Playwright, performer, and proclaimed metalhead Priyanka Shetty takes the stage at Keegan Theatre to present her one-woman show, The Elephant in the Room. Shetty guides the audience through an internal exploration of her insecurities, life discoveries, and the ongoing journey to find her identity.
The stage is Shetty’s dressing room, with a changing screen in one upstage corner, decorated with pictures, fliers, and other personal mementos. In the opposite corner are some trunks and a lighted mirror where she does her makeup. A yoga mat is laid on the ground, a chair sits in the middle of the room, and a few pillows are strewn on the floor. The room is comfortable and unassuming.
Shetty speaks to the audience in a warm and familiar tone as she prepares for her show. The crowd is a friend, a confidant. The voice of her stage manager chimes in occasionally with the countdown to showtime and updates on the (dreaded) arrival of her parents in the audience. But first, the voice notifies Shetty that a parcel arrived for her and was left in the room, with no return address.
After a rollercoaster of initial apprehension over the unknown gift … Shetty navigates the assorted aspects of her character that determine who she is as an individual.
As Shetty weaves the history of her life and attempts to bring the many varied moments into a singular point, a solid and defined image of herself, she discovers the kaleidoscope of her personality and the uniqueness of her collective experiences.
Priyanka Shetty’s The Elephant in the Room is a thought-provoking show, celebrating the beauty of diversity, while also calling out the united sameness of humanity — what Shetty calls “the bark and branches” once you remove the outer layer of foliage. The performance is as relatable as it is enlightening. And Shetty delivers her story with pride, resilience, and humanity.
The desire to know oneself and feel like you belong is universal. But how do you define a person? Is it your origin? Your profession? How do you fit into your own skin in a world where no one and nothing is ever good enough? It is through your truth. And while being true to yourself is not a new concept (hello, Shakespeare), Shetty presents her path to this realization in a wonderfully original and entertaining way that is entirely her own.
