Premiering last Fall at the renowned Solocom Festival in New York for its Closing Night, and featured this spring as part of the Crazy Woke Asians Solo Fest, “Baccalaureate” is an autobiographical solo show focusing on one summer in the life of Saurabh Kikani, who at the age of 16 was invited to Oxford University to participate in a program for the world’s top high school students. He was also the shyest, most awkward teen in the world.
Experiencing first love, bullies, and intense classes, he was in over his head. But a viewing of that summer’s hit movie, Mission:Impossible starring Tom Cruise, changed his life.
Inspiring Saurabh and his nerdy friends to overcome their fears, they attempted to pull off the biggest “heist” they could conceive of – break curfew, escape out of Oxford, and take the Chunnel to spend a day in Paris.
This is a coming-of-age story with jokes…and espionage.
BACCALAUREATE
Reviews
I just loved how Saurabh refuses to take himself too seriously, allowing late comers in and essentially introducing them on stage as if they were part of the show. Instead of allowing them to be a distraction, he weaves them into his breezy storytelling style and continues the narrative. His story is fun, funny, and very familiar, and Saurabh is about as charming and likable as a person can be. He is a wonderful storyteller. Here he has crafted a delightful self-deprecating tale that most of us will relate to since most of us went through an awkward phase in our lives, or perhaps are still in one!
I just loved how Saurabh refuses to take himself too seriously, allowing late comers in and essentially introducing them on stage as if they were part of the show. Instead of allowing them to be a distraction, he weaves them into his breezy storytelling style and continues the narrative. His story is fun, funny, and very familiar, and Saurabh is about as charming and likable as a person can be. He is a wonderful storyteller. Here he has crafted a delightful self-deprecating tale that most of us will relate to since most of us went through an awkward phase in our lives, or perhaps are still in one!