kanishk pandey

kanishk pandey is a writer, director, and producer. He considers himself an exile, a label he uses to describe a relationship with nationalism and identity that is forever nomadic and critical, one reflecting his immigrant background as well as his own complex ethnic identity within South Asia. His writing is informed by the belief that consciousness can only exist through dialogue, and his work strives to create constellations out of disparate ideas to form a shadow of truth. He prefers theater because he doesn't like to be alone.

His work has been recognized by various institutions at various levels including: honorable mention for The Relentless Play Award (The Fate of the Online Cow, 2024), semifinalist for the Austin Film Festival Playwriting Competition (The Fate of the Online Cow...

kanishk pandey is a writer, director, and producer. He considers himself an exile, a label he uses to describe a relationship with nationalism and identity that is forever nomadic and critical, one reflecting his immigrant background as well as his own complex ethnic identity within South Asia. His writing is informed by the belief that consciousness can only exist through dialogue, and his work strives to create constellations out of disparate ideas to form a shadow of truth. He prefers theater because he doesn't like to be alone.

His work has been recognized by various institutions at various levels including: honorable mention for The Relentless Play Award (The Fate of the Online Cow, 2024), semifinalist for the Austin Film Festival Playwriting Competition (The Fate of the Online Cow, 2021), semifinalist for the Princess Grace Fellowship (PRISONCORE!, 2025),four times finalist for the O’Neill National Playwriting Competition (COLONY, 2018; Let Me Let Me Rot, 2023; Caretake of Her, 2025; IDLE EYES, 2026) as well as twice semifinalist (The Fate of the Online Cow, 2021; Gardens @ Glennshead, 2024), finalist for the FMM Fellowship at Synecdoche Works (The Fate of the Online Cow, 2021). He was awarded the Rattlestick Van Lier New Voices Fellowship for 2024-2025, and is an alum of the Pipeline PlayLab Fellowship (2026), the Clubbed Thumb Early Career Writers Group (2022-2023) and more.

His playwriting has been supported and presented by companies such as Ars Nova, Rattlestick Theater, Ma-Yi Theater Company, Clubbed Thumb, Pipeline Theatre, The Barn at Lee, Exponential Festival, Invulnerable Nothings, The Brick, LPAC's Rough Draft Festival, The Lark, Sanguine Theater, and Boomerang Theater, and he has been an artistic resident with The Barn at Lee, Fresh Ground Pepper, Invulnerable Nothing’s Barn Lab, and SPACE on Ryder Farm.

More at kanishkpandey.com

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Scripts

Too Much Time

by kanishk pandey

Cast Size
7
Genre
comedy,
dark comedy,
tragedy

Everyone comes over to Lin's place to pick up their drugs. No one comes over to The Falling Light of Some Sort of Limping Hell to entertain the Daemon.

Everyone comes over to Lin's place to pick up their drugs. No one comes over to The Falling Light of Some Sort of Limping Hell to entertain the Daemon.

IDLE EYES

by kanishk pandey

1
Cast Size
4
Genre
drama,
experimental,
horror,
immersive

Aahna throws pots. Aahna teaches ceramics. Aahna wants to move on, but she can’t. Not until all of the pots burst.

Aahna throws pots. Aahna teaches ceramics. Aahna wants to move on, but she can’t. Not until all of the pots burst.

108 Notes

by kanishk pandey

Cast Size
2
Genre
comedy,
drama,
immersive,
romantic comedy

Eve and Ava are currently testing to see if they can figure out what it means to know a person, with the help of some index cards. You're gonna help them too.

Eve and Ava are currently testing to see if they can figure out what it means to know a person, with the help of some index cards. You're gonna help them too.

The Fate of the Online Cow

by kanishk pandey

4
Cast Size
3—4
Genre
comedy,
dark comedy,
drama,
experimental,
political,
zoom

The Cow spends her life in front of a camera, playing video games for an active chat, earning money for her owners, Mud and Hue. Up until this point, her life has been simple but fulfilled. However, when a game of Minecraft leads her to consider her own predicament, she must come to terms with the oppressive conditions she exists under and the act of earned revolution.

