EAST WEST PLAYERS, IN CO-PRODUCTION WITH HYPOKRIT LIVE ARTS, PRESENTS
EAST WEST PLAYERS, IN CO-PRODUCTION WITH HYPOKRIT LIVE ARTS, PRESENTS
BY JACLYN BACKHAUS
DIRECTED BY ARPITA MUKHERJEE
BY JACLYN BACKHAUS
DIRECTED BY ARPITA MUKHERJEE
Fresh, funny, and sharply relevant, Jaclyn Backhaus’s WIVES reimagines history through the eyes of the women beside “great men.”
With a South Asian cast and direction by Hypokrit Live Arts NYC co-founder Arpita Mukherjee, this whirlwind comedy travels from 16th-century France to 1920s India and 1960s Idaho, turning the spotlight on the overlooked voices who shaped the world. WIVES lands at a pivotal cultural moment—just after the 2024 election that saw South Asian American women make history in both parties, and as Los Angeles’s own Nithya Raman advances to the 2026 mayoral race. Instead of simply retelling the past, WIVES unravels it, reminding us that history is made by many, not just the few who make the headlines.
In Process: Jaclyn Backhaus on WIVES
An exclusive conversation with Jaclyn and the making of the 2019 production of WIVES presented at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater.
PRAISE FOR WIVES
Winking and exuberant! Jaclyn Backhaus’ WIVES is a swift and playful feminist manifesto.— Sara Holdren, New York Magazine“WIVES is a gleeful work of historical subversion.”— Ben Brantley, New York Times“[…]The full ride of the play is more than worth it, fast and furious, imaginatively plummeting the depths of history and our human experience that will leave you feeling uplifted…”— David Walters, New York Theatre Guide
WIVES PRINCIPAL CAST
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Rachna Khatau is thrilled to return to East West Players, where she originated roles in the world premieres of WASHER/DRYER, and A NICE INDIAN BOY, and performed in A WIDOW OF NO IMPORTANCE. Theatre credits include South Coast Repertory, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Artists At Play, Playwrights’ Arena, Ashland New Plays Festival, and AMMO Theatre Company. A Conservatory alum, Rachna performed at The Second City Hollywood and co-created MR. (with the period), a two-woman sketch comedy show that toured to sold-out audiences nationwide. Rachna was signed to a talent deal with ABC/ABC Studios. Screen credits include The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Baby Daddy (ABC), Bizaardvark (Disney), and the Sundance feature Didn’t Die. Her producing work was selected for the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes.
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E.M. Davis (he/they) is thrilled to make their East West debut! A transplant to L.A. from Chicago, notable stage credits include CYRANO DE BERGERAC(Pasadena Playhouse), RICHARD III (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), AT THE TABLE(Broken Nose Theatre, former Artistic Director), as well as new play workshops at South Coast Repertory, The Goodman Theatre, the Colorado New Play Festival, and New City Arts Festival. They’re the first openly trans actor to play both Maurice in Noël Coward’s FALLEN ANGELSand Frog in Heidi Schreck’s GRAND CONCOURSE, for which they received a regional Best Supporting Actor nomination. Onscreen, they recently wrapped an independent feature alongside Emmy nominee Jeff Kober. Recipient of the inaugural Sarah Siddons Society Professional Development Grant. Proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA. IG: @emdavisch
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Arasha is a South Asian performer, writer, and creator whose work spans television, theatre, and digital media. She is the host and co-creator of her own podcast, Fesspool, a call-in confession show where anonymous viewers reveal their dirtiest secrets. She made her network debut in season five of Apple TV's For All Mankind, and is currently touring her sold-out comedy special, How I Met Your Masi, a 90-minute live & live-streamed on-stage production she co-created, co-wrote, and co-starred in. She is also known as a fan favorite of the YouTube comedy channel, Smosh.
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Parvesh Cheena is originally a suburbanite from Chicago. He has been acting onstage in Los Angeles since 2004. His first EWP performance was in Shane Sakhrani’s, A WIDOW OF NO IMPORTANCE. Parv was last seen in The Who’s TOMMY as Uncle Ernie. Recent stage credits include Ali Hakim in OKLAHOMA at Carnegie Hall and over 17 characters in Ankita Raturi’s NEHA AND NEEL with Artists at Play at the Latino Theatre Company. Parvesh is a board member of Artists at Play and the Blank Theatre Company and an improviser with the South Asian team, Zindabaddies! Thank you for supporting live theatre in Los Angeles and please use your voice and power, to vote.
WIVES UNDERSTUDY CAST
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Pallavi Srinivasan (she/her, SAG‑E, EMC) is honored to join the East West Players community. Her theatre credits include work with A Noise Within, Rubicon Theatre Company, and Kingsmen Shakespeare Company. Some favorite projects include A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, ANNA IN THE TROPICS, and JULIUS CAESAR. She is a graduate of USC’s School of Dramatic Arts and is additionally trained in Bharatanatyam and Carnatic vocal music. Pallavi is grateful to her husband, family, friends, and Miss Nova, for their love & support.
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Vanathi Sundararaman (she/her) is a South Asian actress from the Bay who is honored to be involved in such a fiery, hilarious story about reclaiming one’s power. To be in a room with other South Asian dreamers and work with EWP, a theatre that has been an indominable pillar of diverse storytelling, feels deeply important. She studied Psychology, Theater, and Business at UC San Diego and moved to LA 3 years ago. She has trained at Margie Haber, Graham Shiels, and UCB. She would like to thank her incredibly supportive family and friends who keep her wheezing with laughter, never stop believing in her, and always push her to keep reaching for the stars. Prior credits include: MACBETH (Ross), DANCE NATION (Connie), BAAL (Landlady/Young Man), MEN ON BOATS (Andrew Hall).
