Upasna Barath is a queer South Asian writer, actress, and producer based in Brooklyn, New York, but originally from Naperville, Illinois. Her essays have been published with Rookie Mag and Waif Magazine. Her first play, "The Choice is Yours," was runner up for the 2019 Judith Barlow Prize. Her acting credits include Natalie in "Mosquitoes" (Steep Theatre) and Sarita in "Right to Be Forgotten" (West Virginia Public Theatre). She was awarded the 2020/21 Steppenwolf Theatre Literary Apprenticeship and Fellowship. She was a 2023. Youngblood/EST Finalist.
Previously, she hosted her own self-help podcast for creatives – Don’t Butcher It – which won the 2021 Spotify Next Wave award. Recently, she co-wrote, co-produced, and was lead actress in her comedic coming-of-age short film "Little Slut." Her hobbies include cooking for her friends, reading plays, and boxing at an MMA gym. She is currently the Social Media Director at Teach For America.
Plays
After messaging on Instagram, two actors meet at a futuristic Malibu house for a romantic and creative getaway. As Ananya, a TV actress and Nathan, an award-winning performer, learn more about one another, reality unravels.
In this absurdist living room play, four friends are each confronted by a soul-eating demon. Arrested by the awareness of their mortality, they must reckon with truths about themselves and their friendship for the chance to stay alive.
After the death of her father, Priya moves back to the U.S. to be with her mother after living in India with her grandparents for five years. Fresh out of high school and eager to follow her dreams, she wants to use the money her father left her for a degree in film studies. Her South Indian family has other plans for her.
Successes
I have been selected to participate in Art House Production's INKubator Program, a residency through which I will be working on my third play.
I was a 2023 Finalist for Youngblood/Ensemble Studio Theatre.
Self-produced staged reading of good friends in my living room, Brooklyn, NY - 2022
Staged reading of The Choice is Yours at Madden Theatre, Naperville, IL - 2019
2019 Judith Barlow Prize Runner Up for The Choice is Yours