Miss India America

"Miss India America"


A few months ago I had the great privilege to see Meera Simhan perform her one woman autobiographical piece "Miss India America" at Highways in Santa Monica. Meticulously directed by Cornerstone Theater vet Shishir Kurup, this magnificent show has re-opened for a limited run at The Acme Comedy Theatre in Hollywood.

Ms. Simhan fluidly transforms from herself as a second generation descendant of Indian immigrants growing up in white bread Orange County, into her mother and father, her brother, her friends and family. Somehow, with only a handful of props and no set design to speak of, Ms. Simhan manages to fill up the space with characters so memorable and detailed you forget that they are all crafted by one immensely skilled actor.

Throughout the evening she flawlessly evokes the regional accents of her parents, friends and family, from Orange County to India to England and back. In one moment she becomes her mother, sniffing out her lost virginity, making her swear "in front of god that she had sex," and in the next moment she heartbreakingly evokes the coolness and swagger of her older, Americanized brother.

Ms. Simhan fearlessly leads the audience on a tragically comic one-person journey of self discovery from a girl that desperately wants to fit in to white America, to a woman that has come to accept herself for who she is. "Miss India America" transcends both gender and culture; it is a universally human performance that must not be missed.

-Alan Caudillo

There are only a few shows left,

Thursday Nov. 6 - 8:00 pm
Sunday Nov. 9 - 6:00 pm
Tickets: $18 online / $20 at door

Closing Night:
Wednesday Nov. 12 - 8:00 pm
Tickets: $18 online / $20 at door

tickets can be purchased at:
Acme Comedy

Sphere: Related Content