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Kapil Kanagasabai is a Los Angeles–based actor delighted to make his East West Players debut in Wives. Originally from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he recently graduated from USC’s School of Dramatic Arts with a BFA in Acting for Stage and Screen. Stage credits include Bottom in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, Katurian in THE PILLOWMAN, Richard in RICHARD III, and Scoop in THE HEIDI CHRONICLES. He is also developing work across film and television and is passionate about bringing complex, dynamic characters to life.
WIVES CREATIVE TEAM
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Jaclyn Backhaus is a playwright and screenwriter who was raised by two botanists in Phoenix, Arizona. Her Off-Broadway plays include MEN ON BOATS, WIVES, INDIA PALE ALE, OUT OF TIME, FOLK WANDERING, and YOU ON THE MOORS NOW. Other plays include DANA DURING TECH WEEK, THE COLLECTIVISTS, HEATHCLIFF!!, and END-OF-LIFE. She has received commissions and residencies from Ojai Playwrights Conference, Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor, The Public Theater, OSF, Lincoln Center, New York Stage and Film, MTC, Playwrights Horizons, Clubbed Thumb, Two River Theater, and many more. Her pilot AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE was a Sundance Episodic selection, and her feature PREETI POPPED IT was developed by the 1497 Features Lab. She is currently developing her feature MILLIE BEFORE AND AFTER with director Lena Hudson. She is an adjunct professor of playwriting at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in the Departments of Drama and Dramatic Writing, a Creative Director of Fresh Ground Pepper NYC, a New Dramatists resident playwright, a Hermitage Fellow, a Tow Foundation Playwright, and a former member of The Kilroys. She resides in New York City.
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Arpita Mukherjee is a NYC based director and writer who recently made her Broadway debut as the resident director of The Kite Runner. Arpita previously directed Bollywood Kitchen by Sri Rao (Geffen Playhouse), House of Joy by Madhuri Shekar (San Diego Rep), and Eh Dah: Questions for my Father by Aya Aziz (Next Door @ New York Theatre Workshop). Arpita is the Co-Book Writer of Monsoon Wedding, The Musical, which recently had its NYC premiere at St. Ann’s Warehouse. Arpita has developed work at the Public Theater, WP Theater and O’Neill Theater Center, amongst others. She is a 2021 Resident Director at the Drama League, a 2018 - 2020 Women’s Project Lab Member and a 2018 Eugene O’ Neill National Directing Fellows and an alumni of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab. Arpita directed Running, a film written by and starring Danny Pudi and co-wrote the screenplay for the Disney+ Hotstar film Gulmohar with director Rahul Chittella. Arpita is currently developing projects for WIIP, AMC, and a Netflix feature directed by Mira Nair, with music by Pharrell Williams. Arpita is the Co-founder and Artistic Director of Hypokrit Live Arts NYC.
ASST. DIRECTOR
DIRECTING FELLOW
Syona Varty
DRAMATURG
Arnab Banerji
SCENIC DESIGNER
Yoon Bae
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Pablo Santiago
ASST. LIGHTING DESIGNER
Joey Guthman
SOUND DESIGNER
Andrea Almond
COSTUME DESIGNER
Samantha Jones
PROPERTIES DESIGNER
Rye Mandel
HAIR/MAKE-UP DESIGNER
Yoko Haitz
STAGE MANAGER
Jasmine Leung
ASST. STAGE MANAGER
Bonnie-Lynn Montaño
ASST. DIRECTOR
DIRECTING FELLOW
Syona Varty
DRAMATURG
Arnab Banerji
SCENIC DESIGNER
Yoon Bae
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Pablo Santiago
ASST. LIGHTING DESIGNER
Joey Guthman
SOUND DESIGNER
Andrea Almond
COSTUME DESIGNER
Samantha Jones
PROPERTIES DESIGNER
Rye Mandel
HAIR/MAKE-UP DESIGNER
Yoko Haitz
STAGE MANAGER
Jasmine Leung
ASST. STAGE MANAGER
Bonnie-Lynn Montaño
COSTUME DESIGNER
Samantha Jones
PROPERTIES DESIGNER
Rye Mandel
HAIR/MAKE-UP DESIGNER
Yoko Haitz
STAGE MANAGER
Jasmine Leung
ASST. STAGE MANAGER
Bonnie-Lynn Montaño
ASST. DIRECTOR
DIRECTING FELLOW
Syona Varty
DRAMATURG
Arnab Banerji
SCENIC DESIGNER
Yoon Bae
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Pablo Santiago
ASST. LIGHTING DESIGNER
Joey Guthman
SOUND DESIGNER
Andrea Almond
PERFORMANCES
WIVES is sponsored in part by Rose Chan Loui & Warren Loui, Nayan Shah & Ken Foster, and Tom Stempel.
Season 61 programming at East West Players in supported in part by NBCUniversal and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture.
East West Players is a recipient of the 2026 THRIVE! Grant, funded by the Mark Edelman Theater Fund and administered by Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for theatre leading for a just and thriving theatre ecology.
We voice the stories of the Asian American community, and in order to serve those communities, EWP is removing financial barriers to attendance. Pay-What-You-Will pricing asks those who routinely pay fair market value for theater tickets to consider choosing that amount, which helps sustain our work and subsidize cheaper tickets for those who need them.
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