Yoni Ki Kahaniya (#YKK): Vagina Stories

[NoHo Arts District, CA] – The world premiere of “Yoni Ki Kahaniya (#YKK): Vagina Stories” at the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2023. 

“The first came out of my vagina with one arm out like Wonder Woman.”

“Your father is impotent! I have no sexual satisfaction.”

“I used to carry around a poster of Bollywood legend Aamir Khan, imagining him having a crush on me.”

 “I found myself in a cornfield, eating a bowl of curry, feeling tragically displaced.” 

Yoni Ki Kahaniya (#YKK)  is an original and contemporary storytelling written by five South Asian women from the Greater Los Angeles area. YKK is inspired by “The Vagina Monologues” (Eve Ensler, 1996) and “Yoni Ki Baat” (South Asian Sisters, 2003).

In the show, you meet Sharmita Bhattacharya, Chhaya Nene, Sapna Kumar, Vee Kumari and Tanya Thomas. With diverse roots from Ohio to Singapore, each woman was exposed to a subculture expressed in unique languages, food, and social customs. Join the women through their compelling experiences, told through seriocomic elements, stylized storytelling, pantomimed organs and colorful dupattas (Indian scarves)! #YKK is a deep reflection, a commitment to uplift, and a celebration of the complexity of being a South Asian woman in America.

“It is beautiful to disparate stories from three generations of women interwoven to create a tapestry,” states producer Vee Kumari, “The bravery, solidarity, and refusal to fit the norm will leave you breathless.”

Admission age: 16+/parental consent. We mention, in good taste, female body parts and physiologic processes and briefly enact an incident of domestic violence.

The Cast:

Written and performed by: Sharmita  Bhattacharya, Chhaya Nene, Sapna Kumar, Tanya Thomas, Vee Kumari  

The Production Team:

Presented by Vee Kumari and Jessica Lynn Johnson.  Directed by Marianne Davis.  

Vee Kumari (Writer, Producer, Performer) has been a med school professor for over 35 years  and discovered acting only after retirement. Producing and acting in her own shows brings her considerable satisfaction, a way to feed her passion for acting. Her acting credits include “Criminal Minds” and “GLOW”. She was the executive producer and lead for “HALWA”, a short film that won HBO’s APAV award for the directors in 2019. The need to promote the authentic voices of South Asian women led her to produce and perform in Yoni Ki Kahaniya.  IG: veewriteractorhuman https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4589001

Marianne Davis (Director) is a Los Angeles-based director, actor, teacher, choreographer, and spoken word artist interested in elevating untold stories. Yoni Ki Kahania is her Hollywood Fringe directorial debut after helping to develop George Steeve’s award-winning solo show “Magic 8 Ball: My Life with Asperger’s” Marianne also co-produced and co-directed Sacred Fools’ “We the People: Theater Action” where artists and activists united to raise money for nonprofits. Additional directorial credits include World Premiere productions of “Escape From the Garden,”“Daughter of Earth,” The “Moonshine Mamas” Musical, and another from Two Heads are Better Productions, “Top Girls.” Past film and television credits include HBO, E! Entertainment, and FX, and theatre credits include productions with South Coast Repertory, Theatre Americana, and Sacred Fools Theatre Company where she currently teaches and helps run a children’s acting camp. Marianne is head coach of the dance team at Polytechnic in Pasadena and attends Cal State LA in pursuit of a Masters in Social Work, hoping to one day combine her love of theater and teaching with creative healing and giving back to the community. She resides in Frogtown with her husband, seven year-old-son, and their two dogs. 

Chhaya Néné (Writer, Performer) Chhaya Néné is a Los Angeles-based actress, director, and journalist. You’ll find social justice as a throughline in all of her work. As an actress, she’s appeared on ABC’s Big Sky, General Hospital, and Speechless. In addition, you can catch her on Netflix’s The OA, BET’s Sacrifice and several national commercials. Néné is also a wrestler and painter.As a writer/director, Néné has been brought on board to direct an episode she wrote this summer for an award winning series. She also has articles published in The Washington Post, The Global Post, and Reader’s Digest.

Nene is represented by Master Talent Agency and Marchitti Management. Connect with her on socials at @chhayanene. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5847066/

Tanya Thomas ( Writer, Performer) is an award-winning solo artist, producer, actress and voiceover artist who launched her career hosting Top 40 radio shows in Singapore, jazz shows on KKJZ 88.1FM in Long Beach, CA, and hosting three podcasts for Apple. Her one-woman play, “Naturally Tan,” debuted as an official selection of Solofest 2021 at Whitefire Theatre in Los Angeles, where it also won Best of Fest. The show received rave reviews at the Hollywood Fringe where it won Pick Of The Fringe and the Best of Broadwater Award. It was also nominated for Best Solo Show & Top of the Fringe. As an actress, her theatre credits include “Nickel and Dimed” (Santa Paula Theater), “Cheyenne Blood” (Elite Theatre Company) and “Please Have A Seat” (Ojai Art Center Theater). As a voice actor, Tanya can be heard dubbing lead roles on Disney Plus’ “Tierra Incógnita” and Hulu’s “The Bad Signal.” She has also voiced numerous projects for companies like Apple, CNN, Target, Food Network, Google, Bacardi, AM Resorts etc. When Tanya isn’t working, you can find her championing her 2 daughters and celebrating her fellow artists. She can be reached at tanyathomas.com and on Instagram @tanyathomasdotcom 

Sharmita Bhattacharya (Writer, Performer) Originally from Texas, Sharmita was drawn to the arts from a young age through South Asian dance and music. After pursuing acting in Austin and studying the Meisner Technique, she made the move to Los Angeles.

Sharmita just wrapped one of the lead roles in the rom-com “Arranged Love” for Marvista Entertainment and the E! Network and was recently seen as a lead in the Tribeca International Film Festival comedy heist feature film, “Four Samosas.” She has a few projects, horror, action adventure, and fantasy, in the works. Other notable credits include Huma Abedin on season 3 of the FX series “American Crime Story: Impeachment,” Lola on Freeform’s “Grownish,” Leela Agerwal on Amazon Prime’s “Panic” series, and more. Sharmita currently resides in Los Angeles and enjoys scenic hikes, snuggling her two puppies Bertie and Mick Jaggery, and experimenting with new vegetarian cuisines in her free time. 

She is represented by manager John Baldasare (Venture), and by agents Pedro Tapia (CESD), Heather Collier (Collier Talent – Texas). You can follow her journey on instagram @sharmita_bhattacharya and at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6087036/

Sapna Kumar (Writer, Performer) is a Los-Angeles-based actor and comedian. Her most recent credits include Netflix’s “I Think You Should Leave,” ABC’s “Fresh Off the Boat,” and the award-winning feature film “Feel Like Ghosts.” As a stand-up comedian, she has been seen on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” and LOGO TV’s “One Night Stand-Up.” Her love for theater and authentic storytelling drew her to Yoni Ki Kahania. Sapna-kumar.com