Geetha Reddy has written that rare theatrical treasure: a show that makes us laugh and think at the same time. We live within our own walls and tend to forget that we are not the only people dealing with the same intractable issues. Racism is 400 years old in America but the Caste system is several thousand years old in India. Bring Indian tech workers to a Silicon Valley aerospace company where company rules insist on equal treatment of all employees -- and watch how fast ancient prejudices rise up to muddy the waters.
t's a terrific cast, anchored by Kathryn Smith-McGlynn as Val, the H.R. person whose job it is to enforce the idealistic employee handbook. The employees, however, want nothing to do with it. Boss C.K., played by Ranjita Chakravarty, needs to keep her company up and running so the upcoming launch can be successful. An IPO would be triggered thereafter, making everyone rich. So she doesn't much care about Leela (Megan Siri)'s squabbles with Krish (Kapil Talwalkar), nor Krish's with Baasu (Kunal Dudheker), nor even her college romance with none other than Val.
We especially enjoyed the section of the story where several employees, all of whom have agreed to use only English in the office, become furious at each other and begin back-and-forthing in a blistering native language that not only they understand, but a substantial part of the theater audience. Some of us will never know what they were saying, but on Opening Night we were in the minority.
RATINGS:★★★★
The San Francisco Theater Blog Awards Division grants FOUR STARS to "The Employee Dharma Handbook." Writing, directing, acting and Wilson Chin's Scenic design deserve one star each. It's a terrific show.
"The Employee Dharma Handbook"
Lucie Stern Theatre
1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto
Through 8/2/26
$54-$104
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