Cultures clash at Kalighat, Mother Teresa's first home for the dying in Calcutta. "Kalighat" tells of Westerners who discover themselves and their role in a turbulent world. With a cast of 23, "Kalighat" dramatizes the work of Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, and seeks to build a bridge of understanding between West and East. The powerful new drama merges current Euro-American theater styles, politics and spiritual/religious perspectives with the traditions of South Asia.

"Kalighat" has enjoyed development support at Circle Repertory Company, Circle East, La MaMa, HERE Arts Center, and with the Indo-American Arts Council. The production features choreography by Myna Mukherjee; scenic design by Mikiko Suzuki; costume design by Reshma Patel; lighting design by Brian Aldous and sound design by Bart Fasbender. Susan Kellerman is the associate director. The world-premiere production costars a cast of 23 actors from 7 countries: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Japan, Ireland, Canada and United States.

Presented by the Indo-American Arts Council in association with the Baruch Performing Arts Center, Mela: A South Asian Festival, running through February 15, is a celebration of South Asian performing arts in contemporary Western culture. In addition to "Kalighat", the festival includes a dance program from Nayikas Dance Company; the films of Lifetime Achievement Academy Award-winner Satyajit Ray; two South Asian music nights; and an evening of South Asian comedy.

Playwright/director Paul Knox worked at Kalighat; his play is based on his experiences there. Knox recently directed his work GEHRI DOSTI: FIVE SHORT PLAYS WITH A SOUTH ASIAN BENT at Harvard University. Knox is the Executive Director of Circle East, formerly the Circle Repertory Lab. His one-act INFORMED CONSENT, called "poignant" by The New York Times, was a highlight of Circle East's FIRST LIGHT: A FESTIVAL OF NEW SHORT PLAYS at Chashama last summer. His plays have been seen in the Circle Rep Lab, at Circle East, the Neighborhood Playhouse, the 42nd Street Project, the Columbia University Dramatists, the New York State Summer School for the Arts, Wellesley College, the Baxter Theater in Cape Town, South Africa and elsewhere. He is a co-recipient of the United Nations Society of Writers' Award for his cultural exchange work with the Russian Academy of Theater Arts (GITIS) in Moscow. Knox is a co-founder and trustee of the Tides Foundation-India Fund, which supports grass-roots education and community building efforts among sexually marginalized groups in South Asia, with particular emphasis on HIV/AIDS.

Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. IAAC works cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. The focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America, as well as, to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work here.