Interview: Comedian Pooja Reddy Explores Complex Southern Identity at Joe's Pub

When Pooja Reddy's parents immigrated to America, they were not prepared for how the American South would rub off on her. The result: hunting, fishing, boating, and firearm licenses, and a childhood spent playing pretend as a country singer and youth pastor.

Told through stand-up comedy and original country music, Pooja Reddy is White Trash is a wildly funny cabaret show about what happens when the American South gets its hands on a South Indian girl. At its heart, it is a love letter to the complex identities Southerners have, many of whom are immigrants and people of color.

The show is written and performed by Pooja Reddy with original music by Pooja Reddy and Emma Jayne. We spoke with Reddy and the show’s director, Neal Gupta.

What led you to exploring country music in this new show?

Pooja Reddy: Country music is one of the great storytelling genres, and for me it's tied directly to home - which this show is about. Also, the recent mainstream popularity of country music through artists like Kacey Musgraves and Beyonce has shown me it's a genre with the potential to be received by people who wouldn't call themselves a 'typical country music fan,' which excited me, and I thought it may be a way to center my next hour of comedy through it.

Neal Gupta: Pooja brings a deep passion for and knowledge of country music—the backbone of this project. By the time we began working together, she had already written six or seven of the songs, each of which is not only clever and punchy, but also pays homage to the genre through her distinct perspective. Having grown up in South Carolina myself, I was especially inspired by the way Pooja both reclaims and rewrites country music, bringing a fresh and deeply personal lens to the genre.

Can you tell us a bit about what went into putting this show together?

PR: The material in my stand-up routine that people most ask me about is being raised in the South and whether I really was 10 years old getting my fishing and hunting license. The answer is yes, and there are so many more stories that I wanted to expand on in a solo show about home. When I started writing this hour, I happened to find a childhood journal full of songs I'd written, all of them country songs, so I got out my guitar and kept going. I linked up with a close collaborator, Emma Jayne, on the music, and once we started I knew this show needed to be a cabaret. During that time period I was accepted into the Joe's Pub Working Group program where I was given resources to further develop this show. I made several trips to Nashville to work on the music production because I wanted the music to actually sound like my influences, not just be cheap karaoke gestures at them. One song evokes Johnny Cash's "Ghost Riders," another borrows a lick from my favorite John Prine song, another sits emotionally close to Dolly Parton's "My Tennessee Mountain Home." Musical comedy shaped me just as much: Bo Burnham, Steve Martin, Margaret Cho, and Flight of the Conchords were all influences I picked up in high school.

NG: Once Pooja and I began working together, we developed the structure of the show collaboratively. From there, we built the piece with the songs as our guideposts, allowing them to shape the rhythm, story, and emotional arc of the show. Working collaboratively from early development is my favorite way to work—to be in the weeds and in the trenches alongside a writer, discovering the piece together. Then, we rehearsed as much as we could, which is somewhat atypical for a stand-up comedian, but for the kind of show we were making, I knew repetition would be our friend. It gave us the space to refine the material, find the rhythm, and build something that would feel spontaneous.

What was the process of working with a director on this like?

PR: As a stand up comedian, this was my first time actually developing a show with dramaturgy and direction. Amrita Ramanan from The Public Theater's New Work Development department has supported this work dramaturgically and been an amazing champion from the beginning. My director, Neal Gupta, has a comedic sensibility and worldview similar to mine, which is helpful for the comedic development of the show, but he's also brought a sophistication and rigor that's pushed the piece into a proper cabaret/theater piece rather than a stand-up hour.

NG: You’ll have to ask Pooja. But if she has anything negative to say, I’d like to remind everyone that I am the director and therefore control the narrative.

Who do you think should come see this show?

PR: This show is a love letter to home, when home is complicated. So if that's something you carry with you, this show is for you. That complication can be as specific as what it feels like to belong to a particular country, group, or family. We don't get to choose where we're from but if we love a place we're allowed to critique it and want more from it.

Beyond that: fans of comedy, country music, pop divas, and people who think cabaret should have more banjo in it.

NG: Anyone who likes comedy, country music, or the cute servers at Joe’s Pub. Or if you have a crush on me or Pooja - since we’ll both be there. The songs genuinely slap, though—so come for the jokes, stay for the bangers. 

Do you have any other projects you're working on that you'd like to share with us?

PR: Yes! I'm continuing to expand Pooja Reddy is White Trash. My comedy show, Kutti Gang, is ongoing. In 2027, I'll be debuting an arts and culture podcast on PBS's ALL ARTS and hopefully finally jumping my horse.

NG: Things would be really dire if I wasn’t, wouldn’t they? I’m developing a couple of new projects—and I’m always happy to hear from anyone interested in making those projects someone else’s financial problem. My DM’s are open. 

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

PR: REST IN PEACE Dolly Parton.

NG: And Miley, if you’re reading this: we got a comp for you, diva.

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