Priyanka Shetty’s one-woman performance is a masterclass in engaging political writing. Constructed from Shetty’s own accounts, court transcripts, and self-crafted news reports, this docudrama captures the political and emotional turmoil that followed the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
A student at the time, Priyanka recalls the conflict that gripped the city as white supremacists marched through the established order, acutely paralleling the violent clashes with her own struggles to be accepted. Studying a fine arts degree in acting at the University of Virginia, her performance tracks the reactions and testimonials of her superiors and her contemporaries as she harnesses the political violence to her advantage, crafting the show as her final thesis.
Passionate and stirring, Shetty guides the audience through the tumultuous experience, easily moving between different characters and viewpoints to retain a sense of anticipation, culminating in a moving speech about the necessity of staying vigilant in the face of imposing oppressors.
Shetty’s performance is an arresting example of using art to showcase political unrest, and #Charlottesville ensures that such events are never forgotten.
#CHARLOTTESVILLE, Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug (not 13), 12.20pm