About

Lavina Jadhwani is a Chicago-based director and dramaturg. She is an Associate Artist at Silk Road Theatre Project and the Artistic Director of Rasaka Theatre Company, where she directed the critically acclaimed Yoni Ki Baat; she also serves on the Steering Committee for the South Asian Theatre Arts Movement. 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 Barbara Gaines (Comedy of Errors, Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Frank Galati (The Snow Queen, Victory Gardens Theater), Henry Godinez (Esperanza Rising, Chicago Children’s Theatre/Goodman Theatre), Steve Scott (Yohen, Silk Road Theatre Project/Goodman Theatre) and Chay Yew (Po Boy Tango, Northlight Theatre).

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). Graduate of Carnegie Mellon University (BFA, Drama; Masters, Arts Management) and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy.

Current Projects

Directing

  • Yoni Ki Baat, Rasaka Theatre Company at Strawdog Theatre, January 7-31
  • Summer in Gossensass, Halcyon Theatre at the Lincoln Square Arts Center, January 23-February 21

Assistant Directing

  • The DNA Trail (dir. Steve Scott), Silk Road Theatre Project, March 4-April 25
  • Tom Sawyer (dir. Jeremy Cohen), Hartford Stage, April 1-May 9

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