As a 14-year-old in India, Maahee Joshi stepped onstage for a poetry competition in Pune, India. About 100 people watched in the large auditorium at Vidya Pratishthan’s Magarpatta City Public School. Her performance, on this afternoon in August of 2019, was a self-written poem. She said her first line — and then forgot everything else. Frozen, humiliated, she walked off the stage. After that experience, she’d make a promise to herself.
“I vowed from that day to never do public speaking again,” she said. “I never wanted to be on stage again.”
Fast forward five years. It was October of 2024, and she was inside the Barbara Mertes Center. Rehearsal for the coming production of “Macbeth” had ended hours ago. Almost everyone had vacated the Black Box Theater and gone home — but not Joshi. She put in extra reps for her role as Lady Macbeth, working with Cecily Hanson as Macbeth, chasing perfection. Not for show, not for praise — just for clarity. For connection. For the feeling of getting it right. She lingered in the empty theater, stepping into her character’s world.
Yeah, that vow’s been shattered.
The second-year Las Positas student is pursuing a revered form of public speaking. She thrives before an audience. Joshi, now 20, lives for the stage. These days, she can’t get off one.
It might be easier for Joshi to dive into foreign characters, considering the diversity of her background. The unique journey she took to the LPC’s Actors Conservatory prepared her for the adventure of theater. From South Asia to the Bay Area. From Harry Potter to Shakespeare. From terrified to tenacious.
Joshi is now ready to take on her next challenge, auditioning for “The Rocky Horror Show,” Las Positas’s upcoming production directed by Dyan McBride. The cult classic pop-rock musical is known for its outrageous characters, wild energy and even audience participation. This marks Joshi’s first step into musical theater.
“What I’ve really seen from Maahee is this growth of confidence,” Theater Arts department coordinator Titian Lish said. “She’s able to bring complex ideas into the space, hold them as an actor, and execute them in performance.”
MAAHEE JOSHI has been a co-star, co-director, a set designer and a stage hand in her one year in LPC’s Actors’ Conservatory. (Photo by Sam Barnes/ The Express)
Joshi’s love for performance came gradually. First, through watching movies. Born in Mountain View, her parents, Aparna Kulkarni and Manish Joshi, moved the family to Pune when Joshi was 8. Her yearning for performing was born through Indian classical dance. She studied Kathak for over a decade at Sanjog Academy of Performing Arts. Dance became a gateway to the stage — an art form that blended movement, emotion and storytelling.
Her father was a huge Bollywood lover, so Joshi grew up watching many different films in their TV room. What began as a simple family bonding activity gradually transformed into a deep passion for Joshi as she discovered a keen interest in watching movies by herself, immersing herself in the stories and performances. She could watch Harry Potter for hours on end.
It was really reading that pointed her heart toward theater. Books like the Percy Jackson series and Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ fed an imagination that translated to acting.
“Reading was my way of escaping to another world,” said Joshi, smiling in the hall of the 2500 building, protected from the heat of a warm May afternoon. “I would get lost in stories very easily and was always drawn to the fictional world.”
Joshi’s first role was playing the evil witch in Snow White in fourth grade at Vidya Pratishthan’s Magarpatta City Public School.
India has always had a deep relationship with the stage. Ancient Sanskrit plays were performed in temple courtyards and royal courts. The classical playwright Kalidasa, referred to as the Shakespeare of India, wrote dramas like Shakuntala that blended romance, nature and philosophy in language. Even today, his plays are studied and staged across the country, a reminder that storytelling has always been part of the culture.
But Indian theater didn’t stop at the classical. Over centuries, it evolved — into vibrant folk performances like Yakshagana in Karnataka, Jatra in Bengal and Tamasha in Maharashtra. In the modern era, playwrights bring new urgency to the stage, writing about power, gender and identity with unflinching honesty. From epic mythologies to intimate political dramas, India’s theater tradition is both ancient and alive.
Joshi’s grandmother, Priya Kulkarni, a great storyteller, was a significant inspiration for her, particularly in developing her appreciation for traditional Indian theater and literature. Her grandmother would take Joshi and her younger sister to watch children’s theater in their native language, Marathi.
“She would always encourage me to watch things in my own native language,” Joshi said. “She would tell me not to just read and watch English content, but it’s also really important to know your own native language and understand plays from that perspective.”
Return to the stage
Each of these influences came together. The movie nights. The hours of Kathak training. The long evenings lost in pages. The days spent watching Indian theater. The unwavering encouragement from her grandmother. Everything wove together to hone Joshi’s passion for performance. They laid a strong and intricate foundation.
Even with that, Joshi’s journey nearly ended before it had the chance to truly flourish. One frozen moment in the ninth grade threatened her future as a performer.
“I probably even burned the poem afterward,” she said. “It was such a traumatic experience for me. I never thought I would go on stage again. I thought I would never be able to memorize lines and say them without forgetting.”
Her passion for the stage remained, however. So when the opportunity to step on stage again surfaced in July 2022, Joshi’s senior year of high school at St. Mary’s Junior College in India, something inside compelled her to take it. Her English teacher, Miss. Vaid, recognized her potential and encouraged her to enter the school’s speech contest. With the encouragement of another teacher, Miss Menzies, who recognized her desire to perform, Joshi pushed through her fears.
She committed to hours of rehearsal after realizing her previous failure stemmed from inadequate preparation.
On the day of the competition, she took the stage to deliver a motivational speech originally by Lisa Nicole, an internationally known speaker and author. Nicole is often celebrated for her powerful, emotionally charged storytelling, charged with the strength of her own voice. The success of that competition dissolved her fears and marked the start of her journey to the spotlight again. Then, just three years after her poetry setback, Joshi was cast to play Portia in a parody version of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” at St. Mary’s Junior College.
