Nandita Shenoy began her career as a dancer but later discovered that she had a knack for acting as well. She has appeared in productions around the country and notably took on the role of Elizabeth in Bedlam’s comical 2021 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion.
Recently, she has proved that she is also a pro at playwrighting with her play Esspy, which is now running through March 17 at New Jersey Repertory Company. TheaterMania talked with Shenoy about this new work, what inspired her to take up a pen and start writing, and what changes she’s seen in an industry that has historically underrepresented Asian American performers.
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This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
I saw you perform multiple roles in Bedlam’s production of Persuasion back in 2021. I feel like you’ve got a thing for Jane Austen as a writer.
I’m a big Jane Austen fan. I think that was my way into literature for women without apologizing for it. In England, but also in the United States, everybody knows Pride and Prejudice, and those themes come back again and again. My first full length play, Lyme Park, was a modern adaptation of a lesser-known Jane Austen novel, Northanger Abbey.
Tell me about your new play Esspy and how it came to New Jersey Rep.
I wrote the first draft of Esspy in 2012. I had worked a lot as a standardized patient at a local medical school and thought that many of the cases that I had done would make great material for a play.
Many actors work as standardized patients, where they exhibit various symptoms for medical students to learn communication skills like how to take a history, how to counsel patients, and how to break bad news. Also, I had experienced some challenges with navigating the health care complex when a family member became ill, and those challenges made me see the…
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