DISHWASHER DREAMS Audience Guide
Hoping to dig deeper into the world of Dishwasher Dreams? You've come to the right place.
This Audience Engagement Guide was curated by Interim Artistic Director Bobby Kennedy, Interim Education Manager Kristin Hammargren, Community Engagement Consultant Tamanna Akram-Turenne, Artistic Producer Katie Galetti, Interim Literary Associate Shana Laski, and Marketing & Social Media Manager McKenzie Wilkes.TABLE OF CONTENTS
- BEFORE THE SHOW
- AFTER THE SHOW
- LOOKING FOR MORE?
BEFORE THE SHOW
READ
Here is something to check out before you sit down to watch Dishwasher Dreams:
- An interview with playwright and performer Alaudin Ullah. Get to know these hilarious comedian and tour-de-force performer as he sits down with Interim Artistic Director Bobby Kennedy to talk about the inspiration behind his play Dishwasher Dreams.
LISTEN
Director Chay Yew was our very first guest on The Green Room Podcast. Listen to his interview on Apple Podcasts, Spotify — wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!
WATCH
Watch interviews with both director Chay Yew and Writer/Performer Alaudin Ullah!
AFTER THE SHOW
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Host your own conversation or reflection at home using our curated discussion guide.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Share your thoughts about Dishwasher Dreams on social media by tagging Writers Theatre and using the hashtag #DishwasherDreamsWT to let us know what you thought! You can also take a survey here to let us know how your experience was.
LOOKING FOR MORE?
Here’s a bounty of other things to delve into:
ATTEND ONE OF THESE UPCOMING EVENTS
- South Asian Cinema and the films of Satyajit Ray – Saturday, January 15th at 1pm
- Keya Ganguly, a Professor at the University of Minnesota, will lead this lecture on the history of Indian Cinema from art cinema to Bollywood, including the Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray whose film Pather Panchali is memorably mentioned in Dishwasher Dreams.
- This is a digital event and will occur over Zoom.
- Register to attend here!
- Gaaner Ashor: A Celebration of South Asian Music - Sunday, January 16th at 6:00pm
- The term “Gaaner Ashor” is used in Bengali for an informal musical event where everyone is invited to join, whether they want to participate or watch.
- This concert will feature Avirodh Sharma (the composer and musician for DISHWASHER DREAMS), Lyon Leifer (member of the South Asian Classical Music Society), Palbasha Siddique (Bengali vocalist and founder of the group MOYNA), and Durjoy Siddique (Bengali guitarist and member of MOYNA).
- These international artists will be presenting classical, folk, and popular Bengali music with traditional instruments, including the Tabla and Bansuri.
- Tickets available for both the live, in person performance as well as an exclusive live streamed version of the show!
- Ravi Shankar: Ragmala to Rockstar – November 6, 2021 – March 5, 2022
- The South Asia Institute, a community partner on Dishwasher Dreams, is currently hosting this exhibit of concert poster art, photography and film celebrating the legendary music icon.
- For more information, visit the South Asia Institute’s website.
- Keep an eye on our Events Page for more information on these events and more, including youth and adult opportunities to learn the basics of the tabla drum!
EXPLORE BENGALI HARLEM
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Bengali Harlem and the Lost Histories of South Asian America by Vivek Bald documents the histories of seldom-acknowledged groups of early South Asian migrants to the United States, like Muslim silk and cotton traders from West Bengal in the 1880s and Indian sailors who deserted British steamships in the early 20th century. Alaudin and his parents feature heavily in the book.
- In Search of Bengali Harlem is an upcoming documentary film co-directed by Alaudin Ullah and Vivek Bald that follows Alaudin from Harlem to Bangladesh in search of his family’s past.
- An extension of the book and movie, the Bengali Harlem website contains information about the immigrant experience in different cities in the US and interviews with the children of South Asian immigrants.
MORE TO READ
- The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri - The first novel from Pulitzer Prize winning author Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake tells the story of two Bengali immigrants from Kolkata adapting to America and their first generation son. The book was also made into a movie starring Kal Penn that is available to stream on Hulu or rent on Amazon Prime.
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The Golden Age by Tahmima Anam - Set in Bangladesh during the 1970’s revolution, The Golden Age draws from the real life stories of the writer’s parents.
- Desirable Daughters by Bharati Mukherjee - This novel weaves together stories of ancestors, childhood memories, and Indian history in an intergenerational tale about an American woman and her ties to her Brahmin Indian family.
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Watch Pather Panchali. Alaudin speaks about his transformative experience viewing this seminal Bengali film by director Satyajit Ray. Available to stream on HBO Max and for rent on Amazon Prime. This film is the focus of our guest lecture on January 15th!
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Check out the music video for Dhoom Dhoom, the anthem Alaudin quotes from the 2004 Bollywood hit film Dhoom.
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Legendary comedian George Carlin was a major catalyst for Alaudin’s journey into comedy. Watch his famous bit on religion here. Carlin’s content is provocative and may not be to everyone’s taste. Please watch with care.
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Bend It Like Beckham: Parminder Nagra stars as a young British-Indian woman balancing her family’s expectations and her life as a soccer-loving teen. The movie also features Keira Knightley and is available to watch or rent on multiple streaming platforms.
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Stories by Rabindranath Tagore: This Netflix show is a dramatization of classic short stories by the Bengali writer and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
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15 Minutes of Comedians on their Immigrant Parents: Enjoy this compilation of other comedians discussing the humorous side of growing up between two cultures.
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Find even more on this list of films, TV shows, and documentaries about the immigrant experience.
CHECK OUR THESE OTHER GREAT PLAYS ABOUT THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE
- Vietgone by Qui Nguyen
- Cambodian Rock Band by Lauren Yee
- Ragtime by Stephen Flaherty
EXPLORE SOUTH ASIAN CUISINE
Visit a Chicagoland South Asian restaurant. Many South Asian restaurants are located on Devon Avenue, one of the best known and largest Desi communities in North America.
- Usmania - Fine Pakistani-Indian cuisine.
- Tahoora - Originally a bakery and sweet shop that specialized in Indian novelty foods, Tahoora has added a savory menu. Available in person and online.
- Sabri Nihari - A cozy Pakistani restaurant that opened in 1996.
- Bundoo Khan - A restaurant founded by an immigrant chef that focuses on authentic Pakistani grill cuisine. Locations in Chicago and Naperville.
EXPERIMENT WITH BENGALI FLAVORS AT HOME
Banglar Rannaghor (Bangla’s Kitchen) is a YouTube cooking channel that features many Bengali recipes. We recommend the Potato Egg Cutlet and Chom Chom (traditional Bengali sweets).
ENJOY MORE MUSIC BY SOUTH ASIAN FEATURING SOUTH ASIAN INSTRUMENTS AND MUSICIANS
Check out music from Palbasha and Durjoy Siddique with their band MOYNA!
DISHWASHER DREAMS First Rehearsal
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