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“Madhuri’s fierce, witty, observant, intelligent and original voice is loud and clear…she has exceptional talent for creating universally relatable stories with authenticity and compassion.” —Chay Yew, former artistic director of Victory Gardens Theater
This two-play volume offers but a taste of what Madhuri Shekar has to offer as a playwright on the rise.
In Dhaba on Devon Avenue, we're thrust into the dynamic of a family-run Indian restaurant. A staple of its Chicago neighborhood since the ’80s, Dhaba Canteen's offerings are as authentic Sindhi as it gets. But with the bank bearing down on head chef Neeraj, and his health in decline, his daughter Rita faces the ultimate obstacle: convincing her immigrant father that change (in the kitchen and elsewhere) can be a good thing.
In A Nice Indian Boy, we meet Naveen. He is looking for love and hoping to find it with…a nice Indian boy. When he meets Keshav at a local temple, Naveen is thrilled that he checks all of his—and his parents’—boxes! Well…almost. Their shared heritage may not be enough to sway Naveen’s parents to accept this unconventional union.
Praise for Dhaba on Devon Avenue
“Dhaba has real richness in its details: I’m a sucker for local plays and this one comes with a palpable authenticity.”
—Chicago Tribune
“A passionate and eloquent drama of a family polarized by a gamut of emotions: pride, determination, challenge, and heritage…It’s a true picture of many cultural conversations.”
—BroadwayWorld
“An epic of global history and politics that packs an emotional punch…an undeniably entertaining rollercoaster where history collides with the present
—Chicago Sun-Times
Praise for A Nice Indian Boy
“For a play that touches on serious issues, it is deceptively wrapped in the casing of a light, loving comedy, and this seems the best way to break the ice on such topics…an enjoyable, yet effective, piece of art.
—NewCity Chicago
“A fresh and engaging take on this well-established trope…Anyone who has ever been forced to straddle two different worlds will relate to A Nice Indian Boy.”
—BroadwayWorld
“[A Nice Indian Boy] provides many different angles on a nice family doing its best to adjust to changing times without losing its heart or its head.”
—Chicago Tribune
Madhuri Shekar is a playwright and screenwriter. She wrote the Amazon/Blumhouse feature Evil Eye, based on her Audible original audio drama. Her TV credits include Three Body Problem on Netflix, and the HBO fantasy epic The Nevers. Her play A Nice Indian Boy has been adapted into a film starring Jonathan Groff and Karan Soni, now streaming on Hulu. She is EP and showrunner of Unaccustomed Earth, an upcoming project for Netflix. Her plays have been produced across the United States and internationally. They include Dhaba on Devon Avenue, House of Joy, Queen, In Love and Warcraft,A Nice Indian Boy, Antigone: Presented by the Girls of St. Catherine’s, and The Incredible Book Eating Boy.