About Hypokrit Live Arts
Mission
Hypokrit Live Arts’ mission is to fundamentally disrupt the American theatre, with the purpose of making the arts more equitable and relevant to a wider audience.
We exclusively develop work by global-majority artists, with a specific focus on artists of South Asian descent.
We practice radical hospitality to invite audiences that have previously been ignored into live experiences that illuminate and entertain.
We foster partnerships with institutions in New York, across the country and internationally to present work that crosses borders, language barriers and form distinctions.
The Team
Hypokrit Live Arts is entirely run and funded by members of marginalized communities. Across ethnicity, gender, ability, and sexuality, we are united in our commitment to elevate diverse talent and stories, embodying the rich complexity of the world we live in.
A NOTE FROM OUR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Nine years ago we started with radically reimagining classics. As we grew, we realized new voices needed to be heard.
Since then, we’ve worked with more than 200 South Asian artists, created a South Asian Performing Arts Festival (Tamasha), produced world premieres by artists like Aya Aziz and Zenobia Shroff, and built deep ties into the South Asian community in the tri-state area. Throughout that time, the core strategy for growth has been innovation and long-term development. Artists consider Hypokrit their “home,” and we aim to build a company that counters the scarcity models by exploring new ways of making work.
So when the pandemic hit and live performance was stalled, Hypokrit embarked on national collaborations for some of the most adventurous virtual programming. At the same time, we started developing TV and film projects, alongside producer Apoorva Charan (Joyland, first Pakistani film shortlisted for an Oscar). We knew one road to greater visibility was Film/TV. Our first short film Running (co-production with EWP and Enacte), starring and written by Danny, Pudi won the best fiction short film at CSAFF. As the company grows, it feels necessary and urgent for us to delve into the intersection of theatre, film, and television, and explore the symbiotic relationship between mediums.
So I am thrilled to announce that we are officially launching HYPOKRIT PRODUCTIONS, a production company under the Hypokrit umbrella specializing in TV and Film. We will continue our mission of championing South Asian creatives and narratives. The stories we currently have in development range in scope and ambition.
We will continue our work onstage under HYPOKRIT LIVE ARTS, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization. Our first production under HLA, is coming to NYC this Spring. Stay tuned for the big reveal and an exclusive ticket offer for our #HypokritFam later this week! (Hint hint.)
We are excited by the challenges that are bound to come with walking this unexplored path, but we know that our community will walk alongside us, as you always have. You all deeply inspire what we do - and one thing I always say about our tribe is that “we always show up!” We promise to keep showing up for you as we forge to create a new era of storytelling that is ambitious in scope, subversive in form, and singular in its artistic point of view. The world is hungry for stories like these, and we are here to fill its appetite!
Follow us on Instagram for all the latest for both Hypokrit Productions and Hypokrit Live Arts. Thank you all for your continued support and let’s embark on our next adventure! #HypokritFam.
~ Arpita