The Cow spends her life in front of a camera, playing video games for an active chat, earning money for her owners, Mud and Hue. Up until this point, her life has been simple but fulfilled. However, when a game of Minecraft leads her to consider her own predicament, she must come to terms with the oppressive conditions she exists under and the act of earned revolution.

Caretake of Her

by kanishk pandey

1
Cast Size
5—6
Genre
comedy,
dark comedy,
experimental,
political,
satire

Cyrus is in a listless part of his life. He has quit his job to start a directionless podcast, and is growing more and more resentful of his fiance, Lily. However, he is suddenly thrown into a spiral when his vegetable grandmother is moved into his and Lily's one-bedroom apartment as she enters hospice. As he discovers her past and comes to view himself as a member of a lost royal community, he begins to bring...

Cyrus is in a listless part of his life. He has quit his job to start a directionless podcast, and is growing more and more resentful of his fiance, Lily. However, he is suddenly thrown into a spiral when his vegetable grandmother is moved into his and Lily's one-bedroom apartment as she enters hospice. As he discovers her past and comes to view himself as a member of a lost royal community, he begins to bring chaos into what was a quiet life for him and his partner.

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PRISONCORE!

by kanishk pandey

Cast Size
2
Genre
comedy,
dark comedy,
drama,
experimental,
immersive,
political

Lucky is starting his job as the night shift guard in the guard tower of a new panopticon prison. Rain is continuing her job in the recording studio of a popular online casino as the VTuber dealer. In a moment of indifferent cruelty, the two lives intersect and learn what it means to have freedom, and who gets sacrificed for that freedom.

Lucky is starting his job as the night shift guard in the guard tower of a new panopticon prison. Rain is continuing her job in the recording studio of a popular online casino as the VTuber dealer. In a moment of indifferent cruelty, the two lives intersect and learn what it means to have freedom, and who gets sacrificed for that freedom.

Me & My Friends, We Have So Much Fun

by kanishk pandey

Cast Size
2
Genre
comedy,
dark comedy

You’ve finally come home from a long day at work. You’re ready to do your favorite thing in the world: watch Family Guy clip compilations and forget you exist. But your goddamn roommate Rye has to interrupt at the last minute to read you some of his tweets. Which can’t be that bad, right? It’s not like there’s anything dangerous about tweets.

You’ve finally come home from a long day at work. You’re ready to do your favorite thing in the world: watch Family Guy clip compilations and forget you exist. But your goddamn roommate Rye has to interrupt at the last minute to read you some of his tweets. Which can’t be that bad, right? It’s not like there’s anything dangerous about tweets.

Gardens @ Glennshead

by kanishk pandey

2
Cast Size
3—6
Genre
comedy,
dark comedy,
experimental,
fable/folktale,
fantasy

On her way to plant her late mother's four herbs, Karna awakens a long sleeping Giant. The Giant has been waiting for a human to come its way so that it may pass on an ancient prophecy. However, as Karna tries to avoid this prophecy, the world around both Karna and The Giant begins to fold in on them.

On her way to plant her late mother's four herbs, Karna awakens a long sleeping Giant. The Giant has been waiting for a human to come its way so that it may pass on an ancient prophecy. However, as Karna tries to avoid this prophecy, the world around both Karna and The Giant begins to fold in on them.

Let Me Let Me Rot

by kanishk pandey

2
Cast Size
3—5
Genre
comedy,
dark comedy,
drama,
experimental,
fantasy,
movement/physical,
satire,
tragedy,
verse

When Mangal's suicide attempt fails, he suddenly finds himself in an awkward predicament: face to face with a recent meet on a dating app, Death herself. Together, they investigate why he tried, and whether their relationship can survive.

When Mangal's suicide attempt fails, he suddenly finds himself in an awkward predicament: face to face with a recent meet on a dating app, Death herself. Together, they investigate why he tried, and whether their relationship can survive.