Anya is a Kiwi-American actress and writer of Indian descent based in LA and NYC.
Born in Wisconsin and raised in New Zealand, she completed a Masters in English Literature at the University of Auckland. She's also just graduated with an MFA in Acting from Columbia University! Anya turned the literary research she did on prostitute-actresses in colonial Bengal into Apologies to the Bengali Lady, her first play. The piece was workshopped at the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown University in DC before playing at The Tank NYC and finally Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2019) where it received shining reviews from such papers as The Scotsman among others. Click here for more info on the project, including historical evidence and bibliography. Her sonnet, "The Exchange", is a response to Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream from the perspective of the Indian Boy. Displayed in a joint project with Saint Flashlight and TFANA, it is now published at the indie literary website, Sacred Chickens. Check it out here. A bilingual singer, dancer, and clown, Anya is passionate about creating empowering stories and finding joy in unexpected places. |