Priyanka Shetty, the multifaceted creator behind THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, leads audiences on a captivating journey, chronicling her transformation from an IT professional in India to an MFA Acting candidate at the University of Virginia, culminating in the poignant night of her one-woman show. This meta-narrative not only provides a glimpse into Shetty’s personal odyssey as an Indian immigrant in the United States but also delves into universal themes of identity and acceptance framed through the lens of a creative artist.
The play is not just about Shetty’s journey but also a journey to find acceptance, an identity, and a sense of belonging. Those are universal themes that even non-immigrants can relate to as we’ve all felt out of place as we desperately try to cling to some sense of normalcy. Anything to escape the feelings of “otherness,” really. Unfortunately for Shetty, she’s looking for this acceptance in a career infamous for not providing that very thing to a great many.
