Toronto based theatre company, Nautanki Bazaar is thrilled to present its debut in-person production AN IMM-PERMANENT RESIDENT. Written and performed by Neha Poduval & Himanshu Sitlani and directed by Miquelon Rodriguez, AN IMM-PERMANENT RESIDENT will premiere at the Theatre Centre as part of the RISER Toronto 2022 from April 01-10, 2022 with the Opening Night on Saturday, April 02 at 7pm.

A comedy infused with Bollywood elements, An IMM-Permanent Resident is a hilarious take on the mundane and tiresome bureaucracy of the Canadian immigration process, as experienced by playwrights and real-life couple, Himanshu and Neha. The play explores the irreverent journey to obtain Neha’s PR status, including the couple's trials and tribulations as they put their hopes and dreams on pause (indefinitely). Through wit and creative banter, this fast-paced roller coaster transports us between Mumbai and Toronto, as Neha and Himanshu navigate the immigration system and ask themselves – is love worth it all?

AN IMM-PERMANENT RESIDENT will be Miquelon Rodriguez’s directorial debut. He is a sound designer, composer, radio play mixer & editor, digital content creator, actor, and an emerging arts leader based in T'karonto (Toronto, Canada). He was the Apprentice Artistic Director at Factory Theatre from 2017-2019, under the mentorship of Nina Lee Aquino, and co-curated Pan-Asian works over two seasons at Soulpepper through the Tiger Bamboo Festival and the Shen Development Series. He is an Artistic Leadership Resident with the National Theatre School of Canada and has worked with a multitude of artists and companies across Turtle Island.

Himanshu Sitlani is a thespian, originally hailing from Mumbai. Since immigrating to Canada, Himanshu’s been immersed in supporting the creative arts, working as Patron Services Manager at Factory Theatre, while penning down his ideas towards his goal of creating a bridge between creative artists in Canada and India. His debut virtual show, as a playwright and performer, “Stories of a Dish” was presented at various festivals including the Next Stage Theatre Festival 2022, Mississauga Multilingual Fringe Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe, The Little Lion Theatre Festival in London, UK and the Tata Literature Live Festival in Mumbai, India.

Neha Poduval is a trained actor, with several feathers in her creative hat, having performed in various theatre plays, corporate films and TV shows across India. A post-graduate in Acting from the reputed Film and Television Institute of India, she continued her association with the performing arts since moving to Canada. Neha is also a certified Yoga Teacher and has been teaching Yoga across various studios, community and senior centres in Toronto. She started her own YouTube channel called ‘Mustard Tempered Dreams’ where she shares her love for food through easy to make, delicious, Indian and global vegetarian (mostly) recipes she loves to eat and cook!

Nautanki Bazaar presents

An IMM-Permanent Resident

Written and Performed by Neha Poduval & Himanshu Sitlani

Directed by Miquelon Rodriguez

Lighting Design: André du Toit

Set and Costume Design: Jung-Hye Kim

Production Manager: Julia Howman

Stage Manager: Lily Chan

Apprentice Production & Stage Manager: Rimsha Minocha

PR & Publicity: Neema Kaushik

Dramaturgy: Matt McGeachy

A part of RISER Toronto 2022

April 01 - 10, 2022

The Theatre Centre

Opening Night: Saturday, April 02, 2022 at 7pm

Ticket prices: PWYA - $12, $20, $35 and $60

Show Timings:

April 1 at 7pm (Preview Performance)

April 2 at 7pm (Opening Night)

April 3 at 2pm (Post Show Talk-back)

April 5 at 7pm (Relaxed Performance)

April 6 at 7pm

April 7 at 7pm

April 8 at 7pm (Post Show Talk-back)

April 9 at 7pm

April 10 at 2pm

Online:

whynot.theatre

nautankibazaar.square.site

Address: 1115 Queen Street West Box Office: 416-538-0988

Tickets: tickets.theatrecentre.org.