Edited by Neilesh Bose, this book includes eleven classic plays by South Asian diasporic authors from the U.S.A., Canada, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, dating from the 1970s to the present day. As the first-ever anthology of its kind, this book and the August 2009 launch will begin conversations about the aesthetics and politics of South Asian diasporic dramatic literature and theatrical performance across national boundaries within the diaspora. Free and open to the public, the conference will include readings of excerpts of several plays from the book, two keynote addresses, and panel discussions about each country represented. At the end of each day’s events, the Segal Theatre will host a reception for all those in attendance. Please visit http://web.gc.cuny.edu/mestc/events/s09/bollywood.html for the detailed schedule.

Playwrights scheduled to appear include British Asian writer and playwright Rukhsana Ahmad, South African theatre artist, playwright, and activist Ronnie Govender (the keynote speaker), Canada-based South Asian theatre artists Rana Bose and Rahul Varma, and South Asian American playwrights Aasif Mandvi, Anuvab Pal, and Shishir Kurup. With additional support by the Indo-American Arts Council, the The New Group Theatre, SATAM , the South Asian Theatre Movement, and SALAAM Theatre, and the Lark Play Development Center, this event aims to reach a critical mass of theatre academics, artists, and critics. Directors Ian Morgan, Associate Artistic Director of the New Group Theatre, Shishir Kurup, playwright and member of Los Angeles’ Cornerstone Theatre Company, Geeta Citygirl, artistic director of Salaam Theatre, and Gita Reddy have directed the staged readings with professional New York actors.