About

Lavina Jadhwani is a Chicago-based director; her primary areas of focus include developing new plays and culturally specific work. Lavina is the Artistic Director of Rasaka Theatre Company, an Associate Artist at Silk Road Theatre Project and Premiere Theatre & Performance and an Artistic Associate at Halcyon Theatre; she also serves on the Steering Committee for the South Asian Theatre Arts Movement. Her work with Rasaka includes directing and curating the Chicago premiere of Yoni Ki Baat and the world premiere of culture/clash, the nation’s first fully produced South Asian short play festival. Lavina received LMDA awards for her work on Merchant on Venice at Silk Road and Urinetown and Arcadia at Carnegie Mellon University. She has been a finalist for the Michael Maggio Directing Fellowship, the 3Arts Artist Awards and the Luce Scholars Program.

Lavina’s work has been seen at Apple Tree (The Devil’s Arithmetic, Number the Stars, Where the Red Fern Grows), Bailiwick (Kissing), Chicago Dramatists (Gandhi Marg), Remy Bumppo (thinkTank 2007 and 2008), the side project (Kiss, Yes to Everything, Before or After the Zygote), Stage Left (Foundations) and Victory Gardens (Access Project 2007 and 2008). As an assistant director, she has worked with Jeremy B. Cohen, Barbara Gaines, Frank Galati, Henry Godinez, Steve Scott and Chay Yew.

Lavina has taught classes in acting, directing, dramaturgy and production design at Northlight Theatre, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Reizenstein Academy, Carnegie Mellon University and the National High School Institute at Northwestern University (the “Cherub” program). She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University (BFA, Drama; Masters, Arts Management) and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy.

Current Projects

Directing

  • Steel Magnolias, Hubris Productions at Greenhouse Theater Center, June 24-July 31
  • numbfeel, (a)Symmetry Cycle at the Viaduct Theatre, July 4-25
  • Peter Pan, Theatre-Hikes, July 24-August 29
  • Dating Walter Dante, Raven Theatre, August 23-25

Dramaturgy

  • Travels with My Aunt (dir. Stuart Carden), Writers’ Theatre, November 9-March 27, 2011

Click here to download Lavina’s resume as a .pdf

References

“As a director, Lavina is a natural: all her skills and personality traits combine fluidly to generate someone who is as nurturing as she is knowledgeable. In recent years, she has applied her knowledge, research acumen, and leadership into several successful directing projects in the Chicago area, marking her as a real up-and-comer.” –Michael Chemers, Carnegie Mellon University

“Lavina assisted me magnificently on my production… but she has the added advantage of understanding two cultures intimately – Indian and American – and this gives her a unique broadness of vision and sensitivity.” –Di Trevis, The Drama Centre London

“Lavina is an exceptionally insightful and creative theatre artist … of her many attributes some that proved particularly valuable to me were her sensitivity and respect for everyone involved in the process, especially the performers and myself, her ability to balance critical analysis with good theatrical common sense, an eye for composition and a positive and engaging personality.” –Henry Godinez, Goodman Theatre