Director's Open Letter to the Cast and Crew

I had asked almost all of you at the initial audition for Love Times Seven – “why are you auditioning?” and every answer I got was vaguely along the lines of “it’s exciting,” “just interested” and/or “meeting new people.” From then onto the final casting process to workshops to now, you have come to rehearsal every weekend, said your lines, danced your dances, and taken your notes but the question still remains – why? All of us are full-time students, employees or homemakers. Our weekends are supposed to be our time to relax but we find ourselves consumed by the campy 80s or the insane 60s. Some of us are playing dads, other kids in the slum. Some are commuting from far away places, others are staying later at work so they can get things printed and copied. But why?

The financial compensation, though market rate, is hardly an incentive. You could make more per hour working in retail. Are we narcissists? Eager to see ourselves being seen.  Egomaniacs who think what we have to say, to share is important? Are we doing this to satisfy our own need to be important, to matter?

Each one of us comes to this project for his or her unique reason and we are all searching for some meaning in the project. Some of us want to dance, some act and others work behind the scenes. Many of us watch and love Bollywood films, others can’t remember the last time they watched one. Some are experienced actors and dancers, others have never been before an audience before. But what we all have in common is that when we signed up for the project, we made a statement. I believe in this. And the conviction that not what you or I or anyone else has to say, but what this project has to say, is important is what drives us to rehearsal everyday. We are here, in service of Love Times Seven, which is bigger than us. We aren’t South Asians looking to represent, Bollywood freaks, egomaniacs, narcissists. We are artists.

And our journey has only just begun. We have a lot more to do now, a long way to go. And if we are to continue to regard Love Times Seven as bigger than our individual wants and desires, then we have to challenge ourselves to do better. We have to push ourselves to grow as actors, dancers, directors, designers. We have to do more than the bare minimum, because the odds are stacked against us. We don’t have all the resources that bigger theatre companies have, we don’t have all the time in the world, and we don’t have everyone’s support. There are people who are expecting us to fail. But I think we all have what it takes.

We cannot ever fully know why we do the things we do; what compels us, moves us, touches us. But I do know that in the coming months, I will push you. I will work on every line that you have to say, every step that you move, and compel you to do more. And if you are open to that challenge, if you can meet it head-on, then your growth as artist will become the driving force of Love Times Seven’s success.

And at the end of it all, we will look back and know why we were at that first meeting or audition.