Anticipation buzzed in the air as Edison theater filled to near-capacity on Friday evening for the opening performance of Diwali. 

Ashoka’s executive board released a statement on Monday night outlining their plans for accountability after public outcry about this year’s Diwali skit.

Diwali, presented by Ashoka, celebrated its 30th anniversary this weekend with dancing, theatrics and music. This year’s performance marks decades of bringing a spectacle of sound, color and, most importantly, light to the Edison Theatre.

Dancing, expression, fashion, music and skits will all combine at the Diwali showcase this weekend, Nov. 8 and 9. Diwali, a typically Hindu festival celebrated by individuals across the South Asian diaspora, started on Sunday, and the holiday will last throughout this week. Ashoka, the South Asian Student Association at Washington University, puts on their annual showcase of the same name.

This was the team’s first time placing in a competition in four years.

“Unbreakable Kaira Shree” was exhibited this past weekend at Edison Theatre and featured performances from Wash. U. groups, as well as a fashion show and a philanthropy presentation.

Over the weekend, Ashoka staged its 29th annual show for Diwali, the festival of lights in South Asian tradition. More than 200 Washington University students came together to perform and produce this year’s Diwali: “Unbreakable Kaira Shree.”

Sur Taal Laya’s signature style of arranging is to create mashups of Bollywood songs and popular English songs. This fusion creates beautiful sonic experiences that blend South Asian and American cultures.

Most audience members, in enjoying the show’s colorful and multitudinous offerings, may not have thought about what goes on behind the scenes of a massive undertaking such as this one.

Ashoka hosted its 28th annual show centered around a main narrative of alien invasion, appropriately titled “The Diwali Files.”