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“Mrs. Krishnan’s Party” actors:

James (Justin Te Honihana Pokaihau Rogers)

Mrs. Krishnan (Kalyani Nagarajan)

by Pat Lindsey

In the dead of winter, the Rep in Webster Groves is hosting a hot party and you’re invited. Expect to be social, but if you’re on the shy side, there’s wallflower seating for you. Extroverts can choose to sit at the top table or inner circle. And those who want to be close to the action, but not too close, can choose a cheeky seat. You select your seat section when you purchase your ticket.

“Mrs. Krishnan’s Party” is an intimate theatre experience with about 150 of your soon-to-be closest friends. All the fun takes place in the stock room of Mrs. Krishnan’s dairy (convenience store) amidst the cases of stacked canned goods and other commodities. The impromptu planning of the party has been done by James, her tenant/university student. James (Justin Te Honihana Pokaihau Rogers) has dressed up in Indian party clothes and decorated the place with twinkle lights, colorful balloons and streamers, and scarves for his guests to wear. He forgot one thing, though. He didn’t ask Mrs. Krishnan’s permission to have a party.

Fifty-eight year-old Mrs. Krishnan (Kalyani Nagarajan) is at a crossroads in her life. She was widowed quite a while ago and has been running the dairy by herself ever since. She rarely sees her only son, who graduated from college and has a job away from home. Mrs. Krishnan has decided to sell the dairy and possibly move back to India. Prospective buyers are on their way to look at the place.

After welcoming each and every guest, James tells them to yell, “Surprise!” when Mrs. Krishnan enters the room. If she thinks the party is for her, maybe she won’t be so hard on him. He’s also prepared to tell her that it’s a harvest celebration to harken her back to her Indian roots. None of that keeps her from becoming angry when she sees all of these strangers in her stock room.

When Mrs. Krishnan finally accepts the fact that her dozens of party guests are not going to be leaving anytime soon, she begins to fret about what to feed them. A family recipe called “Dahl” comes to mind. It’s a spicy sauce with lentils, onions, and white pepper served over rice. It’s inexpensive and she will be able to feed a crowd in short order. Besides that, the guests can help her cook it. But will too many cooks spoil the broth? What happens next is waiting for you to experience for yourself. It will be 80 fun-filled minutes of community, laughter, and food you won’t soon forget.

“Mrs. Krishnan’s Party” was written by Jacob Rajan and Justin Lewis, founders of the Indian Ink Theatre Company based in New Zealand. Justin Lewis is the director of this show. The two actors, Rogers and Nagarajan, are phenomenal. They have a script to follow, but audience participation makes every performance different. It’s essential for them to improvise and instantly recall names and tidbits they heard from the party-goers. Both of them are quick-witted and exuberant and never miss the chance to entertain their guests. They are seasoned joy-makers.

We had a couple in our audience who said they had been married for five million minutes. From the looks of the wife, she must have been pregnant for four million of those minutes! Another guest named Church was recruited to chop onions. When Mrs. Krishnan got a good whiff of him, she swooned over his cologne, which just happened to be ‘Aphrodisiac.’ Church turned out to be a good-smelling good sport throughout the show.

If you have cabin fever or winter blahs, go crash a party at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis now through Feb. 8. You can call the box office at 314-968-4925 Mon.-Fri., noon until 5 p.m. or go there in person Wed.-Fri. noon until 5 p.m. to reserve your seat. Tickets are also available at repstl.org. Something magical always happens when good people get together for good times and good food.

“Mrs. Krishnan’s Party” actors:

James (Justin Te Honihana Pokaihau Rogers)

Mrs. Krishnan (Kalyani Nagarajan)

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