Manasu - Echoes of the Mind

Divya Maiya

Playwright/Director
Divya Maiya is a dancer, choreographer, and the Artistic and Executive Director of SAATH – South Asian Arts and Theater House, a cultural hub she co-founded to amplify South Asian voices through performance. Based in Minneapolis, she is a passionate arts advocate who believes that art has the power to heal, connect, and transform communities. With Manasu, Divya is debuting as a playwright. Her work blends movement, storytelling, and social commentary. Her productions consistently center bold, underrepresented South Asian narratives—sparking meaningful dialogue around topics often left unspoken. She has produced some of the Minnesota Fringe Festival’s highest-selling shows, including Bezubaan (2016), a powerful piece on Islamophobia that won the Arts Critic Award, and Desi Heart Crust (2022), which explored the complexities of Black and Indian race relations. Her mission is rooted in presenting difficult truths with beauty and empathy, always inviting audiences to listen, reflect, and engage. Through SAATH and beyond, Divya continues to shape spaces where art, identity, and activism meet.

Anjali Gopal

Director / Actor (Saha)
Anjali Gopal is a multidisciplinary performer - actor, choreographer, voice actor, singer and emerging director whose work spans various Indian dance styles, and theater. She serves as the Co-artistic Director at SAATH – South Asian Arts & Theater House, where she helps shape bold, culturally resonant storytelling. Anjali has starred as a lead actor in SAATH’s acclaimed productions Home Sweet Ghar and 2SuitCases, known for her emotionally layered performances that explore themes of migration, identity, and resilience. As an artist, she brings characters to life with sensitivity and range, expanding her storytelling beyond the stage. Her directorial debut, Manasu – Echoes of the Mind, and she is also playing the lead character Saha. Grounded in her training in Bharatanatyam and enriched by her work across mediums, Anjali’s artistic voice bridges tradition and contemporary expression with empathy, depth, and vision.

Tonushree Chowdhury

Actor (Barsha)
Tonushree is a curious, collaborative performer who loves diving into bold, messy, heartfelt stories. She was a lively part of her college's theater scene, from playing the embodiment of Death in Everybody by Branden Jacobs Jenkins to a dozen different characters in Indecent by Paula Vogel. She is excited to return to the stage as Barsha in Manasu: Echoes of the Mind at the Minnesota Fringe Festival. When she’s not acting, she has spent her time working as a costume shop assistant, stage managing, and teaching kids how to build new worlds through theater. With a background in cognitive science and digital arts (yes, she’s a total nerd), she brings thoughtfulness, play, and a little bit of chaos magic to everything she does on stage.

Madhu Bangalore

Actor (Rish)
Madhu Bangalore (he/him) has been directing & acting with SAATH - South Asian Arts & Theater House for the past several years. He has also performed with Sheep Theater, Pangea World Theater, Waterfront Productions, Hey Rube! and several other production houses in the Twin Cities. He is the founding member of DesiProv – An all-South Asian improv comedy group and performs improv with several other groups in the Twin Cities. He has also taught improv classes & workshops in the US & in India. When he is not on stage or not being a stereotypical engineer, you will probably find him biking/skiing/traveling/telling strangers stories about his (mis)adventures.

Ekta Chopra

Actor (Amma)
Ekta Chopra is a finance professional, an avid baker and a lover of performing arts. She is excited about her first acting role and hopes to continue to explore the world of creating and telling stories through theatre and film.

Erin McGregor

Stage Manager
Erin has volunteered with SAATH for over 10 years, both on and off stage. She brings her love of storytelling and spreadsheets to Manasu 's backstage management. Between sourcing set decor, tracking prop blocking, and 'bartending' behind the scenes, Erin keeps everyone organized and on schedule.

Sonia Sukumar

Stage Manager & Marketing
Sonia Sukumar is a local dancer, singer, actor, and Miss America titleholder who is passionate about teaching dance and championing the transformative power of artistic expression, all while pursuing her goal of becoming a criminal defense attorney. She is excited to be stage managing for Manasu. Founder of Ryka Digital, LLC Founder of Reuse, ReDance, Recycle

Suzy Messerole

Intimacy Director
Suzy Messerole is a Twin Cities-based Intimacy Director, theater director and passionate advocate for equity in the arts. She is the Co-Founder/Co-Artistic Director (with Aamera Siddiqui) of Exposed Brick Theatre, where she recently directed the world premiere of Siddiqui’s Log Kya Kahegne, a co-production with EBT, Lyric Arts & SAATH. Suzy’s intimacy direction training is through IDC Professionals, and she has served as the Intimacy Director for Close to Home at Pillsbury House + Theatre and Stop Kiss for Theatre Mu. Suzy is also a lead organizer with the Million Artist Movement; and a member of The Subversive Sirens, a social-justice synchronized swimming team.