As the primary creative producer for Sati: Goddess Incarnate, I’ve had the incredible honor of guiding this powerful new musical from early development through its first public milestones—and into its next phase of growth.

I led the casting process, brought together the artistic team, and managed all scheduling and rehearsal logistics, ensuring our creative momentum stayed strong through each stage. Our journey began with a 29-hour reading in 2023, followed by a concert debut in July 2023 that brought Sati to life for audiences for the very first time.

One of my proudest contributions was connecting the production with Silambam Phoenix, a leading Bharatanatyam institution in Arizona. Through this partnership, I produced two immersive dance residencies that deepened the show’s movement language and cultural roots. Both residencies were made possible by grants that I researched, wrote, and secured—because I believe in building sustainable, community-supported pathways for new work.

Now, I’m actively fundraising for Sati’s next major chapter: a two-week semi-staged workshop in New York, slated for August 2025. This workshop will be a pivotal step in the piece’s evolution, allowing the team to refine the score, staging, and choreography in a fully collaborative setting.

Producing Sati: Goddess Incarnate has been a labor of devotion. I’m passionate about elevating stories that honor sacred feminine power, and I’m proud to shepherd this project forward with care, vision, and purpose.

In a village in 1980s India, an 18-year-old girl was burned alive on her husband’s funeral pyre. Thousands bore witness and the whole town had the same explanation: it was her choice and she was inhabited by a goddess. But what is true and what is a fabrication?

When a low-caste girl named Roop defies expectations, her town believes she is the incarnation of goddess Sati. When her husband dies suddenly, devotion turns to desperation and the town demands a sacrifice. Inspired by true events, Sati: Goddess Incarnate is an investigation of truth, storytelling, and how they shape our reality.

Shoonya Haasyam has been a long-held dream of mine, and in 2024, I had the immense joy of directing, dramaturging, and creatively producing its remount with Silambam Phoenix—this time under my new tenure as Associate Artistic Director. Originally conceived in 2016, this adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing reimagines Shakespeare’s beloved comedy through the lens of Bharatanatyam, using classical Indian dance as the primary language of storytelling.

For this production, I re-edited the original text to create space for movement to speak alongside language. As director and dramaturg, I guided the ensemble in finding the emotional pulse of the story through rhythm, gesture, and silence. I also coordinated a talented group of Shakespeare actors in New York to serve as voice actors for the production, coaching them to align their performances with the dancers’ physical interpretations—a dynamic and rewarding cross-disciplinary process.

A key highlight of this remount was our partnership with Convergence Ballet in Arizona. I played a central role in coordinating their participation and integrating their dancers into the production, crafting moments of shared expression between Bharatanatyam and ballet. The result was a vivid, intercultural tapestry of movement and meaning.

Reviving Shoonya Haasyam in this new leadership role was deeply fulfilling. It embodies everything I strive for as an artist and producer: honoring classical form, bridging cultural traditions, and nurturing collaborative spaces for bold, expressive storytelling.

A dynamic new telling of Shakespeare’s enduring comedy Much Ado About Nothing, Shoonya Haasyam blends the worlds of ballet, Bharatanaytam, Indian classical music, and Western classical music to create a dynamic world where everyone’s favorite enemies to lovers, Beatrice and Benedick, butt heads as identites are swapped, hijinks ensue, and (hopefully) everyone finds their happily ever after. 

In 2022, I had the joy of co-producing Writers Celebrate Sondheim with the brilliant Alexa Spiegel—a heartfelt tribute born from our shared reverence for Stephen Sondheim's legacy. Conceived in the wake of his passing, the show aimed to reflect on his towering influence specifically through the voices of musical theatre writers. We wanted to create a space where writers—emerging and established—could honor the ways Sondheim shaped their craft, their stories, and their lives.

Together, Alexa and I developed the show’s concept, curated a powerful lineup, and brought the event to life at 54 Below. We were fortunate to feature an extraordinary cast of musical theatre luminaries, including Rona Siddiqui, Georgia Stitt, Richard Maltby Jr., Joe Iconis, and Adam Gwon. Alongside them were bold new voices like Billy Reece, Ethan Carlson, Emerson Mae Smith, Murphy Taylor Smith, and many others—an intergenerational chorus of gratitude and inspiration.

I played a central role in casting, marketing, and leading rehearsals, helping shape a cohesive and emotionally resonant night of music and storytelling. The energy in the room was electric, and the response from audiences and artists alike affirmed the importance of gathering to remember, reflect, and create in community.

Writers Celebrate Sondheim wasn’t just a tribute—it was a love letter from the next generation to the man who taught us what musical theatre could be. I’m honored to have helped bring it into the world.

A love letter from a multigenerational group of musical theater writers to the man who inspired all of us – Stephen Sondheim