Reena Dutt is dedicated to new and reimagined texts that catapult polarizing conversations through unexpected stories with the bodies, voices and life experiences of the under-heard. She directed the development workshop of Accidental Feminist at The Public, Guards at the Taj in the Berkshires, the midwestern premiere of American Fast and assistant directed The Collaboration with Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope on Broadway. Dutt is a seasoned film director/producer, having screened at over 80 venues, including Sundance, Outfest, NBCShorts, HBO, BET and PBS/Latine, and is an award-winning audiobook narrator/director. Fellowships: Drama League, Lincoln Center Directors Lab, DLW, Project Involve, SFFilm.

THIS IS NOT A TRUE STORY plays at the Los Angeles Theatre Center through Oct 15

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Did you always know you wanted to be a director, producer and actor? Did you have any creative influences growing up? How did you ultimately get into entertainment, and what has it taught you about the balance between creativity and business?

Growing up I always loved performing. I began performing as a figure skater (thank you Kristi Yamaguchi and Surya Bonaly) and competed in my region but twists and turns in life moved me into ballet and then finally the drama department at my high school in Mesa, Arizona. I was surrounded by open-minded teachers/coaches who really looked out for the best in all of us regardless of skin, culture, or class (thank you Mel Olson and David Goyette) – and this is where I caught the bug. After studying in New York and pursuing an acting career I realized the stories I was auditioning for weren’t socially impactful or provocative in ways that made me feel like I was fulfilling any kind need when it came to storytelling. I wasn’t representing my family’s unique journey, my personal truths, or moving any needles forward with my demographic. I wanted to be in movies like Nisha Ganatra’s Chutney Popcorn or Sam Mendez’ Away We Go yet never got in the door to audition. With that, writing my own stories led me to a producing career for the next phase of my life where I experienced the success of films going to major festivals and watched the directors/writers flourish in their own careers. I became part of the fellowship/lab world, and finally realized I had a vision and voice that I had yet to tap – and with that I felt that the work we do on our sets and in our rehearsal rooms, and how we do it, is a microcosm of the community we want to live in (thank you Diane Rodriguez and Bill Rauch). That vision of what we do, why we do it, how we treat each other as we create, has landed me in my role as a director, which I am immensely passionate about. I get to work and enable people who are kind, generous in spirit, as creatively ambitious as they are talented – people who nurture each other and uplift each other to be better humans and creatives. Choosing that path holds the reality that entertainment is not always a meritocracy, and I am still learning to accept that truth. The folx who compartmentalize what they do for money and what they do for community within this industry are goddesses to me. The people who have found a way to do both simultaneously, and convert their public branding into funding are magicians. Although I was always a creative kid, I never understood how much business is involved in being creative for a living and I still have a lot to learn on that front. I don’t know that there is a proper balance, but I do know that when I feel my purpose is word down, or my joy is diminished, it will be time to move on to my next chapter.

When you first read the script for This Is Not A True Story, what immediately stood out to you? How did it make you feel? What did you envision for it, creatively?

When I first read Preston Choi’s play I was floored by how he recalibrated the perception of how Asian women are historically represented on stage and in film. The text was hilarious and heartbreaking and each woman’s voice was so well carved that I was excited and curious. My initial vision had put all three of them on pedestals representative of how, as kids, we were in awe of these women. The fact that we were merely visible was enough – forget about their uni-dimensional stories and lack of agency. Diving into the history that my phenomenal dramaturg and Associate Director (Katherine Chou) dug up, we shifted gears and having those conversations on the histories of these plays, and the representation (or lack of) that has come with each production, our creative team enabled what landed on stage. With actors who had so much personal connection to realizing these roles and a producing company that has dedicated their life to representation of the Asian diaspora (Artists At Play), the journey has been one I’m proud of, and I hope many more theatres bring it to life through their own personal discoveries as we did with this production.

This Is Not A True Story features characters trapped in their predetermined, tragic feedback loops. How did you work with the actors to create this claustrophobic feeling? What did you and the performers discover in the process?

I think when you dive into the history of Madama Butterfly and Miss Saigon, the claustrophobic feeling is inevitable as a person who is part of the AAPI community. Knowing how commonly miscast the roles are, realizing all the truths or lack of that Preston Choi has brought to surface through the dialogue, and really talking through this during tablework, naturally brought out that feeling once we got on our feet. With the way the show is staged, there is a lot of physical work as well, including being pushed/pulled into the characters they are playing, as though they are the puppets and the white gaze, their puppeteers. It’s a demanding and difficult role to play for each of our actors, and if you really dive into the idea that so many BIPOC women are forced into playing a stereotype for a paycheck, it simply makes sense. The claustrophobia comes naturally. Bring in designers who could feel what the characters were going through, and speaking their own languages through design elements, only made the vision stronger, more palatable and cringe-worthy.

What are you working on next?

I’m currently in New York again, working on Hansol Jung’s world premiere of Merry Me at New York Theatre Workshop. I’m Assistant Director to the fabulous Leigh Silverman for this off-broadway production. After that I am back in Southern California for my next play going into rehearsal in January and I will be shooting a short film in early 2024. My short film called Reclamation of My Black Ass Imagination: An Awakening (written by Larry Powell, performed by Jamal Wade) playing at San Francisco Dance Film Festival and The Outlet Dance Project in New Jersey. In the meantime, my other two short films are still being used to give voice to common sense gun laws at www.toomanybodies.org and to transracial adoptees at www.FoundKADfilm.com

Are there any other upcoming performances, events, or shows created by women you're really looking forward to seeing? Anything we should check out?

Lisa Dring’s SUMO at La Jolla Playhouse is one I would love to promote. She’s one of my favorite playwrights and actors and is on a roll with her career!