In the aftermath of the 2008 recession, Anjana – then a freshly minted architect/urban designer in Chennai, India - found herself wanting more than the slow trickle of projects. Upon conferring with her flat mate, they reached a consensus – theatre! Thus was born a hobby that, almost immediately, turned into an obsession. Starting out as a volunteer, she eventually became a core member of the theater company Masquerade; with appearances in Brer Rabbit Chronicles (Brer Terrapin), Bhopal (Izzat), Dystopia (Warden) and Nuns in Black (Angelica). She also co-scripted and performed the monologue Incestuous Bastard, and wrote Sitayana, a play for elementary school students.  

 

In 2011, she found herself miles from home, starting afresh in Houston, TX. In an effort to build community, she sought out the South Asian theatre company, Shunya. Her obsession for the performing arts morphed into a passion and has since become a life’s mission. Her credits with the company include The Prophet and the Poet (Narrator), Partition (Namagiri of Namakkal), Art (Asst. Director) and the hit children’s musical The Adventures of Hanuman (Asst. Director).

 

Armed with a keenness to learn, and a willingness to take on any role on or off stage; she grew her skillset to include acting, stage managing and has even dabbled in some directing. As a core compay member of Shunya theatre, she also organized monthly play reading gatherings as a way to spread awareness of the company while also fostering the community that helped it thrive. 

 

In 2017, she became an ensemble member with Next Iteration Theater Company (later Next Iteration Ensemble). It was during this time she learnt the value of kindness toward oneself and others in the rehearsal room. Her major work with the company was the ensemble devised work, Open Carry. It marked a turning point in her career, as she started to feel more confident in her growth as a theatre maker. She remained an ensemble member until 2019, participating in dramatized readings of We, the Invisibles (#6), Queen (Sanam Shah), Shiv (Shiv) and Open Carry (Omelette) at Next Iteration Theatre Company.

 

Her more recent stage credits include Blast Radius: Part 2 of the Honeycomb Trilogy (Shirley) with Octarine Accord; Macbeth: A Fluid Retelling (Duncan/Porter/Apparition 1/Doctor), Dracula (Bride 2/Mother Agatha), and Much Ado About Nothing (Rev. Francis) with Zoom Shakespeare Productions; Dance Nation (Connie) with Rec Room; and Talk Radio (Denise) with Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.

 

She recently made her directorial debut with Shunya Theatre's A Nice Indian Boy, a play that she had directed a staged reading for ten years prior. 

Click here to view her resume.