As part of Ma-Yi Theater Company's "Performing Ethnicity" Arts Festival, Desipina & Co. will perform a workshop staging (not for review) of "Broke" by Vishakan Jeyakumar (Sri Lanka), directed by Abigail Marateck. This drama explores day to day life in a Queens auto shop run by two African American brothers, Derrick and Kevin, and their employee Neelan, a Sri Lankan refugee. When temperamental and elusive Vince, an Italian-American employee, joins the team, it becomes difficult to tell what needs fixing more - the cars or the mechanics.

The cast features Paul Coughlan, Ian Eaton, Amol Shah, Sekou Campbell. Set Design is by Tania Bijlani.

Desipina & Co. (www.desipina.org) is a South Asian and Asian American theatre and film company dedicated to promoting cross-pollination and artistic, political, and cultural dialogues. The name Desipina (day-see-pee-nah) is a slang term describing a person of South Asian (desi) and Filipina (pina) descent. The company's mission is to acknowledge the unique differences that exist within Asian American communities, which in itself is divided by race, religion, social and economic status. The company is led by Rehana Mirza (Artistic Director); Rohi Mirza (Producing Director) and Ashok Sinha (Associate Artistic Director). Its website is www.desipina.org.

This production is a part of the Performing Ethnicity International Conference and Arts Festival, organized by Ma-Yi Theater Company, The City College of New York, the University of the Philippines system and Philippine Forum. Major support is provided by The Ford Foundation. For more information on Performing Ethnicity, visit www.ma-yitheatre.org.

Ma-Yi Theater Company, now in its fifteenth season, is devoted to plays of the Asian-American experience cross-cultural and intercultural collaborations. It has been regularly featured in productions of The Club at La MaMa.