For better or worse, one of the oldest tropes in Asian American identity stories is often the generational & cultural divide between the immigrant parents and their American-born children. Ankita Raturi’s नेहा & Neel, now having its world premiere at Latino Theater Company in collaboration with Artists At Play, manages to breathe new life into this trope while also being downright hilarious in such an inexplicable mad genius kind of way, thanks to one of the actors playing over a dozen(!?!) characters.

In this funny, heartfelt, intergenerational story about roots, family and connection, Neha (नेहा), an Indian immigrant and single mom, worries that she’s failed to pass her language and traditions down to her 17-year-old American-born son, Neel. Could a cross country college tour be her last shot? If only she can convince Neel to visit the historic Hope Diamond and witness a piece of Indian history for himself, perhaps it will turn their trip into something more.

At its core, this is a simple story between an immigrant parent and their Americanized child, which is already made clear in its title as the mother’s name is written in Hindi (which by the way is a very cool way of doing it). But while a vast majority of stories often rely on how the child cannot relate to their parents nor spend that much time with them, नेहा & Neel is not that story. Instead, it is a story where the mother and son does actually like each other and spend time with each other enjoying the same things (the car dance sequence to the Dola Re Dola Re song in the classic Bollywood film Devdas is just perfection). While one may perhaps scoff at that fantastical possibility in an Asian family, the characters’ situation are such that Neha (Pia Shah) as a divorced mother and Neel (Achintya Pandey as the only child has only made them bond over the years.

But it’s not without its peculiarities as the things the mother and son would do to frustrate each other are undeniably relatable to the Asian American diaspora. In fact, much of the comedy comes from the specific and detailed instances of how the two generations differ in their organization, efficiency, and how they interact with the world around them. The family chemistry between the actors Shah and Pandey is instantly believable, greatly helped by the hilariously fast paced banter dialogue provided by Ankita Raturi and ably guided by their director Lily Tung Crystal.

We have got to talk about this play’s usage of one actor to play over a dozen characters because it is this element that elevates this already good material to something sublime. These characters live in the bizarre cross between magical realism and sheer absurdity, with one of them being entirely off-stage as a potentially sentient GPS system that gives family advice to the mother and son. And what better actor to portray them all than Parvesh Cheena? The mind boggling amount of costume changes he needs to do is a sight to be hold but it’s in his performances that is simply Peter Sellers level. Or better yet, there is no need to make equivalent comparisons as it’s just Cheena doing what he does best and that is providing his unique comedic talent with a play that fully utilizes them in such a bombastic way.

This is the type of role that if it’s produced throughout the country, would provide such wonderful material to any Desi actor who takes it on. But while many will laugh their heads off (my audience certainly did on opening night) at this scene-stealing shape shifting clown, it is Neha and Neel who are the anchors of the show and not to be underestimated in the comedic AND dramatic weight they provide. Pia Shah and Achintya Pandey balance the two very well and we care for these characters.

The only criticism I may have is that the avatar characters are so iconic that when the play enters into long stretches of dialogue only between the mother and son, the play starts slowing down immensely despite the fully committed acting that is provided by Shah and Pandey. However, that’s just the problem of introducing such a wild card element in an otherwise straight-forward and heart warming play about generational issues. As it is by itself without the zany character changes, it is a wonderful piece of theatre. But with it? It’s a wonderful piece of theatre marked by sheer comedic genius.

नेहा AND NEEL
• Written by Ankita Raturi
• Directed by Lily Tung Crystal
• Starring Parvesh Cheena, Achintya Pandey, Pia Shah
• Produced by Artists at Play and The Latino Theater Company

WHEN:
• Previews: Oct. 9 – Oct. 17
• Performances: Oct. 18 – Nov. 16
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 4 p.m.

WHERE:
The Los Angeles Theatre Center
514 S. Spring Street
Los Angeles CA 90013

PARKING:
• $8 with box office validation at Los Angeles Garage Associate Parking structure, 545 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 (between 5th and 6th Streets, just behind the theater)
• Metered parking available on streets surrounding the theater.
• Take the Metro: nearest stop is Pershing Square (two blocks west of The LATC)

TICKET PRICES:
$10-$48 (except opening night)
• Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (except opening night, Oct. 18): $48
• Students, Seniors, Veterans and LAUSD teachers: $24 with valid ID
• All Thursday night performances and previews: $10
• Opening night (Oct. 18): $75 (includes post-performance reception)

HOW:
latinotheaterco.org
(213) 489-0994