There’s something fitting that, in performing in a musical about the balance between idealism and reality, Meera Mohan has restored a missing piece to her life.
Mohan plays the dual role of Aldonza/Dulcinea in Mauer Productions’ “Man of La Mancha,” opening this Friday, February 6, at Kelsey Theater. The play describes the plight of Cervantes, a tax collector and author thrown in jail during the Spanish Inquisition. From his prison, he regales his fellow inmates with the story of Don Quixote, the dauntless and delusional knight of legend best known for jousting with a windmill. The musical was a smash hit on Broadway, running for over 2,”300 performances and contributing “The Impossible Dream” to the list of American musical theater standards.
Mohan relishes the role of Aldonza, a bar wench and scullery maid, who becomes wrapped up in Quixote’s delusions and is eventually won over by his boundless idealism and transforms herself into the character he creates for her. “This is the best role I’ve ever played,” Mohan enthuses. “Rehearsals are a treat.”
Mohan moved to Plainsboro in September from East Windsor. A life-long lover of the performing arts, Mohan grew up in Northern New Jersey, where she attended Whittany Park High School in Morris County. There, she was heavily involved in drama; among other roles, she played Maria in “The Sound of Music.”
Mohan went on to study psychology at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. There, Mohan made a conscious decision to put her love of theater on hold. Her collegiate extracurricular activities included college government, a cappella singing group, and arts-as-activism events focused on issues of race, sexuality, and assimilation from a south Asian perspective.
After graduating from Wellesley in 2005, Mohan accepted a job with a supply company, where she currently manages inventory control. After reaching a point of career and financial stability, Mohan realized something was missing. “I wanted to do musicals again,” Mohan says. “I’d spent too much time letting my heart get too far away from my dreams.”
Mohan began taking voice lessons a year ago, and subscribed to a local listserv that posts community theater auditions. Mohan’s first local performance was a smaller role in Pennington Players’ “Once on this Island” this past summer. When she saw the posting for “Man of La Mancha,” Mohan knew she had to go for it. “This is one of those roles I’ve always wanted to play,” she says.
Mohan enjoys the challenge of the role. “John [Mauer, the production’s director] has great insight,” she says. “He’s really good at letting you know when something is or isn’t working. He’s really helping me trust my instincts.” Mohan cites the abduction scene, where Aldonza pays dearly for coming to Quixote’s aid, as the pivotal scene for her character: “In that moment, I fully become Aldonza.”
Mohan’s family remains in Morris County; her mother, Vidya, is a manager at Prudential, and her father, Kalpathi, is an accountant in New York City. Her younger brother Sanjay is a pre-med student at Rutgers, but shares her love for theater: “He’s keeping his ear to the ground for any opportunities that might work with his busy schedule.”
Mohan sees this as the first step in a series of successful community theater performances. “I finally feel like I can trust my technique and training to keep my voice supported and strong,” she says, “so I can focus on really diving into the character.” At the top of Mohan’s list of dream roles is Eva Peron in “Evita.” “There’s so much to the part, both in what happens in the play and her in real life.”
Man of La Mancha, Kelsey Theater, Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, 609-570-3333, www.kelseyatmccc.org. $16. Friday, February 6, to Sunday, February 15.
