February 26, 2021: The Keegan Theatre is pleased to announce the cast and creative team of Dipika Guha’s sharp satire, YOGA PLAY, making its Regional Premiere as the fifth production of Keegan’s 25th Anniversary Season.
“It’s a great joy to bring the timely and hilarious YOGA PLAY to Keegan at last,” remarks Susan Marie Rhea, YOGA PLAY director and Keegan Theatre’s artistic director. “Since we were forced to cancel the production during the pandemic shutdown, we have been eagerly awaiting our chance to bring this play to life. Playwright Dipika Guha has a unique perspective and an utterly fresh voice, and she has written one of the funniest plays I’ve read in years.”
About the play: Joan has been hired to stabilize Jojomon, a yoga apparel giant, after its CEO is brought down by a fat-shaming scandal. But just as she finds her stride, more trouble surfaces and sales plummet. Joan comes up with a plan so risky that it could make or break the company and her career — and what it requires from her CFO, Raj, is far beyond the call of duty. This sharp comedy asks what it takes to find your own authenticity in a world determined to sell enlightenment.
“The cast and creative team we’ve assembled is top-notch,” Rhea continues, “including some wonderful actors who are new to the Keegan stage. With Guha’s irresistibly funny script and the talent we’ve assembled, we know YOGA PLAY is going to be a hit with audiences this spring.”
The cast of YOGA PLAY features Carianmax Benitez, Michael Innocenti, Timothy H. Lynch, Katie McManus, Vinay Sanapala, and Jacob Yeh. In addition to director Susan Marie Rhea, the artistic team includes Jeremy Bennett (Projections Designer), Gabrielle Busch (Stage Manager), Dan Deiter (Sound Designer), Mary Doebel (Assistant Stage Manager), Shadia Hafiz (Assistant Director and Costume Designer), Ben Harvey (Master Electrician), Cindy Landrum Jacobs (Set Dressing and Properties Designer), Matthew J. Keenan (Set Designer and Master Carpenter), Alberto Segarra (Lighting Designer), Colin Smith (Production Manager), and Zavier Taylor (Associate Projections Designer).
YOGA PLAY runs from March 26 – April 23, 2022, and the run includes two special audience engagement events. Following the matinee on Sunday, April 10, audiences are invited to a special moderated talkback with members of the cast and creative team. Then, following the matinee on Sunday, April 17, the Challenging Racism team will facilitate a special post-show discussion around “The Intersection of Race & Cultural Appropriation,” specifically curated to build on the themes presented in YOGA PLAY and enrich the audience experience of the play. Challenging Racism is an Arlington organization that provides education on the prevalence and inequities of institutional and systemic racism, and Keegan is honored to be partnering with them all season to enrich both artist and audience experiences with Keegan productions throughout the 2021-2022 season.
