Snehal Desai

Snehal Desai is a writer, director and performer dealing in both minority and universal issues. The biggest change in 2013 was his appointment as Literary Manager of East West Players in Los Angeles. This year East West is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary as the longest continuously running theater of color in the nation. He is the first South Asian to be on their staff – a position he says he adores.  In February, March of 2014, he directed the world premiere of Madhuri Shekar’s play A Nice Indian Boy at East West Players.  It opened to great acclaim and reviews in Los Angeles where he also premiered his newest solo piece Trials with Brownies as part of their Evoke Festival. Before he left New York Snehal directed the American premiere of Immaculate by British playwright Oliver Lansley at La Mama and the world premiere of The Hungry Ghost for the  Fringe Festival.

This bio/description was originally published in 2013 and updated in 2014. For more current information, please refer to the award recipient's website (if provided).