There’s a balloon in the backseat of my car. It’s not my balloon; mine was lost during the group picture. It’s my friend’s balloon that I stole.
We got the balloons when Mrs. Krishnan (Kalyani Nagarajan), the titular character of Mrs. Krishnan’s Party, was “upstairs” changing and James (Justin Rogers) was out “dealing with the shop.” Considering that the production currently playing on the Boyer stage (literally) at Marin Theatre through March 30 is a two-person play, one may have some questions.
The first answer is no. No stagehands gave us balloons, and they weren’t under our seats. Like the scarves and garlands we all wore, the balloons were handed out by fellow party-goers or, in more traditional parlance, the audience. To be fair, we were all warned that depending on where we sat, there would be varying levels of audience interaction; after all, this is an Onam party.
James (a college student boarding with Mrs. Krishnan) is throwing the Onam party to celebrate the harvest festival and try out his DJ skills on a hundred or so paying guests. The problem is that he hasn’t told Mrs. Krishnan that he has cleared out her stock room and invited 100 strangers into her home a mere half hour before her precious son’s arrival and right after she has decided to sell the store.
Inevitably, chaos ensues, wherein we discover the strength of an immigrant single mother, how necessary community can be, and most importantly, to label one’s identical-looking canisters. Both actors are stellar at embodying these characters and in audience management.
The play was originally written and produced by Jacob Rajan and Justin Lewis (founders of New Zealand’s Indian Ink theater company). Directed by Lewis, it has been touring the U.S. for about five years now with the same two actors who originated the roles in New Zealand. It’s safe to say that they are ready for anything in the ensuing zaniness.
Often, doing one role for that length of time can become stale both for the actor and the audience. However, Nagarajan and Rogers are a joy to watch. Their enthusiasm allows them to tell a compelling and truthful story while allaying any unease about being at an interactive theater piece.
Put those worries about audience interaction aside and join the party; there are a lot of laughs, good food and great performances. But hold on to that balloon so new friends don’t steal it.
‘Mrs. Krishnan’s Party’ runs through March 30 at Marin Theatre, 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley. Tues-Sat, 7:30pm; Sat & Sun, 2pm. $10-$97. 415.388.5208. marintheatre.org.
