Orlando Fringe is back with a wide variety of ticketed performances, a free outdoor stage, an eclectic visual art gallery, and kids’ activities. While there’s simply too much Fringe to cover in a single article, we are doing a series of posts about this incredible Orlando event. In this eighth installment for the 2023 season, we’re joining Priyanka Shetty on her journey to find acceptance and success in America. Let’s check out The Elephant in the Room!
Orlando Decoded was honored to be invited to attend last night’s showing of The Elephant in the Room. It’s an important show, examining weighty themes like love, loss, and following your dreams. Thank you, Priyanka, for inviting us out!
What is Orlando Fringe?
The Elephant in the Room is playing at Orlando Fringe, a two-week theater festival focused on unjuried and uncensored works of performance art. While similar festivals exist all over the world, Orlando Fringe is the longest running event of its kind within the United States. Fringe Festivals are generally known for featuring alternative or experimental pieces of art, so you really never know what you’re going to find!
About Priyanka Shetty
Based in Philadelphia, Priyanka Shetty is an award-winning actor, director, and playwright. Known for her original works, Priyanka has performed The Elephant in the Room all over the world – including at the John F. Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts and the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe.
In 2024-25, Priyanka will debut a Triptych of vital plays featuring stories of social justice, racial violence, and other crucial topics of our time. Beginning with The Elephant in the Room, the series also includes #Charlottesville (a play about the “Unite the Right” rally in Virginia) and The Wall ( a work highlighting the immigrant experience in the United States). Learn more about Priyanka and the debut of her upcoming Triptych at priyankashetty.com.
The Elephant in the Room
At times both joyful and heartbreaking, The Elephant in the Room is an autobiographical, one-woman show. Using a carefully designed set and sound bites, this play follows Priyanka’s journey from metalhead software engineer to American immigrant and successful actress. Skillfully leading us through her devastating challenges and hopeful triumphs, we watch Priyanka navigate her family’s disapproval, encounters with true love, and the realization of her wildest dreams.
Photo Credit Thom Goertel
The Elephant in the Room according to the Orlando Fringe website:
“One-Woman Wonder” Priyanka Shetty’s THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM is a witty, dark comedy about just your typical Indian metalhead and software-engineer-turned-actor who must navigate life as an immigrant in post-Trump America. When Priyanka makes the bold move to defy her family by quitting her IT job and moving to the U.S. to pursue an acting career, things don’t quite turn out how she imagined. Gear up for a funny, tumultuous ride through immiscible cultures, unforgettable love, irreparable loss, and the desperation of not belonging anywhere.
Freaky Thoughts: The Elephant in the Room
Encouraging open dialogue, cultural diversity, and community solidarity; The Elephant in the Room is an important tale of perseverance, dedication, and achievement. To know everything that Priyanka has faced to arrive at her current level of success is truly an inspiration. And as an internationally acclaimed solo performer, Priyanka’s talent is obvious as she transports the audience into her story and lived experiences.
There are still two more performances of The Elephant in the Room, so don’t wait to book your ticket! If you would like to stay in touch with Priyanka and learn about any future showings of this one-woman play, follow her on Instagram.
Tickets for The Elephant in the Room
The Elephant in the Room has two more available showings on May 26 at 6:20pm and 27 at 2:25pm. To buy your tickets and plan your evening, visit Orlando Fringe’s website.
Because 100% of the base ticket price is given directly to the respective artists, you will also need to purchase a reusable 2023 Fringe Festival button. Buttons are $10 and grant access to all the performances at this year’s event (along with an individually purchased show ticket). No matter how many productions you plan to see, you only need one button per person.
Know Before You Go
- A 2023 Fringe Festival button (and show ticket) is required to visit any performance. You can purchase your button online.
- Parking at Orlando Fringe can be tricky. Make sure you arrive early to allow plenty of time to locate a suitable spot and travel to the show location.
- The Elephant in the Room is located in the Green Venue inside the black box theater at the Orlando Rep.
