THE EMPLOYEE DHARMA HANDBOOK World Premiere is Coming to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley
Written by Geetha Reddy and directed by Snehal Desai, the production will run at Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto.
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley kicks off Season 56 with the World Premiere of The Employee Dharma Handbook by Geetha Reddy (Safe House, Mahābhārata). A bold, funny, and enlightening new work, this scintillating premiere was a favorite at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's 2025 New Works Festival and is recipient of TheatreWorks' Kurjan/Butler Commission.
Set at a Silicon Valley aerospace company, HR executive Val investigates a potential staffing issue amongst the lead engineers, suspecting sexism. She instead encounters simmering tensions of ancient origins amongst the company's Indian immigrant employees, bubbling over and threatening to derail the company's upcoming rocket launch. Center Theatre Group's Brindell & Milton Gottlieb Artistic Director Snehal Desai directs this gripping investigation of identity, nepotism, and desire.
Previews will take place from Wednesday, July 8 through Friday, July 10, 2026, with opening night at 7:30pm on Saturday, July 11, 2026. The production will run through Sunday, August 2, 2026.
Performances are scheduled Tuesdays at 7:30pm; Wednesdays at 2:00pm and 7:30pm; Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 2:00pm and 7:30pm; and Sundays at 1:00pm and 6:00pm (note new times).
Accessibility services include Audio Description at 1:00pm on Sunday, July 19, 2026 (with a pre-show talk 30 minutes prior; advance registration required), ASL Interpretation at 7:30pm on Thursday, July 23, 2026, and Open Captioning at 1:00pm on Sunday, July 26, 2026. Assistive Listening Devices will be available at every performance.
Special events include a Backstage Banter pre-show conversation at 6:15pm on Thursday, July 9, 2026, and post-show discussions with the cast on Wednesdays, July 15, July 22, and July 29, 2026.
The production will be presented at the Lucie Stern Theatre, located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto, California.
Subscriptions for TheatreWorks’ Season 56 are now available, with single tickets going on sale in May 2026.
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