Shiv Pai’s New Play “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” is a Quiet Reckoning Against America’s Corporate Tradition.
It is slightly cramped but maybe the perfect space for an intimate reading of a political play. We’re in Studio 535 for the second reading of Shiv Pai’s first play “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” put on for producer Ashley Wren Collins. It’s still a work in progress, as the actors, a close knit group, sit in a row with just their laptops, scripts and notepads.
Pai’s play unfolds in the crumbling “DEI department” of a major oil corporation in present-day America. Staffed by a group of sharp-tongued, wildly different Gen Z employees — including the quick-witted Nora (Naomi Yuchi Townsend), the career-climbing ‘teacher’s pet’ Danny (Shiv Pai), the composed forward-thinking Adia (Merlinda Akindele), the nonchalant corporate nepo baby Elias (Rafael Bryant), the ridiculously humorous Chutney (Nicholas Milan), and newcomer intern Elizabeth (Lola Arenas) — the department runs under the half-watchful eye of their performative supervisor, Blake (John Yi), who makes a show of trying to rein in the chaos but proves helpless to contain it. Over in HR, Kelly-Anne (Genevieve Maiden) keeps a close watch, ultimately emerging as a pivotal force in the department’s fate. As budget cuts, botched cultural initiatives, and office rivalries mount, each member must wrestle with whether to protect themselves, the cause they claim to serve, or each other.
Pai asks: What do we do with all this disillusionment? How hard can we fight?
The actors sit around two foldable tables combined, elbows almost touching. In the center of the table is Nora (Townsend), the only worker in the bunch who isn’t American.
She’s clever and prissy and seems to have it all figured out. She’s particularly condescending to Elizabeth (Arenas), the new intern, and Elias (Bryant), whose uncle is the CEO of the company and who is said to be a product of nepotism.
Underneath Townsend’s intentionally British demeanor and highbrow acting style, foreigner Nora is a foil to the others. She isn’t as bothered with corporate politics, especially compared to Chutney, delivered with pitch-perfect comedic timing by Nicholas Milan, who seems more concerned with proving that Elizabeth, the intern, is from Jamaica, the New York neighborhood, and not the country. Instead, Nora is just trying to keep her head above water as she cuts her teeth trying to find a more stable job that doesn’t put her work visa at risk. Townsend brings a nuanced depth to Nora, imbuing her with an intelligence and resilience that quietly anchors the play’s more chaotic moments. There is an emotional honesty in Townsend’s Nora that invites the audience’s empathy without begging for it.
When it’s a scene with just her and Elias (Bryant), who have a romantic history, we see catty back and forth arguments about who has more privilege. Nora is resentful of Elias;, although Elias insists his leftist views make him his uncle’s least favorite. In these moments, Nora’s precarious position becomes clear, she’s an international student facing the constant pressure of being reduced to the label of “immigrant” in the U.S.
Pai has written Townsend’s character with a snappy attitude as a mask for her deeper disillusionment. It’s the posture of many young people in a confusing limbo. She represents a frustrated group who are at the mercy of a system that limits their power and ability to affect change, making their only option to put their heads down and make do.
An open reading of ‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’ will be performed to the general public on October 27th, at the Manhattan Theatre Club space. The group is planning to take this Off-Broadway in 2026.
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