The Sitayana (Or “How to Make an Exit”)

Written by Lavina Jadhwani

Directed by Tushar Mathew

October 14 - October 31, 2026

Boston Center for the Arts, Black Box Theatre

Drawing from one of the greatest epics ever told, acclaimed playwright Lavina Jadhwani (1983–2025) boldly reimagines the Ramayana through the eyes of Sita—the princess, the queen, the wife, the mother, and this time, the author of her own story. Part Sanskrit epic, part coming-of-age story, and ultimately a break-up play, The Sitayana is a vibrant, witty exploration of love, duty, liberation, and the courage to know when—and how—to make an exit. With movement devised by the ensemble, the production holds that Sita was never one woman: she is all of us.

At CHUANG Stage, tickets are "Pay-As-You-Are" to provide radical access to theatre for those who identify as working-class immigrants of Asian American descent, a population in Boston underrepresented in arts and culture patrons. When you "Pay-As-You-Are," we empower you to select the ticket price that best reflects your socio-economic status and take action in community accountability to make arts accessible for all.

About the Venue

Boston Center for the Arts supports working artists to create, perform, and exhibit new works; develops new audiences; and connects the arts to community.

The Plaza Theatre and Plaza Black Box Theatre are located beneath the BCA Cyclorama. These underground theatre spaces have been home to some of Boston’s most innovative artists arts and organizations for decades.

CAST

Sita 16 - Riya Ramaswamy (she/her)

Sita 18 - Audrey Seraphin (she/her)

Sita 20 - Vidisha Agarwalla (she/her)

Sita 32 - Ann Varghese (she/her)

Sita 46 - Vijaya Sundaram (she/her)

SITA 16 - Riya Ramaswamy (she/her) is excited to be making her Boston stage debut! Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, and now residing in NYC, she has worked across film, commercials, and regional theatre. Along with acting, she is a Bharatanatyam dancer, works with rescue animals, and is on a mission to try every dosa in the tri-state area. She is grateful to her agent, friends, and her entire family for their constant love and support. IG: @riyaramaswamy

SITA 18 - Audrey Seraphin (she/her) is an arts administrator, community organizer, and lifelong Massachusetts resident. She is delighted to make her acting debut with CHUANG Stage, after stints with them as a director (The Ghost of Keelung) and a props designer (The Fortune Teller). By day, Audrey works to get arts funding across the region with New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) as their Program Manager for Regional Grants & Initiatives. Audrey makes theatre all around Greater Boston, primarily as a director. Recent collaborators include Concord Academy, Moonbox Productions, Fresh Ink Theatre Company, and Theater UnCorked. Audrey serves on the Boston Cultural Council and lives in Allston with her stand-up comedian husband and adorable senior rescue dog.

SITA 20 - Vidisha Agarwalla (she/her) is a creative with a passion for acting, dancing, and standup. Her favorite roles include Associate Producer for @IdleHandsColl, dancer for @BostonBollywood Season 13+15+17, Mashal in Jado Jehad (Boston Playwright's Theatre), Bianca in Othello (Dream Role Players), and Cece in This is Treatment (NU Theatre Department). She likes drinking good chai, petting her roommates’ cat Termite, dancing to 2010 hits, supporting non-profits, and visiting her family in Singapore.

SITA 32 - Ann Varghese (she/her) is thrilled to return to the stage after her debut as Ushabala in the world premiere of the Off-Broadway musical Bengal to Berlin in New York last year. She holds a Master’s from Emerson College and has appeared in various short films across the East Coast. She is drawn to playing characters that challenge her, and enjoys getting inside their minds to understand what makes them human.

SITA 46 - Vijaya Sundaram (she/her) is an Indian-born, Medford-based poet, musician, artist, and a community college professor. She served as Medford’s second Poet Laureate between 2023-2025. She has two published books of poetry, and is looking forward to the publication of a collection of her short stories this fall. She is a recipient of the Mass Cultural Council Grant for Creative Individuals for 2026. Playing an iconoclastic, stereotype-breaking Sita 46 is a uniquely feminist and wonderful experience, right up her alley!

Creative Team

DIRECTOR - Tushar Mathew is an actor-creator, theatre maker and teacher from Kerala, India. Along with Becca Finney, he is the co-founder of the Otherland Theatre Ensemble. They tell stories of underdogs and outcasts who inhabit outrageous worlds and are moved by universal struggles. Their play Forgive us, Gustavito! which won Best of Fringe at the Charm City Fringe Festival, continues to tour.

Tushar’s creative and teaching practice draws upon his politics, extensive experience in ensemble-based devised theatre, various forms of performance and physical practices from India and around the world, his love for the natural world, and his deep conviction that the playing of games can act as a portal into heightened intentionality and generosity as a human and performer.

With Otherland, he is currently performing their solo storytelling show A Good Neighbour, designed to be performed in people’s homes. Invite him over and he brings with him: stories, and a thermos of excellent homemade chai! 

Tushar is currently an Assistant Professor in the Performing Arts Department at Emerson College. 

PLAYWRIGHT - Lavina Jadhwani was a Chicago-based playwright, director, and activist. Popular adaptations include A CHRISTMAS CAROL (annual productions at Guthrie Theater, Penobscot Theatre Company, Baystown Little Theatre), THE SITAYANA (East West Players/EnActe Arts/Hypokrit Productions, Sanguine Theatre Company, The Tank, CAATA ConFest), and SHAKUNTALA (Goodman Theatre, Oregon Shakes, American Theatre Company). Commissions included Indianapolis Shakes, Cincinnati Shakes, the Hypocrites, Jackalope Theatre, and DePaul University. Her critical writing has been featured on HowlRound and Rescripted and is regularly circulated in classrooms across the country. Directing credits include Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Guthrie, Mixed Blood, PlayMakers Rep, the Rep of St. Louis, Asolo Rep, the Gift Theatre, the Neo-Futurists, Silk Road Rising, Teatro Vista, and Rasaka Theatre Company, where she served as Artistic Director for 7 years. Also a dramaturg, she has worked with Azuka Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, Oregon Shakes, Silk Road Rising, and more. Lavina's theatre training includes a well-rounded education (BFA in Scenic Design and MA in Arts Management from Carnegie Mellon; MFA in Directing from The Theatre School at DePaul University), numerous fellowships (OSF's Phil Killian Directing Fellowship, the O’Neill/NNPN's National Directors Fellowship, the Drama League, Old Globe, Victory Gardens, SDCF Observership), and more than two decades of professional experience. She served on the boards of the National New Play Network and the Chicago Inclusion Project. She was a proud alum of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, where she received the show choir's Bob Fosse Choreography Award and the drama club's "lifetime achievement" award.