“She was pushed into something, and she excelled,” her mother, Aparna Kulkarni, said. “That confidence had always been there — just waiting.”
The Joshi family returned to California in 2023. Her parents decided to relocate for Joshi and her sister Meera’s education. Her parents wanted her sister to have a better high school experience. For Joshi, the older of two, the move provided an opportunity to pursue theater in the English language and widen her worldview while doing so.
BORN IN CALIFORNIA, Joshi moved back to the States from India in 2023. (Infographic by Angelina An/ The Express)
When she arrived at Las Positas, she joined the Actor’s Conservatory, a rigorous two-year program known for its immersive theater experience. Her U.S. debut in theater came in the school’s production of “Macbeth.”
She earned the role of Lady Macbeth, a daunting character. A 17th-century role is a challenging way for a young actor to get familiar with American theater.
“It’s a whole different set of rules,” she said. “Reading Shakespeare, performing Shakespeare — it’s a challenge.”
Still, Joshi leaned in. During rehearsals, she became a steady presence, serious and focused, open.
Titian Lish, director of “Macbeth” and head of the Actors Conservatory, said Joshi’s maturity and diligence set a bar for the rest of the cast. Joshi often stayed late with Cecily Hanson, who played the lead role. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth going over lines and unpacking scenes together long after rehearsal ended.
“I couldn’t believe the amount of work she put in,” Hanson said. “She’ll talk to you and talk through Shakespeare for hours.”
This production held great significance for Joshi. It was her first major theatrical performance. But her American theater debut happened while she was making her adjustment to America. Learning a new language, navigating a new land and its customs, integrating into a different academic environment. Joshi was “still finding my footing” while diving into Shakespeare.
CECILY HANSON, left, and Maahee Joshi, right, put in long hours to master their roles as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, respectively, in October 2024. (Photo by Aaron Burg/ LPC Theater)
Lish was vital in helping Joshi overcome the obstacles. Teaching her the essence of being on stage, donning a mask or a facade of a character but embodying the character authentically.
“After the production wrapped,” Joshi said, “I realized I really could tackle monumental roles like Lady M, even through the language barrier and being in a new environment. I believed the greatest challenge was simply adapting to life in America, but when I was presented with the role of Lady M, I was surprised I was able to rise to the occasion.”
Dawn of a theatremaker
The experience showed Joshi that she was capable of overcoming challenges she thought were beyond reach.
Joshi believed that to be a well-rounded actor and theatremaker, one must try every aspect of theater, not just acting in the spotlight. So Joshi committed herself to learning everything.
She stepped into a new role in LPC’s production of “Trail to Oregon,” co-directing with Vivian Owens through the student-run Drama Hawks club. The goal: Make theater more accessible and less intimidating.
“Maahee was very good at adapting to quick changes,” Owens said. “She was confident, knowledgeable, and creative.”
For Joshi, directing opened up a new dimension of the theater world. Blocking scenes. Writing character notes. Sitting on the other side of auditions. She learned to wear a headset. Communicate with the stage manager. Understand how the production moves backstage.
“I’m used to auditioning,” she said, laughing. “It was fun to go through the process with Titian and learn what directors look for.”
She saw a side of theater she’d never known. She’s always been the focus of spotlights. Giving speeches. Dancing. Acting. This put Joshi behind the scenes and an understanding of how things work technically.
Her first year in the Conservatory also included understudying in “Legends of Realism” and taking on a comedic role in Chekhov’s “The Bear.” Joshi always knew drama was a strength, “but comedy taught me a lot about myself.” In July, she worked on the technical side of The Wizard of Oz in July. She was part of the sound crew and took part in set design as a painter.
People often ask what actors do. Joshi has heard the craft diminished to a trivial pursuit. Isn’t it just pretending? Just putting on clothes and playing make-believe?
Her answer is soft, but firm: “You’re telling stories and giving the audience new perspectives. You have to condition your body and mind to be an open vessel for the character to flow through.”
From the 14-year-old who froze on stage into a blossoming theater buff. Joshi has emerged from her cocoon of fear and found her wings on the stage. She doesn’t just perform, she’s committed to immersing herself in every facet of the craft.
Her plan is to transfer to a four-year university with a strong theater program. She loves performing, yes. But she’s come to appreciate the scholarship behind the craft.
“I love reading plays and analyzing plays,” she said. “Not just being on stage. I want to learn as much as I can. I think it makes you a better actor.”
She’s now mentoring the next generation of theater artists. Her journey inspires, showing what can be accomplished even for those from distant lands, facing a language barrier, or perhaps not naturally comfortable in the spotlight.
Joshi’s journey from India is a microcosm of the truth that barriers don’t determine success. Passion and persistence clear hurdles.
Now, standing on the edge of her next adventure, she’s preparing for the audition room. Not with trembling hands clutching a poem, but with the confidence of a performer ready to act in her very first musical. Joshi is prepared to take on the wild world of Brad and Janet.
“The show is unlike anything I have done before and is such a cult classic,” Joshi said. “I am just so excited to be part of something that is so deeply ingrained in American Musical theatre culture. I’d be happy with any role, just being part of the production is what matters most to me.”
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TOP PHOTO: Maahee Joshi has been a co-star, co-director, a set designer and a stage hand in her one year in LPC’s Actors’ Conservatory. (Photo by Sam Barnes/ The Express)
Angelina An is the editor-in-chief of The Express. Follow her on X @angiebee_919.
