ravi Jain
Starring: Asha Jain, Ravi Jain.
Set and Costume Designer: Julie Fox
Lighting and Projection Designer: Beth Kates
Stage Manager: Sarena Parmar
2012-01-06
Toronto: Tarragon Theatre presents “A Brimful of Asha” starring Asha and Ravi Jain