Timylle Adams and Nandini Minocha (Photo by Jordan Gohara)
Reviewed by Asa Fris
International City Theater at the Beverly O’Neill Theater
Through September 14
A Masala Dabba is an Indian spice box, though each individual family will determine what spices belong in the box based on the cultural traditions of their household. It’s an item that can carry a lot of meaning, and the box might even be passed down from one generation to the next. Not only is it used and referenced throughout the play, but it’s also symbolic of themes and content found throughout: identity, traditions, and connecting one generation to the next.
In the world premiere of Wendy Graf’s Masala Dabba,, we follow Aditi (Nandini Minocha) as she arrives in California from India. She’s visiting Nisha (Ansuya Nathan) and Charlie (Jon Joseph Gentry), her daughter and son-in-law. It’s been fifteen years since she and Nisha have last seen each other, and it’s the first time she’s met Charlie or Nisha’s daughter, Tina (Timylle Adams). But time might be running short for Aditi, and as she faces her own mortality, she finally confronts her actions, and who she wants to be now for Nisha and Tina. For Aditi, it’s a quest of redemption, forgiveness, and responsibility.
The story of Masala Dabba is quite moving. Graf writes Aditi into an impossible life situation, one that’s complex and heartbreaking. But despite the moving nature of the plot, this production doesn’t quite deliver. This could be due to a few factors: direction, set design, or perhaps the structure of the play itself. Whatever the reason, it’s difficult to connect with any one member of the family. The production’s shortcomings, paired with some successful elements, such as a charming design aesthetic, position it in a middle-ground of effectiveness.
It should be noted that the role of Aditi was subject to last minute re-casting. So last-minute that at the performance I attended, artistic director caryn desai announced that the actor might need a script at times, and she did — once. Much to Minocha’s credit, she nevertheless brings admirable conviction and grace to the character. But Aditi is a demanding role. It requires the actor to convey a wide range of emotional and physical pain. So while it’s unclear what Minocha might have been able to impart with more time, as is, too many elements of her character are missing, resulting in some arbitrary conflict and the lack of a clear journey.
However, that’s not why it’s difficult to connect with the other characters. The problem primarily has to do with both director Marya Mazor’s staging and the set design, which lacks depth and dimension, with all the various set pieces and furniture placed horizontal to the audience. This placement restrains the actors rather than freeing them to play — it forces them to continuously face outward in order to be seen and heard (least their lines be lost in the wings of the large auditorium). This fixed obligation to face forward seems to cause tension and impede their performance. Graf’s dialogue is modern, naturalistic, and fluid, but this staging doesn’t highlight those strengths. To their credit, there are still moments when the actors break through and succeed with jokes or achieve emotional heights.
There are also a plethora of blackouts, notwithstanding the chronology of the action.
These pauses don’t amplify either the conflict or the desires of the characters in any clear manner. And the music selected for these transitions is reminiscent of infomercial music, which feels jarring when embedded between one emotionally tense scene and the next.
The set itself, however, is beautiful. Dark brown wood floors and walls, handwoven baskets and rugs, and accent pieces of orange and green not only portray the wealth of their family, but also evoke the color palette of the spices found in a Masala Dabba. Paired with Donny Jackson’s warm and welcoming lighting design, the result is a very charming depiction of an affluent Bay Area home.
International City Theatre, Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, 330 East Seaside Way, Long Beach. Thurs.-Sat., 7:30 pm, Sun., 2 pm; thru Sept. 14. InternationalCityTheatre.org. Running time approximately 2 hours, with a 15 minute intermission.
