Masala Dabba at International City Theatre

Masala Dabba

International City Theatre
330 East Seaside Way Long Beach

International City Theatre presents the world premiere of Masala Dabba, the newest family drama from multiple award-winning playwright Wendy Graf. Members of a multicultural family see themselves reflected in stories from the past - each inspired by a spice in their grandmother's "masala dabba," or Indian spice box.

Presented by InternationalCityTheatre.org

Thru - Sep 21, 2025

Thursdays: 7:30pm

Fridays: 7:30pm

Saturdays: 7:30pm

Sundays: 2:00pm

Show Type: Drama

Box Office: 562-436-4610

www.ictlongbeach.com

Masala Dabba Reviews

Average Rating based on 5 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

LA Splash - Highly Recommended

"...So what exactly is a masala dabba? It’s a spice storage box with seven storage units called “katuris.” What is the purpose? This clever device keeps the most frequently used seven spices fresh and quickly accessible. Almost every cook in India has one. Thus the stage is set for events which will demonstrate how food becomes a portal into the past and a promise for the future for members of an estranged Indian family."

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- Elaine Mura

Stage Scene LA - Highly Recommended

"...An Indian widow pays an unexpected visit to the adult daughter she hasn't communicated with in over fifteen years, her daughter's African-American husband, and the teenage granddaughter she has never met in Wendy Graf's cross-cultural family drama Marsela Dabba, an impressive International City Theatre World Premiere."

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- Steven Stanley

LA Theatrix - Recommended

"...In Wendy Graf's new play "Masala Dabba," the mother of a 14-year-old girl is estranged from her own mother, who has just flown all the way from India - and has never met her granddaughter. Add an African American husband to the mix and the result is a family like a masala dabba, spices in a box, some of which blend together well while others carry a deep bitterness."

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- Anita W. Harris

Night Tinted Glasses - Recommended

"...Fortunately, I liked the characters and found the hints of mystery compelling, with a slow series of revelations which tugged at my heart. Central to all this is Tina meeting her grandmother for the very first time, who finds startling bliss in getting to know her grandchild. Tina, eager to learn about her mother's heritage, discovers something new and exciting, and the thrill of that feels very real, very moving. Just as the resentments between mother and daughter never feel formulaic, but indeed very logical. This play does not relate the coming of a storm, but a shifting of a tide. And there is much beauty in that. Beauty and sadness. Anger and forgiveness. Confession and, yes, cooking."

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- Zahir Blue

Stage Raw - Somewhat Recommended

"...A Masala Dabba is an Indian spice box, though each individual family will determine what spices belong in the box based on the cultural traditions of their household. It's an item that can carry a lot of meaning, and the box might even be passed down from one generation to the next. Not only is it used and referenced throughout the play, but it's also symbolic of themes and content found throughout: identity, traditions, and connecting one generation to the next."

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- Asa Fris

Masala Dabba at International City Theatre

Masala Dabba

Masala Dabba Reviews

LA Splash - Highly Recommended

Stage Scene LA - Highly Recommended

LA Theatrix - Recommended

Night Tinted Glasses - Recommended

Stage Raw - Somewhat Recommended

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