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StateraArts members come from all over the USA and all genres of art-making. They are educators, arts leaders, activists, content-creators, professional artists, early career, mid-career, patrons, and community organizers. The Statera Member Spotlight is just one way StateraArts uplifts and amplifies the voices of our members. Today, we’d like to introduce you to Anu Bhatt.
StateraArts: What organizations are you affiliated with?
Anu Bhatt: I am SAG-AFTRA and EMC, a member of StateraArts and CAATA (Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artists).
SA: What is your occupation or calling in the arts?
AB: Storyteller. I feel that my calling is to highlight stories of people who have not had a platform before. Through my storytelling, I aim to create opportunities for people who look like me, as well as other minorities who have not felt represented onstage in the past.
SA: Tell us about your favorite project you've done thus far.
AB: I have to say my one-woman show Hollow/Wave, which I just performed off-Broadway at the United Solo Theatre Festival in October! Not only because I was able to perform skills that are not asked of me (dance, languages), but because it made me a stronger performer. I delved into issues I have not talked about onstage before like mental health, body image, and especially sexual trauma. These issues are beginning to be addressed in society, but the public face(s) talking about these issues don’t reflect my face. I wanted to offer a perspective from the South Asian community. I felt like by writing and performing my story, I could help broaden the representation of these issues.
SA: What inspires your work most?
AB: Empathy. I’m inspired by people who feel completely alone, because I myself have felt that way countless times. My work strives to show people like me that that is not the case. By writing, performing, even dancing, I’m trying to bridge the gap among all the individuals experiencing that sense of isolation.
Why did you become a STATERA member?
AB: I became a Statera member because I didn't feel like I had a community of women+ that I could really count on. When I joined the Chicago Mentorship Chapter I felt like I needed a mentor, yet I also knew I had a decent amount of experience after being in the city for 8 years. I wanted to pass on what I’d learned to someone else, and I wanted people to help me feel a part of something. Statera felt like that opportunity.
SA: What do you love most about your artistic community?
AB: I love that my artistic community really tries their best to lift each other up. Through vulnerability and being open with each other about setbacks in their own life, artists are now trying to support each other rather than operating from a scarcity mindset and tearing each other down.
SA: When did you feel most supported or championed by the women in your life?
AB: I can’t count one specific time or period of my life, but I would say that my mother and sister are my biggest female supporters. They’ve been emotionally supporting me for the last ten years as I’ve navigated my career as an actor. I’ve struggled a lot with my mental health as an actor, and acting has really delivered a blow to my personal confidence. They’ve been big supporters in those moments especially. Not trying to make the situation better. Just listening.
SA: Any upcoming projects you'd like to share with us?
AB: My original plan for 2020 was to tour Hollow/Wave around the country, but that really changed after New York. I came home so drained. I was trying to market a show from across the country with little outside help and no resources from the festival. I came home feeling like I needed to reset. It doesn’t feel right anymore to tie my identity to acting, which is what I’ve been doing for the last ten years. Maybe I should allow myself to be something other than an actor and find confidence elsewhere for awhile. Something that is more stable for myself. I feel shame for admitting that. There’s so much shame in this industry for taking a break; “#NoDaysOff”, or “If I give up now, I’ll never make it.” But this is something I need to do for my own health. I’m looking into Linguistics, which was what I studied in undergrad and is my other passion.
SA: Tell us about another woman or non-binary artist who inspires your work.
AB: I would have to say Minita Gandhi. She has really paved the way for me with my one-woman show. She performed Muthaland at Silk Road Rising, and I did mine there three years later. She speaks about sexual violence and the South Asian experience in her show as well. Minita helped me rehearse the show, too, for New York! On a larger scale, I’ve felt validated by seeing South Asian women step up to tell their own stories. There are so many of them in Chicago writing their own material and creating their own work. People aren’t waiting for permission to be cast by someone. We have sort of collectively said, “I’m interesting, let me tell my story! Here it is!”
SA: Mentorship is at the core of the STATERA mission. Tell us about one of your mentors. How did they shape you or provide pathways for opportunity?
AB: Barbara Zahora is one of my biggest mentors. She was my teacher at Roosevelt University in Chicago, and she was also my director for Hollow/Wave. She has been an amazing advocate for artists in Chicago. She is also the director of Oak Park Festival Theatre in Chicago, and she’s an actor, and she’s a director! She’s truly been an advocate for diversity in her own companies. For me personally, she was someone I felt really valued empathy. She’s also constantly believed in me when I have aired doubts about my talent and career. We all really need someone who sees us as we want to be seen, even when we can’t see ourselves that way. Someone who sees the light within and reminds us how worthy we are of being in the community and on this earth.
About ANU
Anu Bhatt is an actor, dancer and playwright. Her autobiographical one-woman show was first produced in Chicago and has toured off-Broadway at the United Solo Theatre Festival. Anu received her B.A. in Linguistics at U.C. Berkeley and her M.F.A. in Acting from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She spent almost a decade doing theatre and on-camera in Chicago and is now based in San Diego. Chicago: Northlight Theatre, Silk Road Rising, Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare and TimeLine Theatre, among others. Regional: Michigan Shakespeare Festival. TV: Chicago Fire, Chicago Med (NBC) and Electric Dreams (Amazon). Anu is a trained Indian classical dancer and is fluent in French! Thank you, StateraArts, for your support. www.anubhatt